The Hot Seat — Kala Alexander

While many of you may not be familiar with the name Kala Alexander, if you plan on visiting Hawaii anytime soon you might want to be. Kala is the charismatic leader of Kauai’s “Wolf Pack,” the most dominant surf tribe in the islands today. So when the surfing world invades Hawaii during the peak winter season, Mr. Alexander is the premier regulator of line-ups. From Pipeline to Pine Trees, he makes sure all visitors are familiar with local customs. Naturally, when Hollywood casting crews came into his town looking for someone to play badass local for the Blue Crush movie, Kala’s presence couldn’t be ignored. His casting was…well, eventful, and soon he was thrust onto the silver screen. Now the acting bug has bitten (he’s pretty damn good, too) and this North Shore enforcer has his sights set on tackling a new town: Hollywood. What better reason to be a guest on the Hot Seat.

So did you have to kick any ass to get a role in Blue Crush?

Nah. Chris Won was already in the movie, and he told the casting people about me after he read the script, so they were actually looking for me. But when I went to read it, I was pretty uncomfortable with the lines they gave me, none of it was stuff I’d say. It was like, “Are you kidding?”

Right. So you wanted to kick the writer’s ass?

Nah man, I just laughed. The original script had the football player kicking our asses. But when the director made us take our shirts off, and he saw what kind of physical shape we’re in, he realized it wasn’t believable. The actor who played the football player walked up with his shirt off and they said, “You know what, here’s a card for 24-hour Fitness, give us a call in about three or four weeks.”

So they got a little North Shore debriefing?

Well, we just informed them that the way they had it wasn’t a real depiction of life on the North Shore, especially since I was playing myself. They actually had to re-write the script right there. That’s why in the movie only Chris gets in the scrap with the football player.

Damn…so no ass kicking at all?

Well, I did scare ‘em once. After I laughed at the lines the guy told me to pretend he’d just dropped in on me at Pipe, just to see how I’d react. I told him normally I wouldn’t say a thing, but for his sake I went nuts, screaming at the top of my lungs, spitting in his face, telling him to go back to the mainland. I must have gone off pretty hard because there were security guys outside and they came running in.

Please tell me you kicked their asses.

No man. It was cool. Then the director said, “Enough, enough, okay, okay. You’re in. You got a part…we don’t know what it is, but you can calm down now.”

Okay. So what did you think of the end result?

I was pretty stoked. I thought it would be cornball at first. Kate Bosworth looked a little too dainty when she first got to Hawaii. But Brock Little started training with her and by the time we started shooting she looked pretty good. It’s an entertaining movie.

But c’mon, can the leader of the “Wolf Pack” really go all Hollywood on us?

I hope so. I certainly hope so. Actually right now, Brian Grazer and John Stockwell are putting together a cop series and I might play an undercover cop. Plus, I just tried out for Fast and the Furious II, so we’ll see. But I think I could go Hollywood for sure.

Wouldn’t you miss home?

Hey, if it goes good, I go home and buy a big piece of home.

What would be your dream role as an actor?

Either an action hero guy or a drug cartel ringleader, and I’d definitely like to do some love scenes with Jennifer Lopez and the rest of the leading ladies like, um, let’s see, who else is there?

Hmm…any particular type?

It doesn’t matter. White. Black. Yellow. Blue. It’s all good. I’ll do em all.

- Chris Mauro

What did you think of Kala’s performance in Blue Crush?
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