Oregon boy relishes ‘Anchorman’ role

BEAVERTON, Ore. — Judah Nelson is talking about how he got a plum role in “Anchorman 2.” Listen, and all will be revealed.

“I had no idea that it was ‘Anchorman.’ I thought it was just a normal audition. So I did it. And I got called back. And they said, ‘It’s Anchorman!’ And in the room there was Will Ferrell and Judd Apatow, so I got to meet ’em. They were really nice, and we improv-ed. And they just called me up — ‘you got the film!'”

OK, here’s some context:

Nelson speaks in short, sharp sentences, and his voice rises at the end of each one and turns it into a question and an exclamation. “I thought it was just an audition” becomes “I thought it was just an aud-ITION?!” He is very bright and funny.

He’s an experienced actor who made his debut opposite Jason Sudeikis in “Farm,” a famous episode of “Portlandia.” (It’s the one where Fred and Carrie go visit the chicken on the farm.) He easily tosses off terms like “improv-ed” and knows how to hit a mark in front of the Christmas tree when it’s time to take a picture.

He had never heard of “Anchorman,” the original 2004 movie. Or Ferrell, one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Or Apatow, its producer and the king of comedy.

That’s because he’s 7 years old.

“Yes! I’m 7!” he says, and laughs.

It’s two days before Christmas, and life is good for Nelson. He’s flown first-class to premieres in New York and Los Angeles and seen his friends from the movie, Ferrell and Christina Applegate and Apatow and director Adam McKay and Baxter the dog (whose real name is Quincy, did you know that?). He’s seen the movie “three and a half, no, four times!” and laughs every time he sees himself as Walter Burgundy, the son of pompous newsman Ron Burgundy (Ferrell) and Veronica Corningstone (Applegate). His mother and his sister Mary Jon, who serves as his acting coach, accompany him to the premieres and parties.

“We come out, and they went, ‘Oh, you’re Walter Burgundy! Can I get a picture, please, please?'”

Animated interview

He laughs at the memory, but he is not a giggler. He smiles and waits for the next question.

What do you like best about acting?

“Playing with a mechanical shark!”

What was your favorite line in “Anchorman 2”?

“I want to be a cowboy or an astronaut!”

When he can’t remember or isn’t sure, Mary Jon, who’s sitting nearby, prompts him and he remembers how Ferrell bought a mac and cheese craft truck and a cupcake truck for the whole cast or how nice it was to meet Ferrell’s children. The improv lines at the audition with Ferrell included some that can’t be repeated here but that Nelson remembers and enunciates clearly.

When this interview feels too one-sided, he asks what I’m doing for Christmas. “Christmas Eve, and then Christmas?”

Spending time with my family.

“Same here! We’re having a family get-together!”

Team Nelson

The Nelsons are a big family. Judah is the second-youngest of 13 children; the oldest is 30 and the youngest is 4. They lived in Milwaukie and now live outside Hillsboro. (Judah is doing this interview at his sister Sarah Haley’s house in Beaverton.) They’re home-schooled but took outside classes and once one got interested in acting, some (but not all) of the others followed. Judah’s brothers Micah, Daniel, Elijah and David have screen credits; Mary Jon has been in “Grimm” and “Portlandia” (she played Judah’s mother); and little sister Shiloh has upcoming roles in “Mom’s Night Out” and “Tomorrowland,” a feature starring George Clooney and directed by Brad Bird.

“It’s Team Nelson,” Mary Jon says. “We all support each other. One of our brothers is into web design and another is into photography. We’ve saved thousands of dollars by doing our own head shots.”

Mary Jon helps Judah learn his lines before he gets to the set and then lets the director take over. She and Judah loved McKay’s improvisational style and way with kids. Judah says the director would feed everyone lines and it was their job to say them “only in a super-funny way.” He says the hardest part of being on “Anchorman 2” was “staying in character because everyone is so funny.”

Judah snaps his fingers as he stands in front of the fireplace. He’s eager to go play with his nephew but wants to remind me that he was on an episode of “Major Crimes” that aired last week. He wants to “do more everything,” whatever parts come his way, and play some video games over Christmas.

What does he want for Christmas?

“I’ve got everything I want!”