Joshua Rush of Disney’s Andi Mack.
I love this kid, Joshua Rush, who plays Cyrus on Disney Channel's Andi Mack.
I interviewed him back in 2015. It's very rare that I do a repeat interview, but I mean really, just look at this guy!
Joshua has been waiting for me to post this article since May, which proves he has a lot of patience. To me, that is a great quality in someone his age, or any age, actually! I wish I could be that patient! In the long run, patience pays off. Right Joshua? (Can I call you Joshie? No? Okay, I tried :) )
Your character Cyrus is quirky, not athletic and a little bit awkward, but he has a sense of humor that can make just about anyone laugh. Tell us about your audition.
My first audition I actually had an in-person meeting with Terri Minsky! I was (rightfully) pretty nervous, but it went really well and we hit it off from the start! Then came two callbacks and a screen test in front of Disney network executives, which was pretty insane. You go to the Disney building in Burbank, ride up this elevator all the way up to the top, and run your lines in front of some people that can make or break your career! But no pressure.
How did you find out you got the role on Andi Mack?
My team and I have a tradition when I get a major role. They call me on a conference call (my agent, manager, mom, dad, and sometimes a few other assorted people) during a minute that I'm often alone (even if my parents are a few doors down from me), and they each say "Hi, Josh!" one after the other. By the time I hear my agent and manager I've usually figured out what's happening! With Andi Mack I already had some tears coming down by the time they said: "You booked Andi Mack!"
Why do you think viewers' response to Andi Mack has been so great?
I think Andi Mack is very special in that it's very real, and viewers and critics alike crave something real on kids TV. Andi Mack truly feels like it could be happening next door, and that's important.
What's your latest favorite Apple device and why?
The iPhone is so incredibly strong that it has to be my favorite Apple product. Even today, where the Galaxy S8 is more powerful and probably has a better skillset than the iPhone (have you seen the DeX?) the iPhone still holds more market share and a key to my heart!
If you were going to design something science related that would help the world, what would it be?
If I could help the world with science, it would definitely be in biotech. Recently I saw a video of a paralyzed man walking with the help of an exoskeleton. It was incredible! I would love to find a way to help people regain strength like that, through science.
Do you ever get back to Texas to visit friends and family? When did you move out of Texas? How'd your family handle it?
I go back to Texas fairly often! I still have some friends there, my grandma lives outside of Austin and my aunt, uncle, and little cousin live in Houston! I moved away from Texas in 2008 and my family really packed up their lives in Houston to come here! I'm forever grateful to them.
What special tricks do you use to learn your lines?
I use a lot of tricks to learn my lines, but the biggest one for me is running lines before bed! I'll try to get at least 50% memorized with my lines before I go to sleep, and somehow (probably osmosis from having it on my bedside table) when I wake up I've almost got my lines down!
Take us through a typical day on set of Andi Mack from start to finish.
I'll wake up about an hour and a half before my call time, get ready and dressed and drive to wherever the set is that day. Sometimes I'll rendezvous with Sofia [Wylie] and carpool with her because we live in the same apartment building. I'll arrive on set, where I order the same breakfast as every other day — a breakfast burrito with egg, potato, bacon and spinach — and head to my trailer to get dressed and then go to hair and makeup. After 45 minutes or so in prep (which includes getting breakfast), I'm ready to go! From there it's a tossup. I can be on set for 9 1/2 hours, of which three have to be in school, and 30 minutes has to be lunch. While we're on set, we go to a variety of locations. We go to Magna, UT, which is where the Spoon (the hangout diner for the Good Hair Crew) is, or to a real middle school in the foothills of the Wasatch mountains to film any scenes at the school. Our studio (where the house is and a few other assorted sets) is in Salt Lake, and that's where we spend most of our time. After I leave set, I'll meet up with Sofia in our apartment clubhouse to play pool and prep our lines for tomorrow. I'll head home and eat dinner, maybe watch ESPN, and then go to sleep!
What do you and your dad do together that you enjoy the most?
My dad and I go to movies a lot and sports games once in a while (Dodgers, Lakers, Astros, Texans!). My dad and I both love to eat, so we go to some pretty cool foodie restaurants sometimes too.
What activities or hobbies do you have?
I love to read the news and one of my biggest interests is politics!