An Interview with Matt Dallas (Kyle, Kyle XY)

June, 2007

The moment we met the character of Kyle on ABC Family's hit series Kyle XY, we knew a beloved television character was emerging. From his expressive eyes to his hilarious first words, the creators could not have chosen a better actor to play this fascinating character. I had the pleasure of speaking with Matt Dallas, the star of Kyle XY and found him to be incredibly sweet, intelligent and completely down-to-earth. It was clear to me that Matt loves his role on the hit series, thoroughly enjoys his cast mates and is quite anxious for fans of the show to view the many explosive and exciting goodies awaiting fans in season two of Kyle XY.

Q: When did you decide to pursue acting?

Matt: "When I was 12, my grandmother took me to an audition for a play in a community theater that had just come to town and from that day, I just knew that this is what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I had spent all of my childhood trying to find my niche, that thing I was really passionate about and I never really found it until she took me to that audition. It was literally from that moment on that I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life."

Q: If you hadn't pursued acting, what do you think you'd be doing now?

Matt: "Because I knew at such a young age that it was what I wanted to do, there was never really a question of what I was going to do. I try to think of other things I would enjoy, things I would want to do -- I don't know, maybe work behind the camera."

Q: How did you land the title role on Kyle XY?

Matt: "My manager called me up one morning and said, 'you have an audition in about two hours to play this alien character who doesn't really know how to speak English.' And I said all right! I went over there and started working on it, went in for the audition that day, and later that night I went back for a callback. I went to meet with the studio and the network and later that week, I was cast in the show. I was literally, one of he last people to audition for this show."

Q: How did you prepare for the role?

Matt: "This role was like a newborn, an infant, so I spent a lot of time observing animals and children and the way their instincts work, and the way they react in their exploration of the world. I knew from there that I really had to grow this character, taking him from an infant and growing him into a man. Entering the second season, I need to evolve even past that. It was really about investigating and rediscovering each age group, I had to relive a person's entire life and experiences. It was really a unique experience to go through as an actor."

Q: What's ahead for Kyle this season?

Matt: "Last year, it was about everyone taking care of Kyle. This year, Kyle tries to take care of everyone else. The writers are really exploring Kyle's abilities and what he's able to do. It's really the development of a superhero. They're integrating the whole mystery into the family aspect of the show. They're bringing that danger and that enemy through the front door of the Trager's house."

Q: Any romance headed Kyle's way?

Matt: "There is some romance headed Kyle's way. Kyle's relationship with Amanda starts taking some turns and then we see other possible love interests in the future. I can't say much more than that."

Q: Without giving away the big secret, do you think there are any beings such as Kyle walking this earth?

Matt: "To be honest with you, one of the cool things that this show presents is that there are so many things that the government is experimenting on and so many types of things going on in the world that we don't know about. Who knows who walks among us."

Q: Will we learn more about Kyle's powers this season?

Matt: "We'll learn a lot more about Kyle's powers. The cool thing they also do this year is in the first episode, they answer all those questions so they can move on and pose a whole slew of new questions."

Q: Does the cast hang out outside of the set?

Matt: "This is an extremely close cast. We work together and when we get off, we all play together. We're all extremely close. When there's a certain comfort level with the people you work with, it lets you really take chances and take risks and lets you do what you want to do."

Q: What was your favorite episode to date?

Matt: "I love shooting the cliffhanger stuff. Shooting the last episode of last season was fun. Right now, we're in the middle of shooting our cliffhangers for the second season and these are my favorite episodes of this season. There's a lot more action, all the stakes are heightened, there's a lot more drama and you're kind of at the climax of the series. For me, it's always the most exciting time to be involved in the show."

Q: Favorite TV Show?

Matt: " Lost - I love Lost!"

Q: Favorite type of music?

Matt: "I like all types of music. I love everything from country to rock to hip-hop to pop."

Q: Favorite sport?

Matt: "Let's appeal to the Canadians and say hockey."

Q: What's your ringtone?

Matt: "[laughs] Disturbing classical music songs I don't even know."

Q: Anything to say to the fans?

Matt: "Keep watching because this season is going to get bigger and better!"