Lukas Haas Discovers a Perfect Role, Despite His ‘Awkward’ Age

Now 15, Lukas Haas is no longer the little, wide-eyed tyke who appeared in “Testament” “Witness” and “The Wizard of Loneliness.””

But he’s had a difficult time convincing Hollywood of that fact.

“It’s really hard for me right now. Producers don’t know what I look like. I am up for one movie where I am supposed to be 17, and one where I am 13. Because of my age, I am right in between.”

Haas, a high school sophomore who lives with his family in Austin, Tex., has to audition for movies. “Most of the movies I’ve been in, I just got offers or went in and met with producers. I am not very good at auditioning in front of people. But know that I can play pretty much any roles near my age.”

Haas has found the perfect role for his age in the acclaimed 1930s-era comedy-drama “Rambling Rose.” Haas shines as Buddy, a teen-boy who experiences first love with Rose (Laura Dern), a naive, sweet, sexy young woman who comes to live with his family and work as their maid.

In “Rambling Rose,” Haas and Dern share the same bed in one very delicately handled scene. Haas says he wasn’t nervous about doing the sequence.

“To tell you the truth,” he states matter-of-factly, “I have never been nervous about doing a role. I don’t know why. I have done 23 projects--12 TV shows and 10 movies--and ‘Waiting for Godot’ on Broