Have you ever seen the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? It's one of my favorites! They do some really cool stuff and help out families that really deserve a new home. Recently, my friends Logan and Davin Arthur and I were on location when the cast of Extreme Makeover created a new house in Tallahassee, Florida. We talked to Johnny Littlefield and Paige Hemmis and had an awesome experience seeing them at work!
First, my interview with Johnny Littlefield
TRUMAN: What kinds of things did you like to do as a kid?
JOHNNY: I loved baseball! I love the New York Yankees! I wanted to be a New York Yankee. Do you know why they wear pinstripes? Because they're scarier in pinstripes, that's why. I love surfing, and I do that anytime I can. I built a lot of stuff. I built stuff in my dad's garage.
TRUMAN: Do you have a favorite room from a previous show?
JOHNNY: I do. The Star Wars room - my favorite room that I've ever done on the show! Do you know why? Did you ever see Star Wars? Chewbacca helped me build the room. That's my all-time favorite!
TRUMAN: What has been your best experience from being on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?
JOHNNY: Right this very second because everything is great. Everything about my job is
fantastic. So I can't think of one thing being better than the other. We have a saying, "If we've come to your house, something bad has happened," and what we do is we then help that family because most of the time, the families - they give of themselves, and they help their community and don't think about the problems they may be going through. And they become heroes to that community. So it's just an honor every day to come to work and help a family and be with the greatest crew that Hollywood could ever make.
TRUMAN: How many different "builds" have you been a part of on the show?
JOHNNY: I've been on for three, four years now. So, a lot!
TRUMAN: What advice would you give to all of the Kidsville News! readers?
JOHNNY: Don't be afraid of anything. Don't be afraid to try anything. Because that's when you learn. You never ever learn when you succeed at something. You only learn from your mistakes; that's the only time. Like when someone says, "Oh, I made a mistake. I can learn from that." Or like when your parents say, "You did something wrong, and I need you to learn from that." So I say do everything - every possible thing you can possibly do because that's when you learn, and that's when you become strong.
Paige Hemmis answered a few questions, too!
TRUMAN: What does it take to become a designer for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?
PAIGE: A lot of people went to school for it and actually took classes. Me, on the other hand, I bought properties, and then I fixed them up myself. So I had to learn how to do everything myself so that I could save money and not have to pay someone else to do it.
TRUMAN: When and why did you first become interested in this profession?
PAIGE: Well, first - gosh, it was a long time ago, and I didn't think I was going to remodel houses, but I wanted to have rental properties. That's where you buy a house and then you find somebody to rent it. I didn't have the money to have somebody else help me, so I had to do it all myself. I didn't think I was going to like it at first, but as soon as I started fixing things up, I liked it a little more, and a little more, and then pretty soon, I was remodeling houses from the roof to the pipes in the ground.
TRUMAN: What do you do?
PAIGE: I am the carpenter on the show. So I am a carpenter/designer, and I build stuff. You see all of these clouds right here? I just cut all of those out and I'm making a bed out of the clouds.
TRUMAN: What is the hardest part of your job?
PAIGE: The hardest part of my job is being away from my family so much. We're gone for 10 months out of the year and I miss my mom and dad, my brother. That's the hardest part. The rest of this is fun.
TRUMAN: What is the best part of your job?
PAIGE: The best part is being able to help families week after week. We get to go in, and we give them a brand-new house - all the stuff that they couldn't get on their own. So that's pretty cool. Being able to help people is the best part.
TRUMAN: What advice would you give to the kids who are interested in this profession?
PAIGE: I would say volunteer as much as you can. I remember I had to volunteer when I was in high school, and I thought that was the most boring thing ever. I thought, oh my gosh, I had to do 40 hours of volunteer work, and I didn't want to do it, but after doing the first one - the first hour, I was like, wow, this is pretty cool. So I would say help volunteer in your own neighborhood. If you see someone who needs help, go and volunteer because that's the best way you can learn. You can go to school and learn that way, too, but the best way you learn is actually volunteering and using your hands.
TRUMAN: This was a great experience to get to meet all of the terrific people that help make Extreme Makeover: Home Edition such a wonderful show! Keep up the good work!
