The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • C9

LIFE0906-A-C -Composite Proof 0:00 0:00 By JENNIFER BRETT If Devon wishes come true, lose the homework and win an Oscar. not going anywhere soon, but a promising acting career is already developing for the 13-year-old Duluth middle schooler. He was cast in a movie starring Mel Gibson when he was just 9. Now starring in a new series airing on Nickelodeon this fall. Declassified School Survival premieres at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday. Devon said of the show, which is sort of like in the for the tween crowd. really anxious for it to come Like Malcolm, Ned Bigby, the lead character Devon plays, speaks directly to the audience from time to time as he traverses the halls of middle school with pals Moze (Lindsey Shaw) and Cookie (Daniel Curtis Lee). The survival tips often come by way of over-the- top gags: stuff your backpack to the point it outweighs you, pulls you over backward and leaves you with legs flailing in the air like a trapped beetle, like one of pals. definitely like real Devon said.

But he admits it is exaggerated for effect. want it to be laugh-out-loud Nickelodeon definitely found a laugh-out-loud funny guy, said Cliff Roberts, a social studies teacher at River Trail Middle School in Duluth, where Devon is an eighth-grader. Roberts said Devon is a bit of a class clown but is quick to add his jokes are always self- deprecating, never intended to make fun of others. very popular with his classmates as well as his Roberts said. a very smart student.

He had a high A with me. one of those kids rooting aptitude for acting became apparent early, and his family has encouraged him from the start. His father, a film buff, took Devon to see Ventura: Pet when Devon was about 5. Afterward, Devon recited bits of the movie back to his parents, nailing various accents and hitting punch lines with relish. parents enrolled him in acting school when he was 7.

He began snagging starring roles in local productions, such as Emperor Horace Plumptoe in a production of New at the Gwinnett Civic Center. And, he continued to enjoy movies with his father. more I watched, the more I wanted that to be Devon said. After three years in acting school, the owner got him an agent, who started arranging auditions. At 9, he auditioned for a role in the 2002 Mel Gibson movie Were got off the bus one day, and Mom said, your daddy, like, like, Mel Devon turned 10 during filming.

He played Steve Moore, the son of Lt. Col. Hal Moore, character. Gibson sat with the kids every day at Devon said. told jokes and made us In 2002, he was cast in the straight-to-video movie for starring John Larroquette.

That spring, Devon and his mother shared a tiny Los Angeles apartment for three months while Devon took drama and comedy classes and auditioned. Devon keeps up with his schoolwork with a tutor when in Los Angeles. definitely miss my friends he said. It was easy to see why during a recent lunch hour at the River Trail cafeteria. He was the star attraction, sitting with a group of guys, but spending most of the time talking with a group of girls sitting at the next table.

grade is the first year and notice each said teacher Roberts. was ahead of the curve In February 2003, after more auditions, Devon landed the role of Ned Bigby. He missed most of the second half of the 2003-2004 school year because he was shooting the series. Because it was a pilot, the Werkheisers had to wait 10 months to learn it had been picked up by Nickelodeon. The Werkheisers may be in Hollywood the night the show airs for the first time, or they may have friends over to the house.

hopeful it will be picked up for a second season, even though career means sacrifices for everyone. Vanessa, a sophomore at Northview High School, misses her mom and brother when they travel, but supports ambitions. am extremely proud of this she said, as Devon playfully hopped into her lap. my Devon complained that when they fight, Vanessa always wins. got these long he said.

Then he added, in debt to my family. not While Devon loves being on the set and in front of the camera, he loves his home on a suburban cul-de-sac, too. Devon looked distressed for a moment when he considered a possible move to Los Angeles. lived here my whole life. It would be terrible to he said, sitting in the comfortable family room with his mother and sister.

Valerie Werkheiser, mother, says her role as mother of two teenagers, one an actor, is challenging but worth it. need much she said. get a little cranky, but I can go for a long At that point, her two children laughed. Devon says his friends all love and fear his mom. had little girls calling for Werkheiser said.

She initially did not want her son to pursue acting, fearing it would introduce him to unsavory types. So she sticks close to her boy, staying with him on-set during filming. worked hard to make sure both good she said. want to make sure he pick up any bad So far, so good. Devon still gets a little embarrassed when she talks about her career.

(Of course, nowhere near as bad as friends, who like to goad him when out eating pizza. you ever dated an ask the waitress.) definitely see him winning an Oscar someday, that said Valerie Werkheiser, acknowledging just a hint of partiality. he is the most laid-back, humble kid in the world. just BEN GRAY Staff Devon Werkheiser (center), who stars in Declassified School Survival jokes with classmates (from left) Abby Stern Holly Schlemmer and Ryan DeVita during lunch Wednesday at River Trail Middle School in Duluth. A star grows in Duluth Comic flair keeps teen rising on-screen, grounded at home RLIFE0906OC9FLIFE0906OC9 4 Star 9C 9C RR RR BlueRedYellowBlack Blue RedYellowBlack C9 4 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday, Sept.

6, 2004.