Teen hosts Andrea Smith and Siri Phaneendra are joined by ebullient and talented cast members from the new Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer) directed film, Mighty Oak: Tommy Ragen, Gianna Harris, Rodney Hicks, and Ben Milliken. Mighty Oak is the story of Gina (Janel Parrish, Pretty Little Liars, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), a band manager who struggles after losing her brother/lead singer (Levi Dylan) in a fatal car accident while traveling to a gig. A decade later, Gina meets a 10-year-old music prodigy named Oak, played by Tommy, a real-life prodigy whose music inspired the screenplay. Oak possesses the same qualities as Gina’s late brother, inspiring her to reunite the band with Oak as its new front man. The cast talks about the deep chemistry between the actors that evolved during shooting that was transformative and magical. The discussion includes views on reincarnation, music, high school experiences, and the business of acting. Andrea and Siri were thrilled to take candid SKYPE pics with some of the players and recommend the film to everyone. It’s a hopeful, healing, and touching movie for the entire family to enjoy…especially enchanting during this time of sheltering-at-home. Enjoy Tommy’s songs on this episode of Express Yourself!™
Blue Crush www.mightyoakthemovie.com
Official Trailer: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ba40pACGBZ0
Listen to the cast interviewed on StarStyle: https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/124732/cast-of-paramount-film-mighty-oak-and-author-jo-giese
Bio: Tommy Ragen
Tommy Ragen is a 12-year-old musician, songwriter, producer, and actor. He has released three albums “9, Rocket, and Heart Emoji”. He played the lead role of “Oak” in the Paramount Pictures movie Mighty Oak. Mighty Oak features eight original songs co-written by Tommy and Caroline Corn. He was, also, a cast member on the First National Broadway Tour of The School Of Rock the Musical.
Bio: Rodney Hicks
Rodney is a longtime New Yorker, originally from Philly who now resides in Colorado. He is an Award winning Black Gay
Male Artist. His play FLAME BROiLED had its World Premiere at Local Theater Company in Boulder, CO in the Fall of 2019.
The play was awarded the 2019 Eulipions Fund on behalf of The Denver Foundation. Previous versions of his plays MS.
PEARL’S CABARET and JUST PRESS SAVE were a 2019 and 2018 Semi-Finalist for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Conference.,
respectively. Rodney was last seen on Broadway as Bob & Others in Come From Away; Clarence Norris in The Scottsboro
Boys, Peter in Jesus Christ Superstar (2000 Revival) and the Original Cast of RENT. He currently has a supporting role in
the newly released Paramount Studios film ‘Mighty Oak’ at Drive in’s and movie theaters. Rodney is a peace and love
practitioner/meditator as well as a playwright and actor. www.rodneyhicks.net/ Follow on instagram: @rodneyhickshere Facebook: Rodney Hicks
Bio: Gianna Harris
Gianna Harris is a 15 year-old singer, musician, actor and dancer. She plays the guitar, piano, bass and ukulele. Gianna discovered her love for performing in 2015 and as an amateur she performed at MSG during the Knicks half-time show and Apollo Theater. Gianna's professional career started in March of 2016 when she got her first big role in Andrew Lloyd Weber's School of Rock on Broadway. In 2017 she graduated from Broadway and joined the touring company of School of Rock. Her most recent role is Emma Biggs in Mighty Oak. When Gianna is not acting she is either writing and recording music, reading or riding her skateboard. Her favorite color is lavender and her favorite dessert is choc chip cookies. Gianna is a huge advocate and voice for Mental Health Awareness and LQBTQ+ Equality. Insta: @thegiannaharris
Bio: Ben Milliken
Born in Manchester, England, Ben was raised in Bilgola Beach located on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Ben, then moved to Los Angeles where we quickly began landing roles in multiple film and television projects, including Universal's "Blue Crush 2". Most recently, Ben landed a role in season 5 of Amazon's hit show “Bosch”. www.mightyoakthemovie.com
Bio: Sean McNamara
Sean Patrick McNamara is an Irish-American writer, director and producer of the break out hit “Soul Surfer” (Tri-Star Pictures). “Spare Parts” from the Wired Magazine article “La Vida Robot” (Lionsgate), “The Moon and the Sun” (Paramount Pictures), “Raise Your Voice” (New Line Cinema), “Hoovey,” “Field Of Lost Shoes” and many more Feature Films and Television shows have been Helmed and produced by Sean. He is the director of Mighty Oak. www.mightyoakthemovie.com
Official Website: www.mightyoakthemovie.comParamount
Official Trailer: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ba40pACGBZ0
Instagram Official Trailer: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAisIDODtla/
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