Blake Michael Photo Shoot - JustJared.com Exclusive!

Blake Michael gets serious in this new photo shoot taken exclusively for JustJared.com!

The 16-year-old actor got his start in the popular Disney channel film Lemonade Mouth before landing the lead role of Tyler on the series Dog with a Blog.

The show follows Tyler and his step-sister Avery [G Hannelius] who don’t always get along, but share a secret from their parents – their adopted pet dog Stan actually has a blog and writes about all the family drama!

JJ sat down with Blake to talk about the show, his burgeoning music career, and of course, that hair.

Click inside to read JustJared.com‘s exclusive interview with Blake Michael…

Blake Michael – JustJared.com Exclusive Interview

JJ: So how did you first get into acting?

Blake Michael: Well, I started acting and got interested in it when I was just three years old. I was watching TV and I started screaming at my mom because I saw this kid in a commercial. I told her I wanted to be that kid. And it just kind of went from there. I kept on persisting. “What is that?” And I didn’t even know what “that” was, but she put me in a local agency in Atlanta. And from there, my career just slowly built up with commercials and brand ads. I started doing extra work when I was really little and it built up from there. While I was filming Lemonade Mouth, it never really occurred to me that I was actually filming a Disney channel movie, which is every 13-year-old kid’s dream. It never really hit me. I was having so much fun. I’ve been acting my whole life and this is what I love to do.

JJ: And how did you get into the Disney casting world?

BM: I went to an open casting call for Disney Worldwide four years ago back when I lived in Atlanta. I drove all the way to Nashville and there were thousands of people there lined up to audition. Anyone could audition. So I auditioned for that and drove all the way home. It’s a four-hour drive. And then they called me and wanted me to come back. So the next day, I drove all the way back to Nashville and auditioned for Judy Taylor�”she is the VP of Disney channel casting. It was because of that open casting call that developed that relationship, and that’s how she found me. That pretty much got me Lemonade Mouth, so anyone out there who wants to audition, go to an open casting call. It works sometimes. It worked for me.

JJ: What drew you to the character of Tyler? Are you guys alike in any ways?

BM: Me and Tyler are a lot alike actually. He’s just this laid-back, cool kid. He does whatever he wants, which is kinda like me [laughs]. He’s really popular in school. I never went to school. I mean, I stopped going to school in third grade because I was doing acting, so I became home-schooled. He wears very similar clothing. When I first went into wardrobe for my very first fitting, I was so pumped because they had such cool clothes and everything they had I just loved.

JJ: What’s your go-to outfit on a day you’re not working?

BM: I usually always start with the jeans, which is weird because most guys, I would say, start with a shirt and build around the shirt. I always start with the jeans and I have so many jeans. I have an entire rack of just jeans, but my go-to outfit is probably what I’m wearing now. I just have these gray, kind of on the skinny side, sorta ripped-up jeans. I tend to like plain t-shirts and then wear bracelets or watches, and high-tops, stuff like that. I like to go plain on the shirt, but I really amp it up with my shoes, and watches, and stuff.

JJ: What’s something we would never see you wear?

BM: You’ll never see me in a true New York raincoat, although I own one. You’ll never see me wear rainboots. I guess I’m just not a rain person [laughs].

JJ: Who do you look up to when it comes to fashion? Where do you get your inspiration?

BM: When it comes to fashion, I’m just inspired by anyone who has their own flair or piece on anything. I love originality. I love when people bring some bold and don’t do what’s been done or being done. I don’t think I have anyone in particular. Just anyone who’s original really inspires me.

JJ: You mentioned that you’re home-schooled. Do you ever think about missing out on the normal teenager experience?

BM: Yeah. I’ve never been to middle school or high school. And I won’t deny it, I’m sure I’m missing out. There’s a lot that you experience, you go through, and you learn from. But it’s a trade-off. I wanted to do this acting thing and I devoted my time my life toward it, and have done everything I can to build my career. It’s definitely paid back, I can definitely say that. I just never look back. I have my group of friends, so I don’t think I’m missing out on the social part of it. I have a whole group of friends who work on Disney or the networks that are home-schooled as well. So it’s kinda like a big home-schooling club. There’s definitely stuff you miss out on, but there’s also stuff you gain.

JJ: As for Dog with a Blog, what can you tell us about Tyler in the upcoming episodes?

