Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Danger Force’s Terrence Little Gardenhigh

Terrence Little Gardenhigh is one of the stars of Nickelodeon’s Danger Force. The Henry Danger spinoff finds Captain Man (Cooper Barnes) training the next generation of superhero sidekicks as they learn to harness their uncontrollable superpowers to fight crime. One of those sidekicks is Terrence’s character, Miles, who has the ability to teleport and believes everything happens for a reason—a trait Terrance and Miles share. Pop Culturalist chatted with Terrence about Danger Force, his character, and what it’s like being a part of one of his favorite shows.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Terrence: I went to Disneyland with the Boys & Girls Club dance group to perform. When I came back home, I had stars in my eyes. I had so much fun on stage and making people smile and laugh. It made me feel good. I told my mommy that I want to be a star. She said, “Oh, that’s so cute, baby. Now, go sit down.” [laughs] I didn’t give up. I kept going back to show her my skills and finally, she took me seriously.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Terrence: I would have to say Kevin Hart. I watched him all the time, and I truly thought I was going to be a comedian. I would share all my jokes with my mommy, and she would just look at me and say, “That is so wack. Keep working at it.” My mommy continues to play a large part in telling me the truth so I can improve. She is not the type that’s going to say, “Oh, baby, that was so good,” if it wasn’t. I thank her for that because it made me work harder.

PC: Is it a challenge to balance your career and life as a normal kid?
Terrence: It’s not a challenge at this point because I’m able to attend school with my castmates, and we hang out together as if we were in a traditional school. When I return home after a workday, I play with my action figures and PlayStation just like all teens. If I have to prepare for an audition, I do it and go right back to what I was doing. It seems normal to me I guess because I really love what I’m doing. It doesn’t feel like work.

Danger Force

PC: Tell us about Danger Force, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Terrence: It’s about four kids with superpowers who don’t know how to control them because they got them by accident. I play Miles, I can teleport, and because I’m not able to control it, I end up in the craziest places. Miles is an old-soul kind of person that believes the Universe is controlling his destiny, so he is fearless. I auditioned and saw the name of some familiar people they tried to cover with black marker. [laughs] I thought to myself, this can’t be Henry Danger, my favorite show. I would say what Miles would say: “It was my destiny!”

PC: What should fans know about Miles? What can you tease about Miles’ arc this season?
Terrence: Miles is proud of who he is. He is a grown-up in a child’s body. He thinks like a person who is so much older than what he is. Miles is a serious person, and that makes him even funnier.

PC: What role does Miles play in the group?
Terrence: He is twin brother to Mika on the show and is the voice of reason to the group.

PC: Danger Force is your first big television role as a series regular. Has anything surprised you about the experience? What’s been the biggest takeaway?
Terrence: Honestly, I thought it would be a lot harder. It gets easier the more we work together, and it seems like things become more natural. I feel so connected to Miles that it’s easy to get into character. He really is a lot like me, and through this process, I’m learning more things about myself in a weird sort of way.

PC: The four superheroes-in-training have to learn to harness their power in the series. If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Terrence: I would love to be invisible. It would be so cool to be in a room knocking things over and seeing people run away screaming. Also, I would love to listen to what people say about me when I leave the room. Then again, maybe not! [laughs]

PC: Do you have a favorite moment/scene that you can’t wait for fans to see?
Terrence: Any scene when I get to do a stunt.

PC: How does it feel to continue the Henry Danger legacy?
Terrence: Oh man, I’m proud because I’ve watched that series for years, and I used to dream about pressing the buttons in the man cave. Just to know I’m a part of the ending and the new beginning is an honor. I am helping to carry the torch, and I won’t let them down.

To keep up with Terrence, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Catch new episodes of Danger Force every Saturday at 8/7c on Nickelodeon.

Photo Credit: Nickelodeon