In the new film Red Dawn, Josh Peck teams up with Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and others to save his town that comes under attack from North Korean invasion. This intriguing story was originally told in the 1984 film of the same name, which starred Patrick Swayze; however, it was new to Peck, who made a point of not seeing the film ahead of time. “I was afraid that I would be attempted to maybe mimic or just sort of try to imitate something from the first film,” Peck told uInterview in an exclusive video interview. “So I took a fresh approach and in watching the film when we finished I was able to sort of garner everything that people had loved about the first film.”

A long time comedian, New York native Peck started doing standup at age 9. He got his big break at the spry age of 14 when he appeared in both a smash hit movie and television show, Snow Day and The Amanda Show, respectively. A few years later he landed his own Nickelodeon sitcom, Drake & Josh, starring alongside Drake Bell. He subsequently appeared in such films as Havoc, The Wackness and Drillbit Taylor. He has also voiced the character of Eddie in the last three Ice Age films (most recently in Ice Age: Continental Drift).

With his role in Red Dawn, Peck, who plays Hemsworth’s brother in the film, not only had the opportunity to flex his action star muscles, but forge a friendship with a real-life comic book hero. “It’s always great when you can sort of build a relationship instead of having to act one. And also he [Hemsworth] was getting in shape for Thor and I was trying to stay in shape for the movie so we spent way too many late nights at the gym bonding over bicep curls.”

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Q: Did you study the original Red Dawn to prepare for this role? - Uinterview User

Honestly, I hadn't seen the original. When I started talking about the film with my friends and what not, I was sort of immediately put on notice that I was on sacred ground, and I had my work cut out for me. But I was afraid that I would be tempted to maybe mimic or just sort of try to imitate something from the first film, so I took a fresh approach and in watching the film when we finished I was able to sort of garner everything that people had loved about the first film.

User Uinterview User
Q: What was the most memorable moment with the cast? - Uinterview User

I think Josh [Hutcherson] has one of the best scenes in the movie with the Subway sandwich artists and what not and it'€™s sort of a really hilarious moment and a piece of levity for the film. And then Chris and I just became really close. I think there was a desire to do so because we are playing brothers. It'€™s always great when you can sort of build a relationship instead of having to act one. And also he was getting in shape for Thor, and I was trying to stay in shape for the movie so we spent way too many late nights at the gym bonding over bicep curls.

User Uinterview User
Q: How do you get into shape before a physically demanding film? - Uinterview User

Hire Navy Seals and Marines to put you through workouts and it will be way easier. I don't know, it' all that sort of boring stuff you've heard time and time again of eat healthy and get some exercise. That's what works for me at least.

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Q: What was the most difficult action scene to shoot in this film? - Uinterview User

There was a scene where I was trying to save my girlfriend from a school bus and a rifle gets stuck in the seat and butts me in the head. I got two stitches while we were filming, blood sort of trickled down my face, and I got a free ride to the Detroit Trauma Center, and the doctor was like 'What happened?' and I was like, '€œReally, doc?'€ and he said, '€œYeah' and I said, '€œI was running down a school bus with a machine gun and it butted me in the head.'€ And he was like, '€œAh, it's the second one I've heard today.' And then he asked if I was an extra, and I was like, '€œNo doc, I'€™m a pretty big deal.'€ But he apparently didn'€™t think so. And then I was like, '€œHey, do you have any kids?'€ And he was like, 'Yeah, I have a one-year-old daughter,'€ and I was like, 'Uh, that’s not in my demographic. She definitely doesn'€™t watch 'Drake & Josh.'€ So I was definitely looking like an idiot. There’s lots of little stories like that have given me some battle wounds.