Chapter 1
Ogden Pruett! Jig Magazine Talks With the Adorable New-Again Superstar!
Chapter Description: A puff piece about the actor who inspired the Challenge...
'OGDEN PRUETT! HE'S BACK... AND HOTTER THAN EVER IN HIS NEW SERIES!
'Unless you've been living under a rock the past few months, you've heard of DAN CUPID: SECRET AGENT, the super-popular new syndicated comedy-adventure series featuring gorgelicious star Ogden Pruett as a cherub espionage expert keeping the world safe from Evil!
'At age twenty-two, Ogden may have thought his days as a teen heartthrob were behind him. But he never imagined the latest Hollywood rejuvenating agent: Miniscuell! Yes, thanks to the new wonder drug developed by leading biochemists, the new college graduate (majoring in communications and theater) has returned to his preadolescent pin-up boy days, much to the delight of not just his longtime fans but a whole new generation as well! As regular DAN CUPID viewers can attest, Ogden's curly blond locks, piercing blue eyes, and devastating sweet smile are just as they were when he was twelve, back when he starred in such movies as A TREE HOUSE ADVENTURE and AMELIA AND ANDY.
Since the little pink pill regresses people all the way back to physical childhood and has the unusual side-effect of reducing them to about six inches in height, Miniscuell was initially considered a failure by scientists trying to develop a Fountain of Youth for aging movie stars. But as it happens, it was just what series creator Bernard Scott was looking for.
"For various reasons, we didn't want to hire an actual child actor," he explained to JIG. "And building oversized props and sets can get expensive. But thanks to Miniscuell, we can have a lead actor with a boy's looks and a man's experience. And once Ogden's shrunk down and ready to go, we can just point the camera and shoot! Of course, some of the dialogue has to be looped..."
Ogden himself is philosophical about the experience. "It can be a bit... embarrassing sometimes. Especially given my, um, costuming." Yes, as a Cupid secret agent, Ogden's wardrobe typically consists of just his bare skin, something that makes the show especially popular with tween girls (and some boys). The directors generally rely on careful blocking and camera placement to get past the censors; however, it was decided recently by the FCC actors on Miniscuell are generally exempt from obscenity laws, being far too small and underdeveloped to be considered objectionable. Ogden smiles ruefully. "Oh, you can't imagine what that does to my ego..."
' "It can be challenging getting along at only a few inches tall," he continues. "Lunch for me is usually a chopped-up French fry and a piece of carrot. And my good friend Ern Ainway [Who plays Doctor Maligula, Dan Cupid's normal-sized arch-nemesis], whom I've known since our days on BUT ERNIE SAYS on Disney, likes to give me the business sometimes. Especially since he used to play my YOUNGER brother." He smiles, flashing his most famous set of dimples. (His other set have only been gaining fame since the show premiere.) "I'm trying to talk the writers into doing an episode where he's another cherub from the spy agency. And maybe I can be the mad scientist who's after him. Let's see how he likes that!"
Another special episode reunited him with his AMELIA AND ANDY co-star Sapphire Blakeman, playing femme fatale Demolition Day.
"I'm not gonna lie, it was a bit awkward at first. Especially since we dated for awhile as kids. She's grown up to be a real babe. And here I am, back to being a kid again, plus I'm six inches tall, plus bare-butt. And we had to play a love scene together. The hardest part was getting her to stop giggling and ruining the takes."
He sighs. '"But, you know, it's fine. It's fine. It's a job and I'm grateful. And at the end of the season, I'm able to go back to my right size, put some clothes on, and CLOBBER Ern on the racquetball courts!"
And how does he feel about the so-called Ogden Pruett Challenge sweeping the nation, where teens use Miniscuell to shrink themselves down and see how long they can go as cherubs?
"Really? I've never heard of that," Ogden smiled. "I think that might be fun to see. It'd be a nice change of pace to see someone ELSE tiny for a change..."
