Connor Kalopsis pulls off an impressive feat each week on Fox's "The Grinder," holding his own against his top-tier co-stars Rob Lowe and Fred Savage. But his ability to pull spotlight away from the heavy hitters is a talent not seen by many child stars and one he's attained in three short years.
Kalopsis made his acting debut in 2012 on FX's "The League" and made such an impression on casting directors Jeanne McCarthy and Nicole Abellera that they thought of him three years later for the part of Savage's son, Ethan Sanderson, on the new Fox comedy.
"For some reason, three years later, they called me in for 'The Grinder' audition," Kalopsis told Headlines & Global News in an exclusive interview. "All the producers were there and it was pretty awesome. They obviously liked me so I got a call back and they all laughed and really enjoyed it."
The 12-year-old actor tested with Savage and Lowe during the audition process. It was a thrill for Kalopsis as much as it was for his mother and her friends who grew up watching "The Wonder Years" star and the Brat Pack actor.
"My mom and all her friends talk about them all the time so it was cool to see them," he said.
Much like his character Ethan, Kalopsis exudes confidence and said he rarely shies away from people he meets. His openness has created an easy bond between his TV sister Hana Hayes and him, which started during the first week of filming.
Kalopsis has an older sister about the same age as Hayes' character Lizzie, and she has a little sister, also about the same age as her TV brother on the show. They kill time between scenes by either playing games on their smartphones or simply talking to one another.
"I wouldn't want anyone else to play my sister on the show," he said.
The smartphones come out a lot on set. Kalopsis and his cast members are always snapping photos together. "If you look at my phone, the amount of selfies we take is crazy," he said, laughing.
Savage and Lowe have created a safe space for their young co-star, always willing to give acting advice or fix a mistake on a line that he flubbed. He and Savage also spent some father-son time trying to solve a Rubik's Cube, a challenge he found to be "actually really fun."
"I always used to take the stickers off, but now I'm actually trying," Kalopsis said about the 3-D puzzle that has left many stumped for decades.
The Rubik's Cube is just one of many challenges Kalopsis is pursuing in his life. He's learning to fly, logging hours as a student pilot so he can get his license when he turns 18. He has spent the last 10 years learning to speak Chinese at the International Montessori School in Beijing, and he's also become well-versed in Arabic.
Kalopsis has set his sights on attending college in the future, but acting is a career he plans on continuing as long as Hollywood will have him.
"I'm going to act as long as I can," he said then added, "I think I'm pretty good at it."
"The Grinder" airs on Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. EST on Fox.
