An Interview with Vincent Martella (Greg, "Everybody Hates Chris")

Everybody may hate Chris, but we love Vincent Martella! Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with Vincent one-on-one. I found Vincent to be a breath of fresh air. Unlike many teens, Vincent has a clear and focused idea of what he wants to do with his life. With a solid family unit behind him, Vincent, in my opinion, will go very far in life. I think we can expect great things from this teenager for many years to come.

Q: How did you get into acting?
Vincent: "Well, I've been playing piano since I was 5 and I got some print ad and commercial work and I went on from there."

Q: Do you attend a regular school?
Vincent: "Yes, but we also have tutors on the set."

Q: What is your favorite subject?
Vincent: "Geography and History. I like to learn how things got started."

Q: What's it like working with Chris Rock?
Vincent: "It's great -- you get to see a different part of him, a different side, a professional side. He's very, very professional at times and then when he gets on stage, he knows how to really turn it on. When you're around him, you can really feel the warmth in the room, he really knows how to control a whole area."

Q: Are the events on the show really based on his life?
Vincent: "It's loosely based on his life. As you know, he had 7 brothers and sisters and on the show he has one brother and one sister. There are events in there that I guarantee that some of them have happened. He may not like to admit it, but they probably have."

Q: If you could play any role, what would it be?
Vincent: "I'd like to have a role that shows all different sides of me. I play piano and I sing, so I'd like to be in a movie where I can portray all those things."

Q: How about a role of any existing movie?
Vincent: "I would have wanted to be a part of 'The Grinch.' I just can't get enough of that movie. Jim Carrey is one of my favorite actors."

Q: What actors do you draw your inspiration from?
Vincent: "Jim Carrey, for his comedic side. For different reasons, I like Johnny Depp. He plays serious roles, not just comedic; he can do it all, which is so great to have in the acting business. It really shows you're a great, talented actor. I also like Sean Penn, he very, very intense."

Q: How do you deal with peer pressure?
Vincent: "When it's bad peer pressure, I just ignore it rather than go with it. I don't consider it pressure anymore because I know right from wrong and I see a different side of life from the other kids back at home. I know it's easy to get into all that kind of trouble and you'll go nowhere if you don't understand what's right."

Q: Do you have any advice for kids who want to get into the acting field?
Vincent: "Well, if they love it and they have the talent, they should keep going for it. They do have to understand one thing....there are a lot of sacrifices. It's a blast when you're working and you have a fun job, it's a great experience altogether, but they have to realize there are sacrifices they may not like."

Q: Do you and the other kids on the show get along?
Vincent: "Oh, of course, it's not just an onscreen thing. We're all really good friends outside of the show. We hang out all the time, play basketball and go swimming together. We want to have fun off the set as well. They're all great people and there's that chemistry on camera as well as off camera."