After interviewing both Chris Massoglia and Jessica Carlson this week, we are so excited for the release of Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant! Chris stars as the main character, Darren, an average teen whose whole world gets turned upside down when he goes to see a traveling freak show. He finds himself immersed in a group of crazy creatures, and eventually ends up in the middle of a war between two forces at odds.

Jessica plays Rebecca, who works for the freak show. (Her character was written specifically for the screen adaptation of author Darren Shan's novels!). The sweet-faced girl seems normal, but we soon find that she, too, has a freaky element of her own.

Check out the trailer for The Vampire's Assistant below and read our interviews with Chris and Jessica before going to see the movie in theaters this weekend!




Read Our Exclusive Interview With Chris Massoglia

Read Our Exclusive Q&A With Jessica Carlson

Are you ready to get freaked out? You can turn yourself into a "freak" just like in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Asssitant with the new iFreak app for iPhone and iPod Touch!

With this fun app you'll be able to transform yourself into your favorite freak using any photo you have in your device. You can mix and match characters and save your creation to be shared on social networking sites. It's a super cool way to get in on the Vampire's Assistant reaction, and the best part is it's free!

Download iFreak on iTunes at: itunes.com/apps/ifreak and check out The Vampire's Assistant in theaters on Friday, October 23!


Read Our Exclusive Interview With Chris Massoglia

Read Our Exclusive Q&A With Jessica Carlson

Jessica Carison is hanging out in New York City, getting Cold Stone with her girlfriends (cake batter with cookie dough bits) just like any other 16-year-old would. But this Friday, the New York native will be the center of attention when her new movie, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, hits theaters nationwide. Yes, life is sweet all around for the vibrant and charming actress.

We caught up with Jessica after school and talked to her about what inspired her to be an actress, what makes her character Rebecca so freaky and, of course, what it was like to kiss her handsome co-star Chris Massoglia. Read what she had to say below and check out The Vampire's Assistant in theaters on October 23!

JSYK: When did you know that you wanted to be an actress?

Jessica Carlson: I saw Peter Pan on Broadway when I was really little. It was when that woman played Peter and Tinkerbell sprinkled the fairy dust, and I was so ... I still have the fairy dust. I just wanted to get up there and be with them. I started doing improv classes locally in first grade and things just kept building up. I really wanted to start auditioning, so my parents let me start when I was 11 or 12, when they thought I had enough of a sense of self and I was comfortable with who I was. And then I just kept going and doing commercials and off Broadway and then The Vampire's Assistant!

JSYK: How did you get the role of Rebecca?

Jessica: I first met the casting director in New York. I auditioned for him and then I got a call back and auditioned for him and Paul Weitz, the director. When I first met Paul, was shaking his hand and then I kicked over a water bottle. Luckily it was capped, but I was still shaking his hand! I had all these awkward instances, but I guess they helped because I got the role.

Chris Massoglia loves sports (soccer and baseball, in particular) and values his friends and family just like any other high school teenager. However, the mellow Minnesota native isn't your average 17-year-old kid -- Chris is the star of Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, the highly anticipated adaptation of Darren Shan's popular book series.

In The Vampire's Assistant, Chris plays Darren, a typical teen whose whole life changes when he checks out a traveling freak show at the local theater. Getting more than he bargained for, Darren is transformed into a vampire and finds himself in the middle of a war between the vampires and the Vampanese. Eek!

Being the lead in a major motion picture might inflate the egos of some people, but Chris has his budding film career in check, remaining humble, yet completely excited for the future. Here, the heartthrob opens up to JSYK about the special effects in the film, his all-star castmates and how he's totally ready for what fame may have in store. The Vampire's Assistant opens in theaters on Friday, October 23!

JSYK: Were you a fan of Darren Shan's books before getting the lead role?

Chris Massoglia: The Vampire's Assistant is actually based on the first three books combined and there are 12 books in the series. I haven't read all the books just cause I don't want to get ahead of the story, but I've definitely looked at them.

JSYK: You got to work with some big names in Hollywood for this film. Who were you most excited to play opposite?

Chris: When I first heard who was playing all the characters, I was really excited to meet Ken Watanabe. I think he's a cool actor and I was really excited to work with him, and John C. Reilly, too -- I'm a big fan of all his movies. It was really cool getting to work with him.