Sioux City Journal

'Kyle XY' gives actor plenty of room for growth

By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, February 29, 2008

At the center of the world: That's Matt Dallas as "Kyle XY," an alien who lands in a typical small town.

LOS ANGELES -- A day doesn't go by that Matt Dallas doesn't get asked about his belly button.

"Do you have one?" fans ask. If he's feeling pretty feisty, the 25-year-old star of "Kyle XY" will just say no. "That's why I got the job."

As an alien living with a seemingly normal family, Kyle goes through many of the transitions most teens encounter. The only difference? He's from another world and he doesn't have a belly button.

"Kids ask to see it all the time," he says with a laugh. "I just tell them they're going to have to take my word for it."

In some scenes, Dallas wears a prosthesis that covers the real thing. In others, special effects experts erase it.

"I prefer when I don't have to wear the piece because that means less time in the makeup chair for me. What's bad isn't putting on the piece, it's spending an hour getting the makeup to blend in. That's one more hour I could be sleeping."

As the ABC Family show's star, Dallas is on the Vancouver, B.C., set 12 to 15 hours a day. He's involved in plenty of action scenes, too, and knows he has to stay in shape just to keep up. His technique? A workout routine with Canadian hockey players.

"It's a bit intimidating," he says. "Their weights are three times the amount of mine. We do a lot of stuff with weights, ropes, bungees and medicine balls." If he doesn't exercise in the morning, he probably won't later in the day, either. "At the end of a work day to go to a gym is the last thing I want to do. I'd much rather go home, sit on my couch and watch TV."

This season Dallas' character is on the run from a mysterious corporation. He's struggling with teen angst, too, and trying to deal with the family he left. "The great thing about this season is they've really matured the show without losing what made it so appealing in the first place," he says. "Kyle has grown up but he still has a naivete about him."

For Dallas, an actor who had few credits to his name before "Kyle XY," it's a chance to grow and stretch. "I'm never playing the same character over and over. He's constantly evolving."

Alienation? "I felt that growing up in a house full of athletes. I went to school in Phoenix where everybody plays football, baseball and basketball. I did all of those things, but they weren't my passion. I can relate to (Kyle's) alienation. I felt it all the time."

Going to that "Kyle place"? "It's not as challenging as it was the first year."

Initially, critics compared the character to Starman. Dallas never saw the film but saw a bit of Edward Scissorhands in the role. "I avoided both those films during the time I was developing the character because I wanted it to be original. I wanted it to come from me."

Producers let Dallas get involved in the initial creative process. He offered suggestions and, today, frequently calls them with ideas.

That intensity, he says, has resulted in little free time for vacationing -- or dating.

"I am currently single," Dallas says with a smile. "I really don't have time for a relationship. You hear actors say that all the time but when I'm not shooting I'm either in Phoenix visiting friends and family or in Los Angeles dealing with work. I have my dog -- he's a terrier/mutt mix. He's awesome. Besides, I'm not looking for anything permanent right now. I work and I have the dog."

During his last hiatus, Dallas filmed "Babysitter Wanted," a horror film about a small town college girl.

The routine of "Kyle XY," then, is almost soothing. It gives him structure and helps him move to the next level.

Appearing naked in the series, he says, "was the biggest physical challenge, but they've had me doing a lot of crazy action stuff, too."

As a result, Dallas has been known to catch a nap or two in the show's bathtub -- where Kyle sleeps. "You'd think it'd be tough, but it's really much more comfortable than it looks."

Now, as Kyle begins to understand who he is and where he came from, the series offers plenty of acting opportunities. Producers say they see the character as a religious figure. "He's a metaphor for the Dalai Lama," Dallas explains. "But he definitely is a human being. He has relationships...and he will change."

A belly button? That's not in the cards. But, just in case, Dallas says, "I do have one. Trust me."