Shiloh Fernandez

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New Teen Idol

Date: February 2011

Source: VMan

For many burgeoning young actors, narrowly missing a role in one of history’s most highly watched movie franchises might cause the kind of trauma that only years of therapy or a lifetime of drug abuse might be able to erase. But for 25-year-old Shiloh Fernandez, missing out on the role of the twinkly lead vampire in Twilight proved to be something of a blessing in disguise.

“No one had any idea what Twilight would become,” says Fernandez. “At the time, it was just another audition. I didn’t realize I was missing out on stardom and giant paychecks. Now, looking back on it, I certainly wouldn’t have been mentally stable enough to deal with all that. Lucky for me, not getting that part led to other work that was a much better fit for me.”

He might not have landed the life-altering lead in Twilight, but director Catherine Hardwicke was enamored enough with Fernandez to cast him opposite Amanda Seyfried in Red Riding Hood, the director’s goth-tastic take on the classic childhood tale, in theaters this March 11th. (Just after that, on March 25th, Fernandez appears in Skateland, an ’80s period piece set in small town Texas and starring Twilight alum Ashley Greene.) Fernandez has only the best things to say about his experience on Red Riding Hood, a role that has suddenly made him a hot commodity in movieland. “To be given this great part with this very complicated backstory is such a learning experience,” he says. “And Catherine has created this world that’s so detailed and so beautiful. I loved being a part of it.”

In a town built on raw ambition and desperate attention grabbing, Fernandez is refreshingly low-key. Rather than follow his big Hollywood movie breakthrough with a slate of expected high-profile cute-guy parts, the actor opted instead to spend a few weeks in Northern California performing in a small play (“I’m out here in the woods, driving around in my mom’s old leaky Mazda Miata with water sloshing around in the floorboard”) before diving back into the mad hustle of L.A. Having done an array of television shows (Jericho, The United States of Tara), as well as the requisite number of low-budget horror films and failed pilots, Fernandez is remarkably blithe about what the future holds. While he is certainly eager to work, the lure of interesting personalities and learning experiences are still more appealing than an empty payday.

“I want to work and I want to become the best actor that I can be,” says Fernandez. “But I also want to be a happy, interesting person. It’s hard to be an interesting person if you spend all your time on a set. That isn’t the real world. You’ve got to have a good life outside of all that. You’ve got to spend time in places where there’s not always someone on standby to bring you a glass of water.”

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Date: February 2011.

Source: Interview.

Shiloh Fernandez was primed for the Catherine Hardwicke star machine years before the Thirteen (2003), Lords of Dogtown (2005), and original Twilight (2008) director cast him as the romantic lead alongside Amanda Seyfried in next month’s Red Riding Hood, Hardwicke’s latest gothic adolescent dream. The 25-year-old actor from Ukiah, California, possessed a suitably angular melancholy that almost won him the Edward Cullen part made famous by Robert Pattinson, a peculiar distinction that is now an inevitable talking point in his young Hollywood career (perhaps less inevitable is his now-not-so-peculiar name, which he shares with the first result of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s blended DNA). But Fernandez’s ascent has been less direct than other up-and-comers, a trajectory that has included turns as a dishwasher, a teenage American Apparel model (and—later—stock boy) hand-picked by the company’s CEO, Dov Charney, and an almost-familiar face on shows like Cold Case, Jericho, United States of Tara, and Gossip Girl and in films like the thriller Red (2008) and the musical Cadillac Records (2008). In addition to Red Riding Hood, Fernandez stars in the coming-of-age-in-the-’80s independent Skateland; and he just lined up his first film role that requires an accent, a British drama called The Beloved. He is also rumored to be playing the lead in a new, young Hollywood remake of 21 Jump Street, the ’80s high school–cop show that launched Johnny Depp. And then there is “Mr. DiCaprio,” as Fernandez refers to him, who is a producer on Red Riding Hood and made himself available to Fernandez as a sounding board. In other words, the transformation has begun.

MARK JACOBS: You’re not the clean-cut heartthrob.

SHILOH FERNANDEZ: Thank you. [laughs]

JACOBS: That’s a good thing, wouldn’t you say? I think of you as a little better and a little greasier.

FERNANDEZ: Yeah, I’m definitely shocked that people are saying, “You’re the romantic lead in this film.” That’s surprising to me. I don’t see myself that way at all.

JACOBS: How would you describe your character, Peter, in Red Riding Hood?

FERNANDEZ: They were having every boy audition for both roles, for Peter and Henry. Henry’s wealthier, the son of the blacksmith, who Red Riding Hood’s parents arrange her engagement to. He’s a really good guy but just doesn’t get the girl. Peter is more of the mysterious hero. I had to think about why I was attracted to Peter and not Henry, when I’m probably more like Henry. I’m not the guy who always gets the girl. I’m not the hero. But the role that appealed to me the whole time was Peter. He’s a migrant worker who works hard and has love for this girl that’s never-ending. He tries to do the right thing throughout the whole film. Somebody who works that hard to be a good person, who’s maybe not innately that way, fascinated me.

JACOBS: What’s your take on the film itself?

FERNANDEZ: It started with the fact that I’d known Catherine. I auditioned for a couple of her movies and I like her. I liked how she connects with youth and how she picks really great young actors. Reading it, I was thinking it might be something like Twilight, but this is not as much of a love story. It’s really a whodunit thriller. It was a very exciting script, and you really don’t know who’s at the center of it all until the end. To be able to play up certain aspects that are going to lead the audience away from the final reveal was something that I was into.

JACOBS: How close were you to getting the role of Edward Cullen in Twilight?

FERNANDEZ: You’ll have to ask Catherine. It appears that I was closer than I maybe remember. I did have a screen test and signed contracts and all that. But the thing that came out of it, whether I was second runner-up or not, was that Catherine and I liked each other, and she was gracious enough to keep me in mind for other things. I really don’t know how close I was to getting the part in Twilight. Did I want the part? I did. But I don’t think I was right or ready for it. And I don’t think anybody knew that it was going to be what it’s turned out to be. When Riding Hood came along, I thought it was a much better fit.

