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Entertainment: O.C.'s David Henrie's next move after 'Wizards of Waverly Place' | disney, film, audience, world, lot, want, actor, work, line, transition.

Text: Next Article » O.C.'s David Henrie's next move after ?Wizards of Waverly Place'Mission Viejo-born actor goes from Disney's 'Wizards of Waverly Place' to animated movie ?The Secret World of Arrietty.?

David Henrie sits long enough for a photo, but his work schedule as he makes the transition from child star to adult actor leaves very little time for sitting.

ADVERTISEMENT The Mission Viejo-born Henrie starred with Selena Gomez for four seasons on the popular Disney Channel show "Wizards of Waverly Place," and now lends his voice to one of the starring roles in the animated movie "The Secret World of Arrietty," a Japanese film that is being distributed by Disney.

Based on the book series "The Borrowers" by Mary Norton, the movie is the story of a sickly boy who visits his aunt and discovers a family of very small people living beneath the house. The title role is voiced by Bridgit Mendler, another alum from "Wizards of Waverly Place," which ended its run last month.

"The Secret World of Arrietty" already is a huge hit internationally (it was released in 2010), and finally opens Friday in the United States. It was written by Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away"), and translated into English under the supervision of producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy.

The 22-year-old Henrie, munching crab cakes in the executive dining room on the Walt Disney Co. studio lot in Burbank, talks about his first animation venture, and discusses the often-difficult transition from child star to adult actor.

He is well-prepared for the transition. He is a member of the Writers Guild, having written two episodes of the TV show, and is preparing to write and direct a short film later this year. His first adult role, in the World War II drama "Little Boy," will hit theaters in the fall. And he has plenty of fan support ? with 1.3 million Twitter followers.

Oh, by the way, if you think his face looks vaguely familiar but you've never watched the Disney Channel, you might know him from his recurring role as the narrator's son on the hit CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother."

A. Knowing what thought process goes into constructing a line helps an actor know how to deliver that line because you understand the intention behind the writing. The show also built a lot of confidence because it taught me how to deliver under pressure. It also taught me about integrity, and how to stand up for my beliefs. It gave me a solid foundation in this business, and helped to prepare me for the transition.

Q. There is an impression that being on a Disney Channel show is like being in a safe cocoon where you are unaware of the outside world. Is that a false impression?

A. Not really. Before Disney, I did other shows so I was aware of the business. They're all the same in that they're a professional environment. The only difference between a Disney show and other network shows are in the age of the actors you're working with and the age of the intended audience.

A. Oh yeah. I was 21 when it ended and I was ready. This new movie I'm in ? "Little Boy" ? is the type of movie I want to be involved in. It's the complete antithesis of a Disney character.

A. Not really. This is still aimed at the same Disney audience, and I don't want in any way to neglect the audience Disney has built up for me. In fact, I want to take that audience with me on this bridge to more mature projects. "The Secret World of Arrietty" addresses the Disney audience, but it also takes them in a different direction because it's not really a Disney animated film. It still has a lot of heart and great message, but it's different.

A. Very serious. I can't disclose anything right now, but I'm in the process of selling a TV show I've developed. And I'm developing another project with the people from "Little Boy." And then there is the short film I'll be shooting next month. I want to be able to manipulate and control my career from the creative side.

A. I come from a big Italian family with no show business connections whatsoever. When I was young and it was someone's birthday, I didn't have the money to buy nice presents so I would take my mom's camera and make a movie parody for whoever's birthday it was. When I'd show it them, they'd die laughing. That reaction was a high for me, and I loved that feeling. I realized then that I wrote, directed and produced those parodies, and I liked the control. That feeling made me want to be in this business, and I haven't had the same kind of satisfaction since then because I haven't been in control. Acting is my passion, but the ultimate satisfaction is creating something from start to finish. That also will give me longevity, I hope.

Q. Speaking of longevity, are there a lot of negative people around who keep telling you how difficult it is to transition from child actor to adult actor?

A. Sure, everyone says that. And it is a difficult transition but if you do it right and embrace your audience like Ryan Gosling or Justin Timberlake, it can be done. In the end, if you have some talent and you work hard and take your work seriously, you can push through any type of adversity.

Q. Is it tough to sit around and wait, knowing that you have this great project that will change your life but won't come out for almost a year?

A. It's a bummer. You want it to come out so bad. On the other hand, it's nice that you know there is this good thing off in the distance. It's not like you have nothing going on.

A. I can't sit around. If I don't have auditions to go out on, I'm always writing. My goal is to take my short film on the film festival circuit.

A. Frank Marshall, one of the producers, was a good friend of my manager at the time, and called me in to read the script. I hadn't done anything like this before, so I jumped at the chance.

A. No. It's just me, the director, a couple of producers and someone working the camera. They'll give you some notes on how to read the line differently, or to put the inflection on a different word, and that's it.

A. It really did because we had to dub in the English to match the lips of the characters. Sometimes, what the character's saying in Japanese is longer or shorter than what we're saying in English and we had to speed up or slow down to match the lip pattern on the screen. It was interesting and a lot of work, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.

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