Local teen ready for a ‘Big Time Rush’ on Nickelodeon

James Maslow of La Jolla sings and acts on Nickelodeon’s “Big Time Rush,” previewing Nov. 28.

You may have seen him relaxing with friends at the Living Room on Prospect Street, or dining at Sushi on the Rocks. He’s an avid surfer at Scripps Pier and Black’s Beach. These days he spends most of his time in Hollywood, however.

La Jolla resident James Maslow flew the coop a few years ago, and is on the fast track to stardom after a childhood training his voice and theatrical skills in San Diego.

Maslow, 18, stars in Nickelodeon’s “Big Time Rush,” a scripted show about four boys from Minnesota who are given the opportunity to prove themselves in the Hollywood music industry. The show’s preview airs Saturday, Nov. 28 at 8:30 p.m.

As a child, Maslow sang everywhere, all of the time but was not particularly pleased when his parents “threw him” in the San Diego Choir to formally train when he was 6 years old. (Maslow said his parents are not musical themselves). Maslow resented the structure at first but quickly decided to dedicate himself to his life’s passions: singing and acting.

He attended La Jolla and Torrey Pines elementary schools, then Muirlands Middle School, and then began an hour-and-a-half bus journey to the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts in National City.

Maslow had an early taste of the stage: He performed in “La Boheme” with the San Diego Opera when he was 10 years old. He honed his skills at a six-week acting camp at the La Jolla Playhouse. By the age of 14, Maslow had found an agent and began training for film and television.

“I fell in love with singing and theater, and the arts in general, because it was a place where you could do whatever you wanted to do and express different palettes,” said Maslow, who credits his tenor singing ability to his music teacher, Leigh Scarritt, who also teaches at Culture Shock Dance Center.

In high school, Maslow said he discovered new elements in his voice while performing Danny Zuko in “Grease” and Maurius in “La Miserable.” Halfway through 10th grade, Maslow transferred to the Coronado School of the Arts “for another experience,” he said.

Maslow claims he’s not the “lovable narcissist” driven by fame, clothes and money like his character in “Big Time Rush.”

“I want [success] just as bad as him, but I want it because I enjoy singing and acting,” Maslow said. “I know the show will give me the opportunity to continue to do this for the rest of my life as long as we do a good job.”

After two years of filming “Big Time Rush,” Maslow is taking a break this week and chilling in his hometown of La Jolla.

“This is the most fun I’ve had in my life,” Maslow said. “I can’t believe it’s my job.”

Adriane Tillman writes for the La Jolla Village News, where this story was first published.

Tags: "Big Time Rush", acting, actor, dancing, James Marlow, La Jolla, Nickelodeon, SDNN, singing, surfer, teen, television show

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