JACOBS: Is it strange to consider Robert Pattinson’s life? How that madness could have been yours?

FERNANDEZ: I don’t think it ever could have been mine. I think it would have been really, really bad for me. He seems like a really neat guy who’s handled himself amazingly well. I’m very grateful at this point that I didn’t get it. I remember when my agent called to tell me I didn’t get it. And then the next day I had an audition for something else. [laughs] When it came out, I was doing a movie with Ashley Greene, who’s in Twilight, and we went to the movies and watched it. It is a funny experience but I can’t say that it was one of the movies I was heartbroken over not getting.

JACOBS: After this film your life is going to be a bit different.

FERNANDEZ: I haven’t thought a whole lot about the change. I might have had some thoughts, and maybe that was the reason I wanted to come back to Ukiah and not really think about it for the time being, you know?

JACOBS: There’s a rumor that you’re a lock for the Johnny Depp part in the 21 Jump Street remake. It’s become a part of your rising-star story.

FERNANDEZ: I’ll be honest: I’ve been in Ukiah, completely checked out of L.A., and my buddy called and he’s like, “Dude, are you doing 21 Jump Street?” I never auditioned. I never saw a script. Nobody even told me that they were making a movie. I called my manager and he said that just happens. People make up rumors and put them on the Internet. So, no, I have no interest in doing that movie. I’m sorry to disappoint anybody, but I wouldn’t choose that for myself. [laughs] I mean, unless it was a comedy. If it was a comedy, that’d be awesome.

JACOBS: What’s your role in Skateland?

FERNANDEZ: I really like that movie. That was the last movie I did before Red Riding Hood. It really spoke to me because it’s about this kid from a small town who’s not ready to make any decisions about life. And I think that that’s probably where I was, and if I hadn’t been forced to go to college, I might have stayed in Ukiah as a dishwasher at this Italian restaurant, Mario’s, where I worked all through high school, and not really made a whole lot of decisions for myself. It’s about a kid who goes through that exact same thing, you know? He’s kind of settled in his routine when a series of events takes place and he has the power to move on. It’s worth it for him to go out in the world and try to succeed outside of what’s comfortable for him.

JACOBS: Do you have a new car, a new dog, or a new girlfriend?

FERNANDEZ: I have none of the above. When I get back to Los Angeles, I plan on moving out of my place, putting my stuff in storage, and kind of bumming it for a bit.

JACOBS: What does that mean?

FERNANDEZ: I just don’t want to be tied down to a place right now, to a home where I have to pay rent. I want to be able to travel. My mom has a house down in Mexico, so maybe I’ll spend time there. I just feel like it’s a much more interesting way to live than the way I have been for six years, which is kind of trapped in L.A., waiting for the phone to ring, running to an audition. It just feels much better to lead an interesting life and, when opportunities come up, be much more prepared for them.

JACOBS: So you’re not interested in the part of Hollywood where you’re photographed by paparazzi coming out of a gym with Amanda Seyfried?

FERNANDEZ: Oh, my god, that was terrible! I couldn’t believe it. I mean, she obviously deals with it all the time. But it was shocking to look across the street and see somebody in a van being creepy. That’s not a happy thing for me. [laughs]

JACOBS: Do you know Shiloh Jolie-Pitt?

FERNANDEZ: Do I know her personally? No, I haven’t met the little darling.

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Shiloh and Max Irons fight for the girl in “Red Riding Hood”

Date: February 16, 2011.

Source: MB

Playing the two young men fighting for the heart of Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) in Warner Bros.’ new fantasy thriller “Red Riding Hood” are newcomers Shiloh Fernandez as Peter, Valerie’s true love; and Max Irons, making his feature debut as Henry, to whom she has been promised.

Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie’s older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. As panic grips the town, Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast—one that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect…and bait..

“Red Riding Hood” is the first big break for both Fernandez and Irons, but Seyfried has nothing but praise for her co-stars. “Max has never done a film before and this is Shiloh’s biggest role,” she says. “They’re both so grateful for getting the opportunity to be in a really cool project. And they’re just so focused and so present. In some ways we’re playing younger versions of ourselves so all the emotions are really close to the surface.”

Fernandez read for the roles of both Peter and Henry, but was immediately drawn to the former. “I think we’d all like to see ourselves as the character that fights for the girl,” he says. “Peter’s a really good person no matter what’s happened in his past that has made people believe that maybe he’s dangerous or not very trustworthy. Henry loves the girl too, but she doesn’t want to be with him. And I realized that, yes, I may be more like Henry, but I want to be Peter. I want to be the hero.”

The young actor knew director Catherine Hardwicke from having read for a role in “Twilight.” Though he ultimately didn’t appear in the film, he stayed in contact with the director and was thrilled with the opportunity to work with her on “Red Riding Hood.” “She’s awesome,” Fernandez says. “She’s just really fun and incredibly creative.”

From being cast to walking on the set for the first time, the whole experience was likewise thrilling to Max Irons, the son of actors Jeremy Irons and Sinéad Cusack, making his first Hollywood movie. “It’s amazing when you walk into a set like that every day; you just count your lucky stars,” he says. “It’s like being a child. You’re asked to ride horses and carry swords and act with Gary Oldman, who’s dressed as a werewolf catcher. What’s not to like?”

Seyfried and the boys got along famously, in spite of the conflicts between their characters. “Shiloh’s great,” Irons says. “He and I, in a way, are inherently very different. And all three of us get along. It’s great.” He describes the trio’s rapport with a wry smile, “It’s a lot of jokes, constant jokes. I’m usually the butt of most of them, being English and tall and skinny.”

