As most of my readers know, I always experience great delight while noticing the children in TV movies, and particularly, if those movies happen to appear on one of the Hallmark networks, I am euphoric! In the case of Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez, I observed him immediately in the Winterfest movie Frozen In Love which premiered on the Hallmark Channel last month, and I reached out to Sebastian’s father to set up a potential interview. He and his father were quite receptive to the idea, and I couldn’t be happier to share with you my interview with this charming young man whose infectious exuberance is only matched by his indomitable talent.

RH: Hello, Sebastian!

SBR: Hello, Ruth! Nice to meet you. My dad is here too!

Hello to you both. I’m so glad it worked out to talk to you both today. Now, Sebastian, remind me of how old you are.

I’m four years old.

Really? Well, Sebastian, you are the youngest person I’ve ever interviewed.

I think my dad said you interviewed Christian {Convery} and Luke {Roessler} too.

That’s right, Sebastian, I sure did.  I have interviewed a lot of kids that live up in Vancouver. I’ve even met Christian and his mom.

How fun!

It was so neat to see you in Frozen In Love, Sebastian. 

Thanks! And thanks for having me today!

You’re welcome. It’s my pleasure. So, Sebastian, do you remember why you wanted to become an actor?

I like acting because it’s cool. I love to act. I like to pretend to be different people. Sometimes when I watch TV, I like to get up and pretend to be those people. It’s lots of fun.

You might have to ask your dad, but do you remember how old you were when you started acting?

My dad said I was three years old.

“Dad” Jody: Sebastian was three when he auditioned for Legion. He was pretty much shortlisted for the role, and it was just a few weeks later that we were told that Noah Hawley had selected him for playing David “Toddler” in the series. Then we filmed for one day, and it was just fantastic. 

I loved every second of it!

Sebastian, do you remember what it was like when you were on the set for Legion?

Yes, I got to wear green pajamas. And then I got to play with cars. They had a snow plow and a camper and a pickup truck. When I didn’t have to film, I got to sit on a red fire truck. I got to press the button. I was a little bit scared, but it was fun.

Did you have to learn lines for Legion?

“Dad” Jody: No, he didn’t. His first speaking role was Frozen In Love.

Oh, I see. So how did you learn the lines for Frozen In Love?

My daddy helped me learn the lines.

Do you remember being on set for Frozen In Love?

I remember Rachael {Leigh Cook} and Niall {Matter}.

I’ve talked to both of them before, so I know they’re pretty cool people. But it looked like you and Niall had a lot of fun together.

When we were on set, I liked being in the trailers. And I had lots of fun with Uncle Adam {Niall}! My favorite part was filming with Uncle Adam. I had fun playing “monster” on the couch. I liked getting to run around.

You did that really well. You had a lot of energy.

Thank you.

“Dad” Jody: And do you remember what Niall said when you were watching hockey? He said, “And what do we do when the other team scores?”

Boo-oo!!

Do you have any other shows or movies coming up or that came out recently?

I got to dress up in a gray costume with big boots for a show called The Magicians.

“Dad” Jody: He got to play Rupert at the age of five. It just aired on February 7th. He got to do some scenes with Jason Ralph and Hale Appleman.

Yes, I was in episode five!

That sounds really cool and sounds like it will be fun to watch. So, Sebastian, what else do you like to do for fun? 

I dance to music. I tell Alexa, our speaker, what song to play. And do you know what my favorite song is right now? Splish-Splash and Yakety-Yak. And do you know what I do when I play Yakety-Yak?

What do you do?

I do a dance! I run up and down. I also like to swim and I like to go to the park. And I like to play soccer. And I also like to build towers with blocks. And I play with Legos! Legos Ninjago is my favorite! And I play Star Wars!

Sebastian that sounds like fun!

I have a dog, and do you want to know what her name is?

Sure. What’s her name?

Jersey. And sometimes when we get back home from different places, we call her “Jerzel.” She’s a big dog. And do you know how old she is? She’s twelve. Maybe when she turns one hundred, she’ll turn all white.

“Dad” Jody: I just want to tell you that Sebastian loves acting. He has told us many times, “I wish I could do this every day,” as he’s skipping off of the set. So we’re trying to foster his passion for it.

Also, the way he memorizes his lines is we have a little bit of a competition. He has a competitive spirit in him, so we play “who can memorize the lines the best.” So when we were working on his lines as Graham in Frozen In Love, I would be like, “No, I’m gonna be the best Graham.” I’d do the lines, then he would say, “No, I’m gonna do it! I’m gonna do it louder!” And that system has worked out quite well.

Also, we do have something else in the works, but we can’t mention it yet. It’s big, and we’re excited about it, and we’ll let everyone know when we can mention it.

Thank you both for your time. I really appreciate it.

Thank you! My dad and I had fun!

Interviewing Sebastian (and his dad) is an experience that I shall never forget, and I mean that in the most positive way imaginable. Sebastian is only four, and the fact that he was able and willing to answer many of my questions without promptings from his father confirms what a marvelous kid Sebastian truly is. At the age of four, I can assure you that I would not have been going to a movie set and learning lines for a production, and yet Sebastian literally thrives on it. And as far as I’m concerned, that is an innate ability that cannot be taught no matter how many years of training one has. Of course, it assuredly helps that Sebastian is an absolutely adorable child who illuminates the screen with his enthusiasm and smile, and I believe that is a credit to his amazing father who has invested a significant amount of time in this son of his who has a passion for entertainment. 

If you have not had the opportunity to watch Frozen In Love, I would invite you to check your local listings (both in the U.S. and Canada), as I am aware of the fact that it has replayed several times since its premiere in January. Additionally, I would invite you to investigate all of Sebastian’s links below and consider following him, for Sebastian’s dad, Jody, is rather circumspect in ensuring that everyone is aware of Sebastian’s upcoming projects. There is no doubt in my mind that Jody is to be commended for the way in which he has encouraged Sebastian and even made sacrifices in order that Sebastian may chase after his dreams. I commend Jody for the incredible way in which he continues to promote Sebastian in his budding “career,” and I have no doubt that as long as Sebastian has a desire to continue acting, his dad will continue to support him no matter what. Furthermore, I would maintain that with a solid team like Sebastian has in his corner, the heights this young man can attain in the weeks, months, and years to come can completely boggle the cleverest of minds in the world today!

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