Sarah Kelsey / iVillage.ca
Beautiful. Fun. Adventurous. Those are three of the words Kolton Stewart would use to describe Canada.
“I love it here,” says the 14-year-old during our one-on-one interview at Corus’s headquarters in Toronto. The YouTube sensation popped by the building to shoot a quick promo spot for YTV; his brand new show Some Assembly Required premieres on the channel on January 6.
The series is about a teenager who becomes boss of a toy company after suing it over a defective chemistry set. Stewart‘s character, Jarvis Raines, is CEO.
“I love working with the entire cast and crew,” says Stewart of his time spent on set. “Everyone does their jobs to the best of their ability… I’ve learned a lot from the entire team.”
Currently on holiday break, the teen is enjoying catching up with family and friends and watching a few basketball games (one of his favourite sports). He’s also available to dish out some of the business advice he’s learned from running a company: “If you want to have a successful business, the key is to have fun doing what you do.”
It’s clear Stewart knows a thing or two about having fun. Since being “discovered” on YouTube, he’s appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show and become friends with one of Canada’s most popular exports, Justin Bieber.
“He’s been a great mentor in terms of helping me figure out what I want to do when I grow up — in terms of bringing me backstage and giving me advice,” says Stewart. “He’s made me see what’s capable at such a young age and has taught me I can do anything.”
His impressions of Ellen? “Ellen’s unreal. She’s everything you think she would be. Off-camera, she’s the same person as she is on-camera. She talked to us for about 40 minutes after the show. We also met Portia; she’s an incredible person.”
With his star on the rise, it’s hard to imagine Stewart’s life is anything but normal (by kid’s standards), but he insists he’s just like a regular teen. He has New Year’s resolutions (“I should probably stop eating so much chocolate!) and he asked Santa for a few key Christmas gifts (Beats By Dre headphones and an Ed Sheeran guitar). He’s addicted to his iPhone (though he admittedly uses it to keep himself organized) and he’s got a thing for salty foods (“I don’t have a huge sweet tooth; when I was a kid I used to choose broccoli over candy”).
The only difference is he spends his time acting, playing music and dancing — the latter is a talent few people know he has.
So what’s up next for Stewart, outside of starring in his own TV show? “I’d really like to become a professional musician and to sell out stadiums. I’d also love to continue acting.” His ultimate dream? “To be just like Justin Timberlake,” he says with a smile.
Tune into YTV on Monday, January 6, 2014, to catch the premiere of Kolton Stewart’s new show, Some Assembly Required!