Like Shiloh’s character, Henry becomes suspected of being the werewolf. Without giving anything away, Irons says his character has just been dealt a bad hand, which is only made worse by this arranged marriage, “His mother died when he was young. Something happens to his father halfway through, debatably because of his inaction. I think he’s an intelligent guy but he often says, ‘Let’s hold back. Let’s think about this more,’ which is interpreted as being a bit of a coward in contrast to Peter. But then when things escalate, I think he decides to take control of his life, say goodbye to Valerie, and go hunt the werewolf And in doing so, I think he actually gets much closer to her.”

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Hollywood’s New Rebel

Date: March 2011

Source: Nylon Guys

Shiloh Fernandez might be able to walk around unrecognized now, but we’re betting all that’s about to change very soon. With leading roles in the big-time remake Red Riding Hood as well as the indie flick Skateland, the actor’s about to shoot into the spotlight. Nylon Guys NEditor-in-Chief Marvin Scott Jarett shot the 26-year-old in LA and Executive Editor interviewed him at the Getty Museum, where they talked about life outside of Hollywood, his favorite parts, and how he narrowly avoided being cast in Twilight.

How he got cast in Skateland: “It’s always better to say ‘This is why I like this, and this is how I connect to it.’ It’s a kid right out of high school, who doesn’t have a whole lot of direction-he’s just kind of hanging out with the same kids, staying in the job he had in high school. I feel like that could have been me if I hadn’t been pushed to go to college.”

On his cancelled CW series: “The CW-didn’t want me- I think I’m a little too strange”

On his audition with Kristen Stewart for Twilight: “She was sitting on the kitchen counter biting her nails and kicking her feet and I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ ‘Do you know how to speak?’ ‘Can we communicate about this?’ So i ended up ignoring her and talking to Catherine. What I didn’t realize of course was that she has a big say because she’s the lead girl and you have to have chemistry.”

On acting: “I try as much as I can to separate my job from my life and happiness. Because if it comes together, that’s when people get crazy…I kind of like the starving artist feel. That’s who I am right now.”

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Date: March 2011

Source: Nylon Guys

Shiloh Fernandez might be able to walk around unrecognized now, but we’re betting all that’s about to change very soon. With leading roles in the big-time remake Red Riding Hood as well as the indie flick Skateland, the actor’s about to shoot into the spotlight. Nylon Guys NEditor-in-Chief Marvin Scott Jarett shot the 26-year-old in LA and Executive Editor interviewed him at the Getty Museum, where they talked about life outside of Hollywood, his favorite parts, and how he narrowly avoided being cast in Twilight.

How he got cast in Skateland: “It’s always better to say ‘This is why I like this, and this is how I connect to it.’ It’s a kid right out of high school, who doesn’t have a whole lot of direction-he’s just kind of hanging out with the same kids, staying in the job he had in high school. I feel like that could have been me if I hadn’t been pushed to go to college.”

On his cancelled CW series: “The CW-didn’t want me- I think I’m a little too strange”

On his audition with Kristen Stewart for Twilight: “She was sitting on the kitchen counter biting her nails and kicking her feet and I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ ‘Do you know how to speak?’ ‘Can we communicate about this?’ So i ended up ignoring her and talking to Catherine. What I didn’t realize of course was that she has a big say because she’s the lead girl and you have to have chemistry.”

On acting: “I try as much as I can to separate my job from my life and happiness. Because if it comes together, that’s when people get crazy…I kind of like the starving artist feel. That’s who I am right now.”

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Hungry Like The WolfSource: GQ

Date: March 2011

Name: Shiloh Fernandez, 26

Spotted this month: In Red Riding Hood, a sexed-up take on the classic fairy tale, co-starring Amanda Seyfried, and in the indie Skateland

Born: Ukiah, California

What goes on in Ukiah: “It’s a mix of older farmers and young hippies growing marijuana.”

What “Shiloh” means: “It’s from the Bible. It’s a place of peace.”

On rumors he got his start modeling: “When I was like 15, [American Apparel's] Dov Charney asked me to take photos. I didn’t have a modeling agent or anything. My father and I were at this hotel near the airport. I didn’t do the underwear.”

How he started his days on-set: “I’d come to the makeup trailer and Julie Christie would kiss me on the lips and say good morning. I died every day.”

On rumors he’s dating Amanda Seyfried: “We’re not dating. I’d tell you. I’m not going to say there wasn’t other…whatever. She has a boyfriend.”

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WB’s TwitterviewDate: March 03, 2011

RT @ShilohFSource: What attracted you to the movie?

I love Catherine Hardwicke’s movies and I think she’s a fantastic director. The role is a character that in real I would aspire to be like.

RT @LAHessG: Did your chemistry with Seyfried come easy or was it something you both had to work on to get the right mood for the film?

I hear Amanda didn’t like me at first. Once we read together though, it was clear that there was a spark.

RT @dalina02: What was it like working with Catherine Hardwicke?

She is so passionate and so driven. There’s no getting around being one hundred percent committed.

RT @chardwickefans: What are your best memories from the set of Red Riding Hood?

After takes of being extremely serious, having a laugh with the rest of the cast and crew.

RT @idiotequed: favorite music, film, and artist?

New music: Avett Brothers. Favorite movie: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Favorite artist: I loved going to the Dali museum.

RT @CharliesStache: Who do you look up to most as an actor?

Right now, Javier Bardem. And Ryan Gosling.

RT @ShhmessiJessi: have you become addicted to twitter yet? I think plenty of people will agree you should get one!

I have not yet become addicted as I don’t have one. Will I get one? I won’t say never…but it’s not looking bright today.

RT @JGLENNALAN: You filmed in Vancouver! Did you like it there and did you meet any cool people?

I loved Vancouver. Fantastic city, fantastic people.

RT @_lemmonpie: What kind of characters would you like to play next? would you like to make a comedy or stick to the darker side?

I’d love to do all of it. But, obviously, I’m attracted to darker roles.

RT @B_Spence: if you could play any superhero in any movie who would it be and why?

Robin because he gets to kick ass, but the weight of the world wouldn’t be on his shoulders.

RT @ShilohFSource: What are your favorite books?

African Safari Papers. Dharma Bums. The Little Prince.

