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closeLiving the dream
South Hill native Mathias Anderle is pursuing a star-studded future through his talents as an actor, model and musician
Neil Pierson/of The Herald
Last October, Mathias Anderle was a typical ninth-grade student at South Hill’s Glacier View Junior High School.
Things can change quickly in 12 months.
This October, Anderle is seven months into his new life in Los Angeles, where he is drawing the attention of some of the entertainment industry’s top music moguls and talent scouts. His typical day can include auditioning for a national Comcast commercial spot, shooting photos for a Japanese fashion magazine or chatting about record ideas with some of Miley Cyrus’s producers.
Anderle was a student at Seattle’s John Robert Powers acting and modeling school since he was 10, but his big break came in January when he traveled to Southern California for the school’s prestigious International Presentation of Performers, otherwise known as iPOP.
During competition tryouts in Seattle, Mathias Anderle met up with iPOP Vice President Tiffany Rochel, who began questioning him and his dad about his musical abilities,
“She heard rumors he was working on his singing,” Mathias’s father, John Anderle, said. “I said, ‘He is, but he doesn’t like anyone to know.’”
After submitting a demo tape a few weeks later, Anderle was performing one of his original songs in front of 2,000 people at the iPOP convention. He also won a Model of the Year award and was first runner-up in the Singer of the Year category, which led to signings with Hines and Hunt management agency and high-profile Wilhelmina Models.
John and Mathias had planned to stay in L.A. for just a few weeks but quickly changed their plans in the wake of the dramatic success. They have been living in Glendale, a 15-minute drive from the Hines and Hunt office in Burbank, since March.
Things quickly heated up from there as Anderle’s first Hollywood audition came in front of 19 Entertainment founder Simon Fuller, the man responsible for creating “American Idol.” Then he landed a part as the lead male character in producer Nick Cannon’s new film, “The School Gyrls.”
“Nick Cannon is one of the nicest guys I’ve met, celebrity-wise,” Mathias Anderle said. “He’s a business man but he’s down to earth and he doesn’t let anything go to his head.”
“The School Gyrls” is shot in the same vein as the “High School Musical” series and Anderle had the opportunity to display his triple-threat skills as an actor, model and musician. The film is expected to air on Nickelodeon early in 2010.
Last week, Anderle was in the midst of finalizing his first major record deal with Razor and Tie, a New York-based label. He cites several influences in the evolution of his music, including John Mayer, Jason Mraz and Justin Timberlake. But Anderle also wants to remain his own person and avoid many of the industry’s stereotypes — he says his long-term goal is winning a Grammy and he looks forward to working with some high-profile producers to make successful albums.
John Anderle says industry success comes largely as a result of making connections and said his son is “getting involved with very cool people” who understand the mentorship role agents can play in a young entertainer’s life.
John Anderle was born and raised in the Puyallup area and met his wife, Marcy, during their days at Rogers High School. The couple raised Mathias and his 12-year-old sister Brittney here as well, though the ladies have stayed in East Pierce County while Mathias get his feet planted in the entertainment and fashion industries.
Those days don’t appear to be far off: Anderle will be releasing a single on the latest “Kidz Bop” album in the next few months, is contemplating a song with rhythm and blues artist Akon and has done major modeling shoots with clothing lines such as Wrangler and Hollister.
Mathias Anderle isn’t forgetting where he came from, however, regularly video chatting on the Web with his friends in South Hill. His companions in Southern California also make his life easier.
“All of my (new) friends are either actors or models or musicians,” he said. “They all understand if you don’t have time.”
“He’s staying grounded,” John Anderle said of his son’s response to budding stardom. “It’s not going to change him, I guess you could say. There’s too many kids that let it get into their heads and it takes over their lives.”