Vinnie vs. Hollywood

If anybody seems destined to act in a war movie, it would have to be Vincent Kartheiser. True, there's not a mark nor a blemish on Vinnie's ultra-cute face: Looking at him, you'd never know the star of summer's Alaska and next year's Smart Alec is a battle-scarred veteran. That's right. At 17, Vinnie is already an experienced soldier of the "Hollywood wars." And don't think he hasn't felt the pain.

"I was acting on a stage with no recognition from anyone, no pay from anyone for eight years," Vinnie tells BOP. "Now I've finally made a lead [movie] role, which I had been working my whole life to do. I finally made it."

These remarks may seem a bit confusing to the average Vinnie admirer. After all, this is someone who was a standout in the 1995 film The Indian In The Cupboard and had a major role in the adventure flick Alaska ( with Thora Birch ). And, in his upcoming movie Smart Alec, Vinnie's co-star Patrick Stewart says that the picture revolves around Vinnie's character. But fame hasn't always been so easily won. Vinnie has lost parts to more experienced actors and has had his character completely edited out of movies ( which happened with 1994's Iron Will ). Along the way, people both in and out of show biz have told him that he might do better pursuing another carreer. "I've been told by many people that I just didn't have it," Vinnie says. "You know, 'You're fine, you're good, but you just don't have it.'" Well, that was the past. "Now I feel like I'm proving them all wrong," he admits.

If he seems confident about his current success, Vinnie is careful not to get overly cocky, since fame could depart just as easily as it arrived. And the battle is far from over. Even though he's well-armed for combat--with talent, good looks and experience--Vinnie still considers himself an underdog. "Right now the odds are still against me," he tells BOP. "I have done a lead role in a feature film and I'm with a great agent and a great manager, but the odds are still against me, and so I'm still fighting this battle."

If his long fight for success has done nothing else, it has toughened Vinnie, allowing him to pursue his dream, regarless of any setbacks. And, most importantly, he has learned a valuable lesson to pass on to future young show biz recruits: Don't expect success to be dropped into your lap. "You know," Vinnie advises, "I have to say to people [that] when they come into this industry, they can't expect to be picked out of nowhere."

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