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Josh Wigler and Zachary Kaplan talk Ice Age with Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Selfie!
Zachary and Queen Latifah
Zachary and Queen Latifah checking out their selfie
Up next: Michael Strahan
Zachary hits Michael Strahan with the tough questions.
Selfie time with Michael Strahan
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Just ask my son, Parade contributing editor Zachary Kaplan what he thought about working the steamy Ice Age: Collision Course premiere last week in at Lincoln Center’s Water Reade Theater in New York City and he’ll tell you that one of the best parts of working the Red Carpet was getting to see some of his favorite celebrities in person.
“It was very exciting to see the stars roll out,” Kaplan says.
And then there was prepping for back-to-back interviews. A week before the event, Zach was assigned the task of watching every single Ice Age movie in preparation to meet the stars, directors and producer.
Tough job for an 11-year-old? Not necessarily but the details matter to Kaplan.
“I studied the previous plots to find out what made each movie different in case Queen Latifah had something to say about playing Ellie the mammoth since she’s been in almost every Ice Age,” Kaplan says. “I also studied the soundtrack of Collision Course and got to ask the directors how they picked the music.”
Finding out more about two new characters, Shangri Llama, a yogi played by Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Teddy, a workout-obsessed bunny, played by Michael Strahan, was extra-important since these new characters just joined the cast of this, the fifth movie in the 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios animated franchise.
“I knew Jesse’s character had a lot to do with yoga so I tried to base my questions around it—so I asked what yoga poses he does to stay cool during the dog days of summer and his answer was really funny,” Kaplan says. “And it was really hilarious asking Michael Strahan if he’s ever flexed to attract a girl which is something his character does. I’m a big fan of his both because he’s a hall of famer and we had met before on the street and it was fun to reignite our ‘friendship.’ He has the best laugh.”
In the end, it was Josh Wigler, the reporter who ran the red carpet, Kaplan credits with making the event unforgettable.
“Josh had me thinking on my feet a lot,” Kaplan says. “I enjoyed how he bantered with me. He taught me to stay calm. I really look forward to working with him again.”
Ice Age: Collision Course collides with theaters on July 22.
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