To her parents, Roddie and Scott, who named her for L.A.’s famous Rodeo Drive, her A-list connections must have been written in the stars, but Rodéo herself takes it all in stride -— whether she’s discussing her Kindergarten experience with Tony Danza, posing for photos with Thor villain Tom Hiddleston (he’s Loki), rubbing elbows with the likes of Steven Spielberg or mingling with modern film legends Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp at the December premiere of the fairy tale mashup Into The Woods. As she switched roles from interviewer to interview subject, I asked the third grader questions about her glamourous Berks County life.
Q: Who was the first celebrity you interviewed?
The first celebrity I met was Kelly McGillis [When the former Berks County resident was a guest at the Greater Reading Film Festival].
Q: Who are some other famous folks you’ve interviewed or hung out with?
I’ve met Tony Danza, Tony Bennett, Clive Davis, Russell Simmons, Cathy Moriarty, James Spader, Judd Hirsch, Robert Wuhl, Chipp Kidd, Gene London, Saul Rubinek and more.
Q: Wow, that’s an impressive list of stars. Is it difficult to talk to celebrities?
No, I don’t think it’s hard to meet them, but the hard part for me is they are taller than me.
Q: Oh sure, I can see where that could be a problem in all that red carpet chaos. Do you have a most memorable moment at an event?
It was when I found the carrot for my toy horse that I had lost on the way to my first premiere to cover [the opening of] The War Horse.
Q: Is there anyone you haven’t met that you would really like to?
I would like to meet the entire cast of Phantom of the Opera and Jennifer Tilly.
Q: When you’re not covering film galas, you’re in third grade, so what do you like best in school? Do you have any hobbies?
My favorite activity in school is gym. I also like to play violin, [play] video games and watch movies.
Q: I kind of guessed you might like watching movies. What kind are you into?
I love horror movies about zombies.
Q: Me too! What’s your favorite zombie movie?
World War Z.
Q: That’s a good one; the zombies can run fast! Would you like to have a job working in movies?
Yes I would.
Q: You kind of do already, right?
Yes, I’ve covered premieres like The War Horse and Lincoln and film festivals. I also review movies for my column in the paper, but I would like to be an archaeologist when I grow up.
Q: Before you move on to archaeology, do you have a red carpet dream – something you’d like to accomplish?
I guess I’d like to cover the Golden Globes, Oscars, Grammys and American Music Awards.