RT @momosanla: Hardwicke has had some luck in the past launching young actors’ careers. Are you ready for the onslaught of fans & attention?

Hurry up with it already. Joking.

RT @m_liu: favourite travel destination and why

I loved going to Indonesia. Surfing and motorbikes.

RT @ShhmessiJessi: are you afraid of the big bad wolf?

Yes, absolutely.

wbpictures: Obviously, the villagers in the film are afraid of the wolf terrorizing their loved ones. What is a fear of yours?

That’s a very good question. Failure.

wbpictures: Finally, why should everyone go see #RedRidingHood on March 11th?

Because it will exceed your expectations. It will thrill you. And satisfy you to the core.

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My Favorite Scene: Shiloh Fernandez Goes Comic, Romantic with MovielineSource: Movie Line

Date: March 08, 2011

Shiloh Fernandez makes Amanda Seyfried swoon with his bad boy ways in Catherine Hardwicke’s Red Riding Hood, but when Movieline met with the 26-year-old actor in Los Angeles he revealed his softer side with a favorite moment from a romantic ’90s-era classic — and turned on the charm with a touch of good, old-fashioned flattery. “I read Movieline!” he exclaimed before diving into a nostalgic round of My Favorite Scene.

Does Fernandez just say that to all the journalists?

“No! If you go look at my computer, that’s the one movie Web site that I look at,” Fernandez insisted. “I love The Vault! It’s funny, it’s clever, I swear it’s the only movie website I read.”

Awww! And with that, Fernandez happily played Movieline’s My Favorite Scene, first remembering an old classic he’d watched with his father as a kid. “I suppose, because there were very few movies that my dad watched with me when I was growing up, it would be the Pink Panther movies with Peter Sellers. The Cato and Peter Sellers fights — when Peter Sellers gets home — those are my favorite scenes.”

Fernandez’s tastes also run sentimental, as with his second pick: River Phoenix’s romantic declaration in Peter Bogdanovich’s 1993 country music dramedy A Thing Called Love. “I love the scenes between River Phoenix and Samantha Mathis in The Thing Called Love,” he shared. “The scene that I love is when he plays the show that she shows up to with Dermot Mulroney and he seems to be ignoring her but she’s dancing with Dermot, and he chases after her; he’s been playing a character the whole time on top of his character, because he’s been playing a person who doesn’t care, somebody who doesn’t have a care in the world and doesn’t care much about anybody else. And he reveals that, no, I love you — I just don’t know how to say it!”

“There are so many layers with all of his performances but here literally every line he says they’re getting peeled and peeled. That was just amazing. And it also has something to do with the fact that he sees her with another guy. He’s incredible.”

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Shiloh Fernandez about “Red Riding Hood”Source: About

Date: March 09, 2011

Shiloh Fernandez stars as a poor woodcutter who Amanda Seyfried’s character falls in love with in Warner Bros Pictures’ ‘Red Riding Hood.’ At the LA premiere, Fernandez talked about the fairy tale, director Catherine Hardwicke, and kissing Amanda.

So tell me about working on the set and working with Catherine [Hardwicke] because she knows teen audiences. How does she capture that?

Shiloh Fernandez: “I don’t get it. It’s really unexplainable. I think that maybe one of the main things is that she has a very unique approach to directing.”

How so?

Shiloh Fernandez: “I’ll tell you. I’ll let you in on the secret. She plays music. She’ll have us yell at each other. She’ll have Max [irons] and I wrestle. A lot of improv, a lot of improv games. Really just trying to get you out of your head and the preconceived notions you have of the character, put those away and try something new and experiment. She has so much energy that you have no choice but to kind of follow her and to jump in and be 100%.”

How would you say this compares to the original?

Shiloh Fernandez: “Well, you know, I think as a kid you don’t realize how dark the story is really. And what Catherine’s done is taken those kind of dark themes and run with them. I feel like the love story is obviously there, which wasn’t there in some of the versions of the story. But, yeah, it’s a thriller and it’s a mystery, and they’ve kind of made it socially relevant, I think.”

Why are we still so fascinated with this tale?

Shiloh Fernandez: “I think there’s really just a few themes in all of those fairy tales that will always be kind of relevant. And, you know, there’s kind of a surge in these stories being made right now, and I think it will go on for a long time. You know, I think that they’re just so universal and there’s so many ideas they can draw from them. I mean, Red Riding Hood for example, yes there’s the big bad wolf that you can interpret in any way you want. There’s the red cape that can symbolize sexually or otherwise. I just think that, you know, if you want to analyze those stories, there’s a million things to think about and that’s what makes it so unique.”

Is that what attracted you to the project?

Shiloh Fernandez: “I think Catherine, probably. I love her as a person and I love her films. But yeah, I love that it was a different take and that they explored themes that I didn’t realize were in the story as a boy. You know what I mean? And, yeah, the character was something that I hadn’t done before. I’ve never really played the love interest before. I didn’t really understand that. And Amanda [seyfried] wasn’t a bad partner to have for that.”

There were a lot of people who auditioned for the role. I heard you beat them out by a kissing audition.

Shiloh Fernandez: “Yeah. I was lucky enough to A) kiss her and B) to have her be on my side.”

You have great on screen chemistry. How did you get along off screen?

Shiloh Fernandez: “I don’t think it’s hard to have chemistry with Amanda. She’s an awesome girl. She’s really fun. She’s gorgeous. I think if you have a pulse, you’re attracted to her. She’s just an amazing girl. It was easy.”

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Next Factor: Shiloh FernandezSource: Next Movie

Date: March 09, 2011

Had there been just a slight shift in the sciences, Shiloh Fernandez would’ve already been a mega-star by now, obsessed over by millions of adoring fans. The California native was thisclose to playing Edward Cullen in “The Twilight Saga,” but didn’t find strong chemistry with potential co-star Kristen Stewart, telling NextMovie the two “didn’t mesh up.”