BM: There’s a lot of stuff between Tyler and girls. That’s a common thing that happens. A lot of surprises with Tyler and the other characters, a lot you won’t be expecting. Also, a little insider secret, the animation they use to make the dog talk�”there’s a whole huge post-production team�”they’ve learned some really cool new tricks, so the animation is going to get way better as each episode goes on. And I saw some of the later episodes and it really looks like he’s talking. I’m really excited about that.

JJ: So let’s talk about your music. How did that all come about?

BM: I just caught a bug for music. And it wasn’t DJing necessarily. I was filming Lemonade Mouth and just listening to music and I just caught that bug. Ever since then, I couldn’t stop finding new music and listening to new music. It came to the point where I was mashing up music and making it my own. Now, I’m producing my own music, so it’s gone on its own little path. It was an organic process. I’m really happy where I’m at now. I spent two or three years now DJing and I feel pretty comfortable with that. There’s tons to learn, but I’m getting into producing now. And I’m planning on using that produced music in my live sets when I perform.

JJ: So you taught yourself how to DJ?

BM: Yeah, my whole family is kinda self-taught musically. My dad taught himself drums and guitar, my brother taught himself guitar�”he’s an amazing guitarist�”and it’s kinda the same thing with me. Three years ago, there weren’t as many tutorials on YouTube and the internet about DJing specifically. Also, I didn’t really have my own computer, so I wasn’t that involved in using those concepts to my advantage to learn it. I didn’t really have as much access as I do now. So I was kinda forced to learn it on my own. Learning on my own has also helped me. It’s all trial and error.

JJ: Which artists do you look up to?

BM: I look up to a lot of the artists you hear on the radio everyday. I really like EDM, which is electronic dance music. EDM is causing quite a stir and I love a lot of artists in that category like Steve Aoki and Afrojack. That category is heard on the radio a lot more often. Like “Levels” by AVICII, that’s a really popular song. I hear it all the time. Also, Britney Spears, the Black-Eyed Peas, will.i.am, just to name a few.

JJ: So you really have to pay attention to Top 40, right?

BM: That’s probably my favorite part about being involved in music so much. Not only do you have to stay up to-date on all the new music. It’s like whenever someone brings up music or you hear a song on the radio, and you’re friend goes, “What’s this song?” I can instantly tell them. I’m like that go-to guy when people are like, “I need new music.” I’m like, “Alright, I’ll make you a little thumb drive.” I’m that guy that knows all the pop, new stuff. And I’m always prepared to play new music. I remember I was at my friend’s house in the mountains for a friend’s birthday and everyone is downstairs in this huge party house. Everyone was playing a board game or something. And I have this app on my phone that’s amazing. So I just plugged it into the soundsystem throughout the whole house and I just started playing music. And everyone gets up from their boring board game and it was just a spontaneous dance party [laughs]. That’s one thing you know about me that you just gotta know, I always have music on me and I’m always ready to DJ at any time.

JJ: What’s the story behind your DJ name?

BM: DJ Blaze. When I was born, my mom wanted to name me Blaze. My dad didn’t really like that, so they settled with Blake. She told me that story when I was little and I just really loved that name. So that’s kinda been the name I’ve always wanted to have (laughs), so now it’s my DJ name. So when I’m done performing, I’ll be getting off the stage and girls will be screaming, “Blaze! Blaze!” It’s pretty cool.

JJ: What are your plans as far as music goes, for the future?

BM: I would really love to see myself continuing to play these shows. And like I said, I’m working on my own music that I’m going to incorporate into my sets and test it out to see how the crowd likes it and responds. Anything music-related. But I’m still pursuing acting. I’m still doing Dog with a Blog and I love doing it. I’m very busy with that. But I’m on hiatus now, so I’m working on music and playing shows. It’s just so fun. DJing, producing, and acting are the things I’ll be working on.

JJ: Have you ever had any crazy fan experiences?

BM: I’ve definitely had my creepy encounters. Signs, very odd objects… I have met just some odd people. I’ll just be walking at an event or something, like I went to the Twilight premiere, and I was walking into the theater and they touched my hair! I feel okay I guess when it’s just girls my age, but it was like older dudes. It was a little creepy, but it’s all good I guess [laughs].

JJ: You do have very nice hair! Would you ever cut it?

BM: I actually cut it two inches, which isn’t a huge cut, but it looks a bit different. My hair grows really fast, so even if I got a short cut, I don’t think I’d be worried. Would I cut it in the future? Probably for a role, but I don’t think I’d cut it on my own.