BIG TIME RUSH BIOGRAPHY

James Fact File

JAMES MASLOW: A singer, dancer and actor, James Maslow stars in the live-action comedy series, Big Time Rush. Maslow is the antithesis of his character James, who has the biggest ego of all his friends and believes that he and the group are the coolest guys ever.

Maslow was raised in La Jolla, Calif., after being born in New York City on July 16, 1990. After moving from New York to Florida to Chicago, the rising star finally settled with his family in La Jolla, Calif. at the age of six. Maslow joined the San Diego Children's Choir, igniting an undying passion for singing and performing. "Some of my favorite memories are singing at the San Diego Padres game with the Children's Choir and performing in La Boheme with the San Diego Opera," he said. Determined to be an entertainer, he transferred to San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, which was approximately thirty miles from his home, in eighth grade -- knowing that he would have to get up at five in the morning to catch the bus and getting home sometimes took up to four hours. He then attended the Coronado School of the Arts but decided an independent study program was better for him after he was told to choose between the arts or football.

Recently, Maslow guest starred on iCarly as the cute boy who causes a rift between best friends Carly and Sam when they fight over who saw him first. He also stars in the independent feature Mean.

"Singing is what got me into everything and made me fall in love with this industry," Maslow said. "Both singing and acting are so rewarding that I couldn't pick between the two." Thankfully, he doesn't have to choose as his new role allows him to do it all. He adds, "The great thing about playing James is that as an actor, I get to take it to the extreme, and it's fun to show off when you're being asked to do that as the character is completely self-absorbed and is always making a fool of himself."

As a singer/songwriter who plays the piano and guitar, Maslow feels this project "is a dream come true" and he is ready for "the big challenge to do it well and to do it right."

When he has a moment to spare, Maslow loves surfing, riding horses and mountain climbing. This past June, he climbed Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental U.S., in frigid winter conditions. Maslow also currently finds time to train in Saito Ninjutsu, a form of martial arts his father introduced him to at the age of 10. Maslow spends much of his time on the 5 freeway driving back and forth from San Diego to Los Angeles and hopes to lay down roots in L.A. soon with his yellow Labrador, Falco.


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Logan Fact File

LOGAN HENDERSON: Logan Henderson identifies most with his character Logan -- from his two left feet on the dance floor to his playful and confident persona -- in the new Nickelodeon live-action comedy Big Time Rush. A native of Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas, Henderson, Logan always wanted to be in the entertainment business but wasn't certain how to get started. After he attended an acting studio in his hometown when he was 16 years old, he fell in love with acting. His first on-camera role was as a guest star on the television seriesFriday Night Lights. "We filmed in a movie theatre and I was in a fight scene with the main character, Smash," Henderson recalls. "It was the coolest first experience on set." Henderson always has enjoyed singing but never really considered himself a singer. "In the last year, I have been finding new ways to use my voice," he said. While his character is less than stellar on the dance floor, Henderson does have a secret move in his back pocket. "I am not a great dancer but I can bust one cool move on the dance floor -- the back flip." The music is what appealed to Henderson the most about this project. "Now I am able to act and sing, doing what I love," Henderson said. "It's been amazing to work with great producers and writers." When he has time to himself, he prefers to be outdoors, either hiking or being on a board -- wakeboard, skateboard or snowboard. After driving back and forth from Texas nine times now -- without stopping, Henderson has finally settled in Los Angeles.



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Kendall Fact File



KENDALL SCHMIDT: Kendall Schmidt stars as Kendall, the lead singer of the new "princes of pop" pop group who convinces his music manager that he can't be successful without his best buds by his side -- and part of the group, in the new Nickelodeon live-action comedy Big Time Rush.


Born in Wichita, Kan., on November 2, 1990, and raised in nearby Andover, Schmidt is the youngest of three brothers who all caught the acting bug. After watching his two brothers, Kenneth and Kevin, travel back and forth to Los Angeles, Schmidt decided he wanted to be an actor too. While it started out as something fun to do, he quickly became passionate about pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. "My first acting memory is starring in a Chex commercial with my brothers. Even though we went to the audition separately, we were cast to play brothers," Schmidt recalls. "This happened to us several different times!"

When he was 10 years old, his family finally made the move from Kansas to California. Schmidt soon landed recurring roles on General Hospital, Titus, Raising Dad, Gilmore Girls and CSI: Miami. He guest starred on a variety of TV shows, including ER, Mad TV, Frasier and Phil of the Future. Most recently, Schmidt guest starred on Without a Trace and Ghost Whisperer. On the big screen, he has appeared in Minority Report and Spencer the Movie.

Schmidt also found another love -- making music. Within the last three years, he has learned to play guitar and has honed his singing skills from singing in the car with his mom to recording in the studio. Inspired by Incubus, his all-time favorite band, and Taking Back Sunday, Schmidt has begun writing his own music. Another source of inspiration is his family. "My whole family has given me the drive to succeed," he said. "My brothers mean the world to me -- they keep me grounded and offer a different perspective when I need advice."

What drew Schmidt to this role was the music aspect. "Acting comes naturally to me but I think I am best at music," said Schmidt. "If I could combine both loves, then I am successful." Schmidt identifies with his character, who suddenly finds himself thrust into the limelight, trying to get a handle on being a part of a pop group. Kendall's attitude is to enjoy the ride -- and Schmidt plans on following the same advice.

When he is not focusing on his music and acting, Schmidt likes hanging out with his friends or being outdoors, whether it's to rock climb, surf or skateboard. Schmidt lives in Los Angeles with his two dogs, cat, bird, tortoise and python.



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Carlos pena Fact File

CARLOS PENA: Trained in musical theatre since he was a young boy, Carlos Pena enjoys starring as Carlos, who is still struggling to find his musical voice yet loves to have fun and treats life like one big playground, in the new Nickelodeon live-action comedy Big Time Rush.


Born on August 15, 1989, to a Dominican mother and a Spanish/Venezuelan father, Pena spent the first part of his youth in Columbia, Mo., before moving to Weston, Fla. Once he settled in Weston, he joined a boys' choir and found himself at home in musical theatre. While developing his vocal skills, he also learned to play the guitar and piano. His first national job was in the Super Soaker Water Gun campaign where he appeared in numerous commercials and was featured on the Super Soaker packaging.

Soon after, Pena landed a recurring role on Nickelodeon's Ned's DeClassified School Survival Guide. In addition, he guest starred on E.R., Judging Amy andSummerland. He competed on the MTV reality show Making Menudo where he found himself among the final nine contestants vying to be in the next Menudo.

When this project came along, Pena was looking forward to his first year at the Boston Conservatory and had no desire to audition for the role. Thanks to his manager's tenacity, Pena finally sent in an acting piece to the producers, and a month later, he booked the gig. Now, Pena said, "I am thrilled to be on the show. It's the best of both worlds to act and have your own TV show and also to sing and record in the studio. Hopefully, we will one day sell out Staples and perform in front of 70,000 people!"

Pena is really into his character because he has so many sides. "He is the tough guy with the fun personality, and he has everyone's back," Pena commented. "But when he gets into the recording studio, this soft side of him comes out, and he is singing romantic ballads for the ladies."

His personal goals are to perform on Broadway and to be one of the few Latinos to win Best Actor at the Oscars. A certified rescue diver, Pena enjoys spending his time underwater scuba diving. A recent transplant to Los Angeles, Pena left behind his family in Florida, including his four dogs.

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