Interview:Gabriel Encarnacion (January 2002)
- What character did you play?
I played Lawrence Hodges.
- How did you get involved with Adventures in Odyssey?
I got involved at age 9 when I found out through a friend who worked in Focus on the Family that AIO was having auditions. I was a huge fan and I decided to give it a shot.
- What was it like playing Lawrence Hodges? Do you relate to him in any way?
Playing Lawrence Hodges was really nothing new for me. The character was so much like myself when I was a kid. I had a very vivid imagination and enjoyed pretending with my brother and sister. The only difference between me and Lawrence was that I usually played with other people whereas Lawrence tends to play by himself. Also, I really love reading "Calvin and Hobbes" and Lawrence totally reminds me of Calvin in the sense that he has these grandiose adventures that occur in a world that could only be created in the mind of a 6 or 7 year-old. I'd usually try to think "how would Calvin react in a situation like this?" whenever I would play Lawrence.
- What was your favorite part of working on Adventures in Odyssey?
My favorite part of working on AIO was meeting such cool people. Lots of the characters that I knew from AIO were also voices from other cartoons that I totally enjoyed.
- Do you ever have any regrets about how you acted? If so, what?
No, I don't have any regrets about my acting. I'm not a professional or anything like that, so the way I was acting was actually an extension of who I am as a person.
- In your opinion, what do you think you could change about your acting?
I don't think I'd change anything about my acting. That was really me.
- Have you seen any AIO sites? If so, which ones?
I've gone to aiohq.com which, I believe, is run by Nathan Hoobler who I met during a recording a couple of summers ago.
- Were you friends with any of the AIO actors? If so, which ones?
I don't think I was really close buds with any of the actors. I was always the youngest kid in the studio, so it was tough to try and associate with many of these older people. When I went back for a recording when I was older, I was then one of the oldest people there, so it was a bit tough as well.
- If you had the opportunity to work with Adventures in Odyssey, would you act, write, or do behind the scenes stuff? Why?
I would totally act again just because I love doing that sort of thing. If I had to choose a second position, it would probably be writing because I enjoy the creative aspect of the production.
- What other kinds of things (job-related) do you do now?
I've had several different jobs since I left AIO. I worked at a restaurant (the Old Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton, CA) during high school and then worked retail for a summer before going to school in Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. For the last two summers, I was a lifeguard at the Disneyland Hotel and right now I work on campus at the payroll office.
- What are your hobbies?
I enjoy playing guitar (I've been doing it for 7 years) and skateboarding as well as going to the beach and hanging out with my friends.
- If you were an AIO fan (or are) which actor/actress would you want to meet the most?
I would really like to get to know the guy who played Eugene Meltsner. He is such a nut and really talented as well.
- Do you have any last comments/suggestions/tips for us AIO fans?
Hmm...closing comments.... Don't be afraid to go out into the world. We are called as Christians to go out into all the nations and to spread the gospel. Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Him.
Thanks for taking time out of your day to talk to us!