Box-office Babes
By Patty Reilly
If you're one of those girls who is always searching for the next cute
thing, you can stop looking--at least for this summer--'cause we've found
him. His name is Vincent Kartheiser(but you can call him Vinnie) and he
stars in Alaska, a wild action-adventure movie that's definitely going to
put this Jonathan Brandis look-alike, um, on the map.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Vinnie, the youngest of six kids, became
interested in acting when he was seven. "my sister was an actress, so one
day I went with her to an audition," he recalls. He got lucky and was cast
as Tiny Tim in a local production of A Christmas Carol. Since then, the
17-year-old actor has been doing regional theater, national road tours,
television, and most recently, movies. "My first line was the Christian
Slater movie, Untamed Heart," he recalls. "I come out with a stick and
poke this little boy and I go, 'Sister, sister, Adam's not breathing.' And
then I run off."
Parts in Little Big league and Indian in the Cupboard followed, but
Alaska, he says, is hands down his most challenging movie so far. Not only
did he have to learn how to swim, kayak, sea canoe and rappel off extremely
high and dangerous cliffs, but the guy had to learn how to make nice with a
baby polar bear cub named Agee. "That polar bear was very cool," quips the
actor, who has a totally wicked sense of humor. "Thora Birch[his co-star]
and I met her a month before filming started. We'd go up there once or
twice a week and go on walks. I really miss her." Was Vinnie nervous
about working with a wild animal? "The toughest thing about working with
her," he says, "was learning how to hold my own on camera with a bear cub
that was very, very cute." Hey, maybe the feeling was mutual.
'Teen July 1996
Spill Your Guts!