That’s ancient history now, as Fernandez gets a new chance to shine in a cool new spin on a classic fairytale, “Red Riding Hood.” And the chance comes courtesy of original “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke, who was obviously taken with R.Pattz’s runner-up during their first go-round.

In Hardwicke’s “Red Riding Hood,” Fernandez steals Amanda Seyfried’s heart as a woodcutter with whom she wishes to run away to escape her impending arranged marriage. Of course, there’s still that big bad wolf to contend with first. The role of Peter is Fernandez’s biggest movie role yet after appearing on TV in “Jericho,” “The United States of Tara” and “Gossip Girl” as well as on-screen in “Cadillac Records” and other small roles.

With “Hood,” Fernandez’s time has come, and we got the back story on the 26-year-old, who exudes an effortless likability that will make him one to watch on the big screen.

What was your very first acting gig?

The first thing I got was a commercial for First 5 California that was directed by Vadim Perelman, who did “House of Sand and Fog.” The first show that I did was “Cold Case.”

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t acting?

When I went to college, I was doing well in school but I didn’t have any drive to study. I really liked Spanish, so maybe I could have majored in Spanish, moved to South America and run a banana farm or something. Recently I went home and did a play and helped build a set, and I really enjoyed that. My stepfather is a contractor, and I really like working with my hands. I think that would be a fantastic job. I think writing is such a great talent, and if I was better I would love to be a writer.

Do people recognize you on the street?

There is no recognition. The reaction is I’m just walking down the street — tripping and falling and spitting.

Do you have a dream role?

I read books sometimes and think, that would make a fantastic character. In terms of the things that I’ve seen, I like smaller, quiet movies. I have an affinity for country music and would love to play a country music star.

Can you sing?

I don’t know. I haven’t let that out into the world yet, so I need to get a response before I can answer that.

Rock or rap?

Rap.

Mac or PC?

That’s obvious [looks at Mac laptop on the coffee table in front of him]. Mac.

“The King’s Speech” or “The Social Network?”

Oh man. That’s hard. I’ll say “The Social Network” because Andrew Garfield is amazing.

“Harry Potter” or “Twilight?”

I have to support my director and say “Twilight.”

Edward or Jacob?

Edward. Undoubtedly.

Zac Efron or Zach Galifianakis?

Galifianakis for sure. He’s hilarious.

Beer or wine?

Both!

“Star Wars” or “Star Trek?”

Neither.

New York or Los Angeles?

I live here. L.A.

Twitter or Facebook?

Neither. But Facebook would be my preference, I think.

Bieber or Timberlake?

I just had dinner with Timberlake. I like him. I’ll say Timberlake because of my very small personal connection.

What’s next for you on-screen? Is there any truth to you being the lead in a remake of “21 Jump Street?”

I auditioned for “21 Jump Street” last week and I think it’s hilarious — it’s a really funny script. “Skateland” was something I really wanted to do and was lucky enough to be cast with this girl from “Twilight,” Ashley Greene. I play this kid from East Texas who is having a hard time making decisions and growing up. Through a series of events that take place over a summer, he’s forced to make a decision and take responsibility for his life and happiness.

Who would be your dream love interest on-screen?

Wow. That’s a big question. Amanda was a dream come true in “Red Riding Hood,” so I’ve been lucky this far [long pause]. I always had a big thing for Winona Ryder.

You have a bunch of fan websites. Are you ready for all the screaming girls and that kind of fandom?

I’ve been waiting forever for it! I don’t know—it’s hard to imagine that would ever take place. I think it would be really fantastic to have people who are fans and enjoy watching you make films. I don’t know any way to prepare for that.

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Shiloh Fernandez Talks Red Riding Hood, Skateland and Dissing Kristen StewartSource: Movie Line

Date: March 14, 2011

The most striking observation made during a recent chat with Shiloh Fernandez is that the 26-year-old is a gentle and thoughtful soul in person — sincere, open, and regretful of comments he made recently about his run-in with Kristen Stewart years ago when reading for the role of Edward Cullen in Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight. Fernandez may not have been meant to play the famous sparkling vampire, but he got another shot at working with Hardwicke when she cast him as the village bad boy in Red Riding Hood, the first romantic lead role in his young career to date. (Plus, he’s an avid Movieline reader. So, you know — bonus points!)

By sheer coincidence, the two films Fernandez shot in the past few years both hit theaters this season — Red Riding Hood, in which his poor woodcutter Peter lights Amanda Seyfried’s heart aflame (it opened to $14 million over the weekend), and the indie character drama Skateland bows in limited release May 13. Movieline spoke with Fernandez about both films, the story of how Amanda Seyfried almost didn’t like him, his upcoming British incest love-triangle, and the collaboration with Thomas Dekker he hopes to film soon.

You were able to explore the sexual symbolism in the Red Riding Hood story a bit, but how mindful were you of playing with the budding sexuality of these characters in a PG-13 film?

The hood and the hood symbolism? That was just crazy! But yeah, it’s PG-13 so to toy with that idea, but not to go overboard with it was important. Catherine gave me and Amanda a book called The Uses of Enchantment, so that’s all about the sexuality and her feelings toward her father, especially. It was neat to play those layers; I think that once you accept a role you want to find your place within the film but also play your role, so that idea has very little to do with me and more to do with Catherine’s vision of the film and where I might fit into that. But that’s why movies can be so intriguing: They’re so subjective and everyone can take a different thing away from them. That’s why I wanted to be an actor. That’s why I like it, because sometimes when I see actors they’re communicating with me and me alone. I understand how you made that choice and how you’re feeling. You’re living my life. And I think that Catherine really had a huge daunting task in including that but also making a fun, thrilling movie. But I know that she’s very conscious of that and she talked a lot, at least to me in the beginning, about reading that book and what it said. Thinking about that symbolism and who I was to [Amanda Seyfried’s character]. Am I a father figure to her? Am I somebody that her father never was because he’s always drinking? Does she want to be with me because there’s something similar between us? There are all those things that are really intriguing to think about, and I hope that part of the story appeals to the audience that might naysay this film.

