Fort Pierce’s teen idol

by Tyler Treadway
staff writer
October 25, 2005

FORT PIERCE — Matthew Underwood isn’t a vain, self-absorbed, sexist egomaniac.

But he plays one on TV.

The 15-year-old former Fort Pierce resident is known to fans — the majority of them pre-teen girls — as “Logan,” the aforementioned jerk on “Zoey 101,” a hit show on cable’s Nickelodeon.

“Yeah, he’s a jerk,” Matthew said of Logan during a recent visit home from Hollywood, “an ego-centric, full-of-himself jerk.”

Logan also is “a stereotypic sexist,” Matthew said. “He’s condescending to girls. He’s a jock, and he doesn’t think girls should be involved in sports — except as cheerleaders.”

That’s why Logan has frequent run-ins with Zoey, the title character played by Jamie Lynn Spears (kid sister of pop music’s Britney Spears) at Pacific Coast Academy, the fictional Southern California boarding school where “Zoey 101” is based.

“There’s really nothing at all similar between me and Logan,” Matthew said. “We’re totally different, exact opposites — and that’s why it’s fun to play him. I get to be someone I’m not. When I play a bad guy, I really get to act.”

Matthew has been acting most of his life, appearing in numerous community theater productions, talent shows and pageants from the time he was 6 months old.

At the ripe old age of 13, he said, “my agent said it was time for me to come to Los Angeles to further my career. So we, my family and I, decided to sell our home in Fort Pierce and move out there.”

Matthew landed a modeling job the day after the family moved into an apartment in Santa Monica. Other jobs came pretty quickly, including roles in the movies “Stuck on You” and “From Justin to Kelly,” an appearance in Lil’ Romeo’s music video “It Takes Two” and as a cast member on the pilot of “Method and Red,” a FOX-TV sitcom.

Before that show was picked up, he auditioned for “Zoey 101.”

“I went to seven auditions between February and April (2004),” Matthew said. “And then, on my 14th birthday (April 23, 2004), they said I had the part.”

And when “Zoey 101” hit cable this past January, a teenage heartthrob was born.

The show’s Web site describes Matthew’s character by saying: “Logan is by far the best-looking guy on campus,” and then adds, as a nod to his character’s character, “just ask him.”

Or just ask the middle-school girl in Tallahassee who, when Matthew appeared at an assembly, fainted from excitement after seeing “Logan.” (Matthew later gave her his watch, a very un-Logan thing to do.)

Matthew said he’s having the time of his life on the show, and he can envision Zoey, Logan and the rest of the Pacific Coast Academy student body staying on the air through high school and college.

“I’d love for that to happen,” he said. “I love doing it so much, I could stick with it until Logan gets his doctorate.”

A former Lincoln Park Academy student who’s being home-schooled now, Matthew has had his own college plans decided for years.

“I want to study directing, producing and writing at NYU (New York University) because they have such a good film school,” he said. “That’s been my plan since I was 5 years old.”

tyler.treadway@scripps.com

Where to watch

WHAT: “Zoey 101”

WHEN: 8 p.m. Sundays

NETWORK: Nickelodeon (Channel 61 on Adelphia, Channel 47 on Comcast and Channel 34 on Brighthouse)

Matthew’s insider tip

Don’t miss the Hallo-ween episode airing this Sunday. “It’s gonna be amazing. The sets they’ve come up with and the costumes we get to wear are awesome. Kids are going to be so scared they’ll be peeing their pants.”

Learning lines to downing doughnuts

Matthew Underwood answers questions from Treasure Coast fans:

“What’s it like to see yourself on TV?”
— Madison Bonneville, 10, Palm City

“It’s pretty fun. Of course, I don’t watch ‘Zoey’ because I’m on it; I watch because I think it’s hilarious. You know how they say that you’re your own worst critic? It’s true. I see myself and think, ‘I could have done that better.’ ”

“How has your life changed since you’ve gotten the part of Logan?”
— Leeanne Hrebenar, 11, Palm City

“It’s changed a lot. First of all, I get to go more places and do more things. And the fans: Anywhere I go, there are people who know me. I went to the movies with my sister at the (Treasure Coast Square) mall, and all the girls in the mall were screaming, ‘It’s Logan!’”

“Is it hard to remember your lines?”
— Hunter Brians, 10, Port St. Lucie

“I’ve been doing it so long, it’s not hard anymore. Usually, I can read through a script once and memorize it. What makes it hard is, I’ll have my lines down perfect, and at the last minute the writers will change it around. It costs $6,000 a minute to do the show, so they don’t want you messing up at all.”

“What was your favorite episode to be a part of?”
— Tyler Roberts, 10, Stuart

“It would have to be the finale for our first season last year. They took us (the cast members) to the beach and said, ‘Just have fun.’ So we played tug-of-war and football and just had a great time; and they filmed it for the show.”

“If you could give one piece of advice to the teenagers who watch the show, what would it be?”
— Kyleigh McCollam, 12, St. Lucie West

“To never give up on what you want. I mean, I didn’t give up, I kept working at acting, and I got ‘Zoey.’ So, it’s possible to get whatever you want, no matter what it is, if you try really hard.”

“Do you get to eat a lot of doughnuts from craft services?”
— Gaston Alvarez, 10, Palm City

“Craft services (the food suppliers on Hollywood sets) is amazing. The doughnuts are the best I’ve ever had. I definitely ate a lot of doughnuts and bagels because it’s like non-stop eating on the set.”