Tai Freligh chats with Kidnap star Sage Correa…
10-year-old Sage Correa stars opposite Halle Berry in the Aviron Pictures thriller Kidnap, now in theaters nationwide. The budding star was hired for the role at age 6 after numerous auditions and read-throughs, finally, reading with Halle herself who was won over by his natural charm (and magic tricks). He spent months filming in New Orleans with her, where they formed an undeniable bond. In addition, he voices the role of Pig Pen in the newly reprised Peanuts cartoon by Charles M. Shulz. We asked him about Kidnap, Peanuts and life as a child actor.
Tell us about your audition for Kidnapped.
I found out about the audition in the car while going to meet my current manager for the first time. I had a day to prepare for the first audition and I nailed it good enough to get a thumbs up. The casting director wanted me to take a personality video of myself using my green screen. Then, I went to the call back which I also nailed and got another thumbs up. Finally, we had a third audition for the top three. That audition was with Halle Berry herself. I nailed it again, so I got the job!
What was that filming experience like for you?
It was cool because I filmed it in New Orleans where I have a lot of family. My favorite food is Red Beans and Rice, so I ate it almost every day. I got to experience a lot of new things in New Orleans like the French Quarter, Preservation Hall, and eating Beignets all the time. We filmed a lot on a closed freeway which was fun.
Do you have any funny set stories working with Halle Berry?
I don’t have a funny story, but I have a fun story!! When we filmed the swamp scene the water had to be cold so the cameras would work. So, we had to go into a hot tub when we weren’t filming to warm up. That was a couple of days before my birthday, so Halle brought in a speaker and played Michael Jackson because she knew he was my favorite artist.
How did you fit in acting in a movie and keeping up with your school and family life?
When I wasn’t filming and I was in my trailer, I had to do at least 3 hours of school work per day. From time to time, my teacher sent more packets of school work. It was a great opportunity to get ahead of my class. One time when we weren’t filming, my set teacher came to my hotel and we did some school work. She also brought me to the kids museum around the corner from our hotel.
How is it different working on a television show versus a movie?
A movie takes around a month or more to film, but a TV show films almost every day at the same place if you have a starring role. A guest appearance role takes at least a day.
You’re voicing Pig Pen on a new Peanuts series. How did that come about?
Well, my agent sometimes brings clients in to record for a voice over audition. He asked if I wanted to do voice over for the Peanuts TV series and I said yes!! I first auditioned for Franklin, but my agent said I should also try for Pig Pen. Then, I got the call back for Pig Pen and nailed it. Soon after my agent told me I got the job.
Which Peanuts holiday special is your favorite?
I like the Halloween special because it is the funniest one I have ever seen.
What inspired you to get into acting at such a young age?
I was in a Christmas singing concert at school when I was 4 years old and loved being on stage, but I was a horrible singer so I decided to be an actor. I did a play, then my first commercial which was a PSA for Fresh Society where I acted like I was rapping.
If not acting, what career do you want to have when you’re older?
I would want to be either a basketball team owner, a businessman, a lawyer, and work at Chipotle for fun.
Tell us what else you have coming up for new projects.
I don’t have anything coming up, but my dream is to book a starring role on a TV show.
Speed Round:
How do you survive the zombie apocalypse?
I would hide out in a basement.
Marvel or DC?
Marvel
TV, Movie or Theater?
Movies, but I want to star in a TV series.
Favorite video game right now?
NBA 2K17
Actor/actress you’d most like to work with on a movie or TV show?
The Rock (Dwayne Johnson)
Favourite social media platform?
We thank Sage Correa for taking the time to chat with us here at Flickering Myth. He can be found on social media at the handles below:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SageCorrea
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsagecorrea
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SageCorrea/
Photo credit: Sage Correa
A typical afternoon in the park turns into a nightmare for single mom Karla Dyson (Academy Award winner Halle Berry) when her son suddenly disappears. Without a cell phone and knowing she has no time to wait for police help, Karla jumps in her own car and sets off in pursuit of the kidnappers. A relentless, edge-of-your seat chase ensues, where Karla must risk everything to not lose sight of her son. In this tense, action-fueled thriller, directed by Luis Prieto and from the producers of SALT and TRANSFORMERS, one mother’s heroic attempt to take back her son leads her to ask herself how far she will go to save her child.
Kidnap is in theaters now.
Tai Freligh is a Los Angeles-based writer and can be found on Twitter.
Originally published August 11, 2017. Updated April 17, 2018.
