Andrew Chamberlain of Princeton Junction is making his feature film debut with “Hide Your Smiling Faces” filmed in Sussex County in 2011. Written and directed by New Jersey native Daniel Patrick Carbone, the film follows the relationship between adolescent friends after a neighborhood tragedy. The film made its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival and will have its North American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday, April 21.
Chamberlain made his acting debut in McCarter Theater’s “A Christmas Carol” in 2009. Now a seventh grader at Grover Middle School, he is living the life of a professional actor.
“McCarter Theater was the best place to start,” says his mother Melissa. “They treat the kids like professionals.”
“We put (acting) on hold for two months, and Andrew was distraught at not having the camaraderie,” she says. “I found him a student film, and he was on the set January 4. He’s been working ever since.”
Andrew has been seen in episodes of “Law & Order: SVU” in the role of Eddy Galtin and in “Elementary” as Adam Kemper. His short film roles include Andy Bluetooth in “The Little Kung Fu Dude,” Peter in “Sand Castle,” Samuel in “Bubblegum,” and the Child in “They Meet (Between the Calculation of the Finger and the One of the Eye).”
Andrew plays the role of Blake in “Hide Your Smiling Faces.” Screenings are scheduled for Sunday, May 21, 5:30 p.m., at AMC Loews Village VII; and at Clearview Cinemas Chelsea on Monday, April 22, 3:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 25, 3:45 p.m.; and Saturday, April 27, at 6:30 p.m.
Andrew’s brother, William, an eighth grade student at Grover, is also in the film as a boy in a fight scene. Though he has done some acting, William is more into skateboarding and track and field. “He got to be on set, and that was wonderful for him,” says his mother.
Born in Yorktowne, Virginia, Andrew was five days old when his family moved to New York City. His father, Jeffrey, had just graduated from law school and got a job in New York. He is now a principal at Kacvinsky Daisak law firm in Lawrenceville, where he specializes in intellectual property and data.
They moved to Berrien City because of its proximity to the train and to the elementary school. “We love our house — it’s perfect,” says Melissa. “I heard about the house at 1 a.m., was on the train at 5 a.m., and the contract was signed by 12:30 p.m. We knew it was a 50-year-old house with broken windows. We are reaping the benefits of great schools and the proximity to New York.
“We’re trying to keep the family together, and I basically just take care of Andrew now,” says Melissa. “It became very clear that I wasn’t able to work full time. It was not fair to my employer.”
Andrew is still non-union but he is Screen Actors Guild-eligible. “There will be a project soon that he will have to join or be waived in,” she says.
Andrew has auditioned for the role of Steven Elliott, a young version of the main character in “Happy Baby.” He has also auditioned for a Bill Murray film in which Melissa McCarthy would play his mother. “We’re trying to arrange things with Grover so that next year all his core subjects are in the morning,” she says. “It is possible that he won’t be at the school at all.”
Andrew has worked with Jody Wood at JW Actors Studio in Plainsboro; Michele Farrell, a teacher at the West Windsor Arts Center; Anson Mount of Hell on Wheels; and others. He also studies with Matt Newton. “We read scripts with him but then he goes to Matt, who pulls performances out of Andrew after looking at a script,” says his mother. “One hour with Matt is priceless.”
“His agents at Innovative Artists have confidence in him and are now behind all the wonderful opportunities that Andrew has in front of him today — the big movies and network TV shows,” says Melissa. “I could not wish for a better team behind him.”
Andrew recently took part in a career-planning session at Grover. He told his mother that his top three choices were performing arts, marketing, and law. “That make sense,” she says.
