The Road Less Traveled

In December of 2009 I played Mrs. Fezziwig in Theatre IV's production of A Christmas Carol. As is often the case in musical theatre productions, I played multiple roles throughout the show. Mrs. Fezziwig was just my featured role. One of the smaller ensemble roles I got to play was that of an upper class mother walking with her little boy through the Dickensian streets of England in the opening number. That little boy was Robert Timberline, known to me then as "Cooper" His featured role was Tiny Tim in that production. I had seen Cooper's work in other shows, and I knew he was extremely talented, and not just "talented for his age" He had it! He was natural, which can be so rare for a child actor. I have been a child actor, and I have worked with several. Many try to trade on cute, going way over the top to the point of the audience member being lulled into a sugar coma. Or.. they've been told to ACT and that's what they do. Cooper didn't do any of that. Now, I will have to say, he was as cute as any 8 year old boy could be with his mischievous grin and dimples, but he wasn't relying on the cute factor. He wasn't flashing the smile expecting everyone to just fall head over heels. I don't have any other word for it. He was as natural as if he lived in those times. I remember giving him a ride from rehearsal one night, and as we rode up Broad Street we had quite a nice conversation. I told him how talented I thought he was. He was extremely humble when accepting my praise, and not false humility, genuine sincere appreciation for someone noticing his talent. That, my friends, is rare. I started acting professionally when I was 10, and it is very hard to keep an ego in check. To your peers, you are famous, for lack of a better word. You're doing something that most people would be scared to death to do, and, not only that, you are successful at it. Shortly after Christmas Carol, Coop, as I had taken to calling him, booked a gig with a touring company doing the Radio City Christmas Musical, and not long after that we, being the Richmond theatre community, got the word that he had landed a role in a film. You're thinking that by now this kid must be impossible to be around. Well, you'd be wrong! I ran into him at our local awards show this past fall, and he's still the same old "Coop" that played my little boy. There's a lot of hype surrounding Robert Timberline, as he prefers to be called now, because that "film" role he landed was young Clark Kent in one of the most anticipated films of the summer, Man of Steel, which opens this Friday. Not long ago I watched a video interview Robert did about his film experiences, and I was so impressed with how down to earth he was and just basically a normal kid. He's decided to pursue other things besides acting. Most people, me included, would kill to be in film and have those chances and experiences, but Robert knows what he wants and that's more than most adults can say. I admire him so much for having the thought and conviction to follow his dream and not give in to the pressure that "Hey, everybody wants to be a movie star, right?" mentality. What an amazing, grounded young man you are, Robert. I know you will be successful whatever path you choose even if it's different than the one everyone expected you to take.