You’ve done a lot of work in indie films, so what was the appeal of Red Riding Hood — a film that would inevitably throw you into the realm of teen idol worship?

I really do think Catherine Hardwicke is a very, very talented director. And I love how she’s really cornered this market on youth and really captured that. That’s fascinating to me. And it’s really a phenomenon. To be a part of that is an honor. For her to be the person she is and to take a chance on someone like me means a lot. I think that the performances she got out of her younger actors in Lords of Dogtown and Thirteen were fantastic, and that she chose such talent for Twilight is really impressive.

You play the town bad boy, essentially — a dangerous-looking type, the lover from the wrong side of the village. Were you naturally drawn to Peter, or did Catherine see you in the role from the start?

The role, you know, it’s funny. I’ve thought a lot about this because when they were giving out the scenes for auditions they had every boy read for both parts. Auditions are hard enough for me; I don’t want to have to be challenged with doing two completely different characters, so I showed up playing Peter; Peter is the part that I would get, and I’m not the proper and prim wealthy boy. That’s just not who I am. So I’m going to go play Peter and do the best job I can. And after my first audition I think that maybe someone on the producing side had another choice in mind for that role, so Catherine called and said, “I want you to come in for Henry.” That was kind of shocking, but I had to think about why I was attracted to Peter and why I might find myself attracted to Henry. Peter’s obviously the hero, in a way, but I think that Henry doesn’t get the girl and is just trying his best, and that’s maybe happened to me on more than one occasion than what happens with Peter, where it’s like, “No, I can’t be with you for the greater good of your life.” It’s not that he’s bad, but the way he goes about things is unorthodox and he’s not somebody that shares his feelings very often, and I can connect with that. In every instance, he went against his instincts of saying “No, f*ck you lady, I’m taking your daughter.” Or “F*ck you dude, I’m gonna slit your throat because you messed with me.” You know, those instincts that you have as a human being he somehow calms and is able to look at the bigger picture and the love of his life and say, “I want your happiness — I’m going to put you before anything.”

You gave an interview in which you suggested you may not be expecting Red Riding Hood to earn critical acclaim. Why so?

If I said that, I hadn’t seen the movie yet. I think the reason is that I don’t want to have some sort of expectation of what this will do for me. Like, every question that you get is, “Are you ready for this?” And I’m like, “What the f*ck? No.” I’ve never been recognized and I can’t imagine it happening tomorrow. Is there going to be this sudden shift? That’s hard for me to understand. I guess what I meant with that quote was, the movies that I’ve done maybe make it into two theaters. Maybe. And that’s kind of been my forte, that’s what I’ve been doing. So to expect a movie that I’m in to be accepted and universally enjoyed is something that’s beyond me. It’s not that I don’t expect it, it’s just that it’s very new for me. I’m really happy that this movie is a bigger film, and I want to do big films and reach people and have them enjoy things that I do, but it’s just never been the case before.

Speaking of those indie films, you’ve got Skateland opening in limited release right after Red Riding Hood. What did that smaller project offer you the chance to explore in contrast to your bigger studio project?

I’m really proud of Skateland. I think it’s a young movie. We’re all really passionate and new, and we made a good film that people might think has kind of been done before but what makes it different is that there are strange moments, there are just things that feel a little bit off. And I think that was planned, but that’s why I like it — it really is a true independent film, and whether or not it has this coming-of-age formula that people have seen, if you watch the movie you’ll be surprised by it. These are the kinds of films that I want to do. They’re both the kinds of films that I want to do, and they’re the only films I’ve done in the past two years. I’m so proud of both of them, and I think for what I want to do they’re shining examples.

You and Catherine have both talked about how Amanda didn’t approve initially of you being cast until you read with her in person. What’s the story behind that?

I don’t know! I’d met her twice, once at dinner and once at a party. I really don’t remember her not liking me. They kind of told me later, and I thank God because I showed up to this audition with her not knowing that she had some sort of preconceived notion of who I was. But I guess that’s true; they’d answer it better than I would. I always liked her, but I’ve actually never seen any of her other movies. But she is f*cking talented. She is really good. Honestly, shockingly good. But I knew the part I wanted to play and I knew how I wanted to do it, and obviously from the experience of Twilight I knew she would have a lot of say in that choice. The way I felt about it in the audition process was that she was extremely intriguing to me, and really kind of in control of these scenes although the way that she did it, it was kind of offbeat. It almost felt like I was holding on and she was leading the charge and all I had to do was be there with her. It was challenging, but you just have to be open to that. Especially in auditions where you’ve prepared your bit, your shtick, and then the other person is doing something completely different and you have to let go of everything you’ve practiced and basically respond.

Catherine famously made you, along with her other candidates, kiss Kristen Stewart in auditions for Twilight. Were there any similar chemistry tests on Red Riding Hood?

Yeah, we did a bunch of auditions with Red Riding Hood, too. I’ve really never played the romantic role. Skateland, sort of, but aloof. That’s not really a romantic lead, he’s a charismatic kid who’s probably attractive to some people in East Texas. But Twilight and this movie would be more considered romantic, and I just never get those opportunities. I would say that Catherine has a different take on how she finds that chemistry. There was a quote that I gave about Kristen that came off very poorly and they didn’t use my [full quote]. I felt bad because it was something about her being nervous, and truly it was me. She had the part and I came in so nervous and so wanting it that I probably blew it. I probably wasn’t ready as an actor, wasn’t mature enough to match her, because she is a fantastic actress.

Robert Pattinson recently said he spends his spare time in his trailer watching Two and a Half Men. So life after that role ain’t that grand after all.

Well on set I spend my time in my time watching The Biggest Loser. No, I’m joking. It’s The Bachelor. No, I’m joking. I’ve said it before, I think he’s handled himself amazingly well and he’s a very interesting person.

Coming up, are you doing The Beloved next?

