Mason Cook may be small, but he has been in many big films. One of those films is the summer blockbuster “The Lone Ranger.” Cook has been a fan of his co-star Johnny Depp since he saw “Pirates of the Caribbean.” So starring in a film with Depp was a dream come true.
Cook plays a character called Will. Viewers get to follow the story of Will as he meets Tonto, played by Depp, and how his character will help Tonto and The Lone Ranger.
You probably have seen Cook’s work before in other films. Mason was in such movies as “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World” and television shows such as “Raising Hope,” “Victorious,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Hot in Cleveland,” and “Criminal Minds.”
Cook has a passion for acting and you can see it in his work and in my interview with him.
Art Eddy: Tell me about your role of Will in the film “The Lone Ranger”.
Mason Cook: Well, in “The Lone Ranger” I play Will, a boy who lives in San Francisco in the 1930s. Will meets Tonto, played by Johnny Depp, and that meeting is what frames the entire movie of “The Lone Ranger.”
AE: How was it to work with Johnny Depp? Are there any cool behind the scene moments with you and Johnny?
MC: Let me put it this way when I turned six, I had a “Pirates of the Caribbean” birthday party and Johnny as Captain Jack Sparrow was on my cake. During my press interviews for “Spy Kids 4,” I was always asked which actor I wanted to work with the most in the future and my answer was always, hands-down, Johnny Depp.
So, the word “awesome” doesn’t even come close to describing what getting to work with Johnny Depp was like for me.
AE: What was your favorite part to shoot in the film?
MC: Every minute of filming was my favorite part. All of my scenes are just Will and Tonto, so I worked one-on-one with Johnny the whole time. It will be hard to top that.
AE: You have been in many great films, but is there any more pressure when you know you are filming a summer blockbuster film?
MC: I wouldn’t say there was more pressure, but being on the set, you could definitely tell that Gore Verbinski, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Johnny were determined to make this film the best it could be. With this team, it’s go big or go home.
AE: When did you start your career as an actor and do you remember your first role and what it felt like to be on set?
MC: I started acting when I was 8 years old. My first job was a Dunkin Donuts commercial, which didn’t seem like a job at all. I got to eat donuts all day and my wardrobe was pajamas. But, my first real acting role was playing a cardiac asthma patient on “Grey’s Anatomy.” That was a really cool experience because all of the hospital stuff was fake, but seemed so real!
AE: Do you have a favorite role that you have done so far?
MC: After talking to me, you probably won’t be surprised that my favorite role I’ve done so far is Will in “The Lone Ranger.” From the Western costumes, to the trains and the crazy explosions, this movie really is huge.
AE: I am intrigued by the pilot you filmed “Spy.” Tell me about the show and your role.
MC: “Spy” was a pilot I did this year for ABC. It was based on the British series of the same name about my character, Marcus Elliot, and his dad, Tim, and their relationship as his parents go through a divorce and his dad accidentally takes a job at the CIA as a spy. It turned out really great, but unfortunately, wasn’t picked up to series.
AE: Sorry to hear about that. It sounds like a great show. Let’s talk about the hilarious actors Ken Jeong and Rob Corddry. Do you have any funny stories on that set?
MC: Yes! Ken and Rob are hilarious. We had so much fun on set. Ken is one of the most energetic people I’ve ever met. He made me laugh a lot. There was one time when we were filming a scene and all of the actors in it Paget Brewster, Nat Faxon, me, and Rob were all saying lines from different scenes. The director looked really confused and that’s when we realized what was happening! It had been a long day.
AE: You are also bringing the character of Corey back for another season on the hit show “The Middle.” Tell me what fans can expect from your character in this upcoming season.
MC: Yeah, I was super excited to hear that I’d be doing more episodes of “The Middle” this season. I did my first episode as “Corey” in 2010 so it’s been really cool to grow up playing that fun character. Corey has a lot of issues, like being OCD and obsessed with keeping his socks clean. That can get in the way of life sometimes… like when you’re on a camping trip.
