|
Tales
from TYLER
HYNES Atreyu, a 14-year-old Woodland boy, is an unlikely hero, or so he thinks. When we first meet him in The Neverending Story TV series, Atreyu dreams of being a brave hunter and warrior, although he's just a regular teenager. For reasons no one can understand, the Childlike Empress, the much-loved ruler of Fantasia, selects him from among everyone in her realm, to take on a great, heroic quest. His mission is to seek out the source of The Nothing and defeat it before it destroys Fantasia. Atreyu, an orphan, lacks self-confidence. He can't imagine why the Childlike Empress picked him. He has never hunted successfully and he 's not even good with a bow and arrow. Yet, Cairon, the greatest physician in Fantasia and emissary of the Childlike Empress, places the AURYN around Atreyu's neck, to guide and protect him on his adventures. When he starts out on his quest, Atreyu doesn't realize its importance because he hasn't yet seen or experienced the devastation caused by The Nothing. He doesn't know what to do and how to do it. So every step along the journey is a learning step and every problem is a challenge. "What makes Atreyu so interesting is that he doesn't realize that he is able and capable. He first has to discover his own abilities and he does that along the journey," says 14-year-old Tyler Hynes, the actor who plays Atreyu. For sure, Atreyu makes mistakes along the way - as any inexperienced teenage hero would. For example, he believes, at first, what anyone tells him. He loses his beloved pony as a result and that devastates him. But every time Atreyu chooses correctly or solves problems, his confidence and self-esteem grow. Atreyu in Fantasia is created by Bastian's imagination in the real world. In fact, Atreyu is Bastian's alter ego. Together they face life's problems and challenges. When Atreyu is searching for a cure for the deathly-ill Childlike Empress, Bastian is searching for ways to heal the pain left by his mother's death. When Atreyu is battling the shape-shifting wolf, Bastian is fighting his own personal war with Mr. Blank, a similar wolf creature but in human form. 'Atreyu has the same personality as Bastian," says Tyler. "He is humble, sincere, honest, respects people, hurts no one and has a good heart." He just doesn't know that he really is a hero. Tyler began his acting career as an 8-year-old in the role of Tiny Tim in the Toronto stage production of A Christmas Carol. "I had no training but went to the audition and got the part. I loved the environment," says Tyler. "I learned from other actors and directors." His second role in theatre was as young Tommy in the Canadian National Touring Company's production of Tommy. Then Tyler moved in front of the cameras with roles in films and television including Little Men, Lassie, Soldier of Fortune, The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo, Home Team and Amazon. In Los Angeles recently, Tyler won a Young Artist Award for Best Supporting Actor in the TV movie The Other Me. Tyler says that his advice to aspiring young actors is to have fun and be natural. When he's not in school nor on the set of The Neverending Story, Tyler can always be found on his skateboard or snowboard. Sometimes he actually stays still and plays on his new PlayStation 2 or watches skate videos and movies. Visit
the Tyler Hynes Fan Page! |
|