I think. I was offered the movie and I really hope it happens. It’s fantastic, but there’s no start date. It’s incredible. It takes place in Wales in the early ’60s, and it’s a love triangle between these three cousins during a time when the world is changing and youth is taking a stand about how things should be done.

To clarify: We’re talking three cousins who are in a love triangle… with each other?

Mm-hmm. Yeah, it’s neat.

Can you do a Welsh accent?

Not yet. But it’s funny because I found out about that movie while I was doing the play Oliver, so I’m closer than I was when I was just living in California.

What else does the future hold for you?

There are a couple of movies with Emma Roberts, which is kind of funny, that may or may not come to fruition. And my friend Thomas Dekker is making a movie called Walk of Fame in April, I think, and I would kill to participate in that, so I hope that everything comes together. He reminds of Catherine in the way of their understanding of something that everybody doesn’t necessarily understand. We did a movie called Whore together that he directed. I don’t think he’ll ever put it out; I think that was kind of his no-budget compared to this movie, Walk of Fame, which is bigger. He’s probably one of the best directors that I’ve worked with, and he’s like 23.

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Wild ThingsSource: Teen Vogue

Date: April 2011

Shiloh, 26, who started out on TV’s “Jericho” and “United State of Tara”, stars in this month’s gothic thriller “Red Riding Hood” as an orphaned woodcutter named Peter trying to win the love of Valerie (Amanda Seyfired) as their village is being terrorized by a werewolf. Working with director Catherine Hardwicke was a long time coming for Shiloh, who lost out to Robert Pattinson for the role of Edward in a little movie she helmed called Twilight. This time around, after an intense series of auditionsn, many which took place in Hardwicke’s garage, Shiloh landed the part – for which he had to gain fifteen pounds and take tree-chopping lessons. But to fully embody his role as town outcast, Shiloh tried to isolate himself from the other actors. “When we started filming in Vancouver, we all lived in the same apartment,” he says, “but I decided to rent my own place on the outside of the town. I got to know everyone really well in the end, but in the beginning I wanted to create that feeling of being an outsider.”

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Shiloh FernandezSource: Interview

Date: November 2008

By: John Ortved

Picture Shiloh Fernandez, at age 15, posing on New York City street corners in various stages of undress as American Apparel founder Dov Charney snaps away with his camera. Fast-forward eight years to Fernandez at 23, and he’s making movies alongside Adrien Brody and Beyoncé Knowles.

The latter scenario was for Fernandez’s forthcoming film, Cadillac Records-a movie about the Chess brothers’ seminal Chicago record label, which put out albums by artists like Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry. On his first day of shooting, Fernandez had to take Beyoncé aside and explain to her that their characters had a prior relationship-of a sexual nature. “I was like, ‘You know, we’ve been together before,’” Fernandez remembers all too vividly. “And Beyoncé said, ‘Been together where?’”

Cadillac Records is one of seven films that Fernandez currently has lined up. He also appears in The United States of Tara-a TV series written by Diablo Cody, based on an idea by Steven Spielberg-which revolves around a mother (Toni Collette) dealing with her family as well as her multiple-personality disorder. So when does this guy sleep? “Often,” says Fernandez, with the humor of an actor who has known what it feels like to go without work.

Fernandez’s career is hardly the product of careful calculation and/or parental micromanagement. At 19, the Northern California native dropped out of college at the University of Colorado at Boulder and moved to Los Angeles to be with his then girlfriend. “She broke up with me before I got there,” he says. His old pal Charney gave him a job working in an American Apparel stockroom. “Worst job of my life,” says Fernandez. “That’s when I got serious about acting.”

Fernandez’s Hollywood track, though evidence of a quick study, has not been without its missteps. He found a manager, lost her, stumbled through some auditions, and nailed a few others. He guest starred on TV’s Cold Case and Jericho in 2006 before landing roles-some of them leads-in indie films such as the suspenseful drama Red with Brian Cox and the thriller Interstate.

Of all the actors in Cadillac Records’ star-studded cast, Fernandez was particularly taken with Brody. “It was different to see [brody] not memorizing his lines until it was time to shoot, being super free and open, and seeing how other people reacted to him and how he could react back,” he says. Fernandez is also learning to be more discerning in his choices. “I read an interview with Mark Wahlberg, and he was like, ‘I might read a script and love it, but it’s all about the filmmaker.’ I think that’s a good lesson for me.”

It makes sense that Fernandez is looking to Wahlberg for career wisdom. Like Fernandez, Wahlberg worked tirelessly early in his career, taking any roles that came his way, educating and positioning himself-and when you go back far enough on his résumé, there’s even some male modeling.

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A New TwistSource: Ukiah Daily Journal

Date: December 2010

Rising Star comes home for Oliver!

“Kate’s directing brought me back to Ukiah,” says Shiloh Fernandez, referring to Kate Magruder, veteran director, actress and founder of the Ukiah Players Theatre.

“I was working in Canada,” explains the almost painfully self-effacing Ukiah High graduate, who at 25 may not quite be ready to acknowledge the monumental changes coming his way, as the man who was on the short list for the “Twilight” lead now gets his own shot at the spotlight.

Fernandez is currently on the big screen in the trailer for the spring release of Red Riding Hood, a dark adaptation directed by Catherine Hardwicke of “Twilight” fame. Fernandez plays a brooding woodcutter alongside Amanda Seyfried and luminaries Gary Oldman and Julie Christie.

But he is currently performing in the Ukiah Players Theatre production of Oliver!, where Magruder cast him as the abusive, diabolical Bill Sykes.

“I heard Kate was auditioning for Oliver. Oliver Twist was one of my favorite books. I emailed Kate,” he recalls. “Kate remembered me from SPACE, when I was 13.” (SPACE is Ukiah’s School for the Performing Arts and Cultural Education.)

Fernandez had completed the filming of Red Riding Hood and had some spare time. “I wanted to do something very different from a big movie, to reconnect with why I like doing this.” He returned home to Ukiah and was cast in the play.

For the last six years, Fernandez has lived in Los Angeles. What started as a modeling career with American Apparel has landed him in the enviable position of – dare he think it? – Movie Star.

“This is the longest time I’ve been home since I moved away. Being here in this play is reconnecting me with my family and emotions from my childhood. The crush, the Dams. I’m driving down the street, getting right back to feelings I had growing up here,” he notes.

“It’s a perfect time to be here, working across from the high school. It’s a beautiful campus, and when I lived here, I didn’t open my eyes enough to see that.”

Fernandez was a member of SPACE as a boy, but “was not a drama kid. That wasn’t for me. In fact the drama thing made me feel uncomfortable.” He landed a gig on the Cold Case television series. “I played a male hustler. It was pretty strange to play a possibly gay prostitute,” he laughs.

Dark roles, including his current assignment as Bill Sykes, seem to come naturally to Fernandez. “I like the edgy characters, but they’re not necessarily what I want to go for. I think of myself as a nice person. I’d like to play a romantic lead, but you want to make a living and take jobs the audience wants you to take.”

He is relishing his time as Bill Sykes. “Working on Oliver has been awesome. I’ve learned a great deal.” He credits Magruder with the success of the show. “I admire Kate so much. I want to work with her in the future in a smaller capacity, because she’s a genius.”

He is feeling the differences between films and stage. “I don’t watch the play. I’m not in every scene. That’s similar to film. The scary and amazing part of a play is that you can’t yell CUT! I can approach a scene differently during every performance and try completely new things. You take certain shortcuts in film that won’t work on a live stage.”

Fernandez has already given many interviews and has been asked about favorite actors and films. “It’s a hard question. Inspiration happens instantaneously. It’s not like I’ve held onto a feeling from a film for years. Now, I just like what I do, I love the creative process. There are so many brilliant actors. If I name three, I’ll forget someone very important. But I’m not a real fan of comedy,” he said, and smiles.

Shiloh’s advice for aspiring actors: “Don’t be an actor?” he kids. “You don’t need to be paid in television or film to be an actor. In this community there are outstanding individuals who perform for the love of acting.” He applauds his cast, including Grace Proven-Magruder and Rick Allen.

“These are people who are great actors,” he notes. “Jenny Peterman helped me with my accent. Karen Adair has been so helpful with the kids. It’s been perfect.”

Fernandez has enjoyed spending time with his family. “They don’t necessarily watch everything I do, so it’s fun for them to see me and for us to talk about it together.”

When asked directly about becoming a bona fide movie star, Fernandez smiles, certainly similar to the grin noticed by the director of “Twilight.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” he muses.

“I can’t explain my philosophy. I try to be as steady as I can, and be as humble, aware and compassionate as possible. I try to tread a middle path. What’s real is where I come from, who I am and what defined me as I was growing up,” he said.

His one request: “Please don’t judge me by my vocal cords,” he laughs.

Oliver! continues at the Ukiah Playhouse for two weekends, December 2 through 12, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, including a Sunday matinee. Tickets are available at the Mendocino Book Company or at the box office. For information phone 462-9226.

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Biography

Actor Shiloh Fernandez’s life mirrors the trajectory of many celebrities who arrived on top (and “in their niche”) not via strategic planning, but via a series of random jobs and dead ends that eventually dropped them into the limelight. A native of Northern California, Fernandez parlayed his slightly rugged, all-American looks into an eminent career as a model in his mid-teens, posing in a series of semi-provocative print ads for American Apparel (taken by its founder, Dov Charney) that were visibly displayed in downtown Manhattan. The fame and exposure generated by this proved somewhat short-lived, however. Following high school, Fernandez enrolled in the University of Colorado at Boulder, then impulsively dropped out, moving to Los Angeles to live with his girlfriend at the time. Unfortunately, the two broke up before Fernandez even arrived, but Charney helped out on an economic end by offering the young upstart a job in an American Apparel stockroom. Fernandez felt grateful for the opportunity, but reportedly hated the job itself so much that he hearkened off for the greener pastures of acting. Fernandez landed his first formal acting assignments as a guest star on episodes of the network series Cold Case and Jericho in 2006 and 2007, but truly came into his own as a star of low-medium budgeted independent films such as director Marc-Andre Samson’s taut thriller Interstate (2006) (as a young man trying desperately to reach his girlfriend in Los Angeles, but waylaid by drugs and the trappings of an odd motel), and directors Lucky McKee and Trygve Diesen’s violent psychological thriller Red (as a disturbed young man who plays the role of accomplice in killing a senior citizen’s dog). Additional projects included the hotly anticipated Darnell Martin drama Cadillac Records (opposite Beyoncé Knowles and Adrien Brody) and the Diablo Cody-scripted television series The United States of Tara, culled from an idea by Steven Spielberg. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

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FilmographyActor

Walks (2010) – TBA

Red Riding Hood (2010) – Peter

Swerve (2010) – Daniel

Skateland (2010) – Ritchie Wheeler

Three Rivers (2009) – Scott

16 to Life (2009) – Rene

Gossip Girl (2009) – Owen Campos

United States of Tara (2009) – Benjamin Lambert

Cadillac Records (2008) – Phil Chess

The Warehouse Job (2008) – Richard

Deadgirl (2008) – Rickie

The Cleaner (2008) – Ray Crin Jr.

Gardens of the Night (2008) – Cooper

CSI: NY (2008) – Jake Fairwick

Red (2008) – Pete

Jericho (2006-2007) – Sean Henthorn

Interstate (2007) – Edgar

Crossroads: A Story of Forgiveness (2007) – Justin Gutierrez

Lincoln Heights (2007) – T.J.

Drake & Josh (2007) – Julio

Cold Case (2006) – Vale

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FactsFull Name: Shiloh Thomas Fernandez.

Date of birth: 26 February 1985.

Place of Birth: Ukiah, California, USA.

Height: 5’10.

Music: Avett Brothers.

Movie: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?.

Actors: Javier Bardem, Ryan Gosling.

Books: African Safari Papers, Dharma Bums and The Little Prince.