The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:38 PM PDT

One of Cartoon Network's most popular characters, Ben 10, is a teenager now.

FOR voice actor Yuri Lowenthal, one of his job perks is that he gets to be the guy that his friends brag about. It's not hard to imagine why, though, as Lowenthal voices one of the most popular (and successful) cartoon characters of today – Ben Tennyson.

"My friends like to tell their kids that they know Benny Tennyson, the main character in Ben 10. So I do a lot of birthday calls. It makes them really happy to get a phone call from Ben on their special day and it makes mum or dad look cool (laughs)," says Lowenthal in a phone interview.

Ben 10 is an animated series about a 10-year-old boy whose life changes when he came across the Omnitrix, a watch-like device that gives him the ability to turn into different alien species. Now, which kid wouldn't want that?

Of course, with great power, comes great responsibility. So, Ben uses his newfound powers to fight evil. He's got his hands full, arresting criminals, fending off villainous aliens who want to take the Omnitrix away from him, and also fighting off bullies at school.

Despite Ben's out-of-this-world powers, Lowenthal thinks there is something in the character that viewers can relate to.

"Even though Ben is fighting aliens – which is something I hope viewers will never have to do – the show is about him learning to be responsible and the repercussions of not doing the right thing. The environment is a bit strange but there are a lot of values from Ben's journey that we can apply into our lives."

Now in its seventh year, Ben 10 is set to delight fans once more with the premiere of the all-new Ben 10: Omniverse.

The fourth series in this franchise will feature a whole new world for Ben to explore, new enemies and also, a new friend.

"In this series, Ben is now a teenager (16). He is not the most grown-up teen though, and he's still got a lot to learn. We know that most 16-year-olds are not the most in control of what they do. Grandpa Max, as usual, will always be there for him," shared Lowenthal.

Joining Ben for the ride will be his new partner, Rook. Lowenthal describes the character as a very smart, logical guy who goes by the book. He thinks viewers will have a lot of fun watching Rook and Ben clash while they are on a mission.

"Rook is the polar opposite of Ben. Rook is very well-trained but he doesn't have a lot of field experience. While Ben could be a little impulsive, sometimes, he just doesn't like playing by the rules. But Rook is really good at what he does, you know he's a good cop."

The voice actor also admits to be a little jealous of Rook. "He has a cool device that aids him in his investigations. I kind of want one!"

Other than new worlds and new villains, Lowenthal also reveals that there will be returning characters but he can't say too much about it.

"Yup, there will be past enemies coming back for a rematch with Ben. I wouldn't want to spoil things for the audience, but I can say that one of my favourite villains is coming back and I'm very excited about that."

It's evident that Lowenthal has a lot of fondness for the character he voices. He speaks of the new series with so much enthusiasm and when he talks about the title character, he makes Ben sound like a real person. It's no surprise to learn that a lot of Lowenthal's persona goes into the process of bringing the character to life.

"There is something about Ben's personality that is like me. He is young, brash and he tends to joke around a lot. But in his heart, he is very much a hero and he just wants to do the right thing. That is what I feel it takes to be a hero and that aspect helps me to play Ben with care."

Lowenthal also shares his experience of working on the "set" of Ben 10. He says it's one of the nicest places ever.

"It's true! Even those who don't need to be at recording show up anyway because it's such an exciting, enriching place to be. It's one of my favourite things about this job. I feel really lucky to be a part of this group."

Lowenthal also takes pride in knowing that his voice can make any kid's day.

"I can't introduce myself as Ben because kids don't understand the idea of a person voicing their favourite character. So I'll ask them to close their eyes and I'll say (in Ben's voice) 'it's hero time!'. The look on their faces when they hear that is magical."

Ben 10: Omniverse is set to be an exciting series and Lowenthal believes viewers are going to have a good time.

"This show has grown so much and I want to thank everyone for being with us on this journey so far. I'm thrilled for the viewers because the new episodes of Ben 10 are really really cool."

> Look out for Ben 10: Omniverse on Cartoon Network (Astro ch 616), which premieres today at 6pm.

Final frenzy

Posted: 28 Sep 2012 12:32 AM PDT

Today is your absolute last chance to win cash from Sure Can Win contest.

THEY tuned in, they matched the profile, and they won their share of RM100,000 in Red FM's Sure Can Win contest. Red FM does not want anyone to feel left out, so today, on the final day of the contest, there will be a chance to win every hour between 9am and 8pm.

So far, the profiles called out have been easy to match, but Red FM is going to make it even easier. How about "You are a student"? Yes, it's that easy!

Stay tuned to Red FM all day and call 03-7728 1049 immediately when you hear the announcers calling out your profile. Who knows? They might even call out for anyone who is simply ... a girl.

All of this month on Red FM from Monday to Friday (9am-8pm), the announcers have been calling out descriptions of ordinary folk with the profile including age, gender, location, initials, profession and zodiac sign. The first caller through matching the description simply has to answer a question about Red FM.

The winners have walked away with cash, Firefly flight tickets and Ogawa products. Everyday there was a bonus hour where the prize doubled or tripled in value. But the bonus for today is that there is a chance to win every hour and it's just way too easy to match the profile called out.

Listen on Red FM's mobile app (iPhone and Android) or watch out for the next profile to be posted on Red FM's Facebook page, Twitter and website.

For more information, log on to red.fm/surecanwin. Join the Red FM Malaysia Facebook fan page on facebook.com/redfm.my and follow us on Twitter @iloveredfm.

Red FM is owned and operated by The Star.

> Red FM's Station Frequencies: Taiping, Kedah, Perlis and Pulau Langkawi: 98.1FM; George Town and Seberang Prai: 107.6FM; Ipoh, Perak: 106.4FM; Klang Valley, Negri Sembilan and Tapah: 104.9FM; Kuantan, Pahang: 91.6FM; Batu Pahat and Malacca: 98.9FM; Johor Baru and Singapore: 92.8FM.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Khamis, 27 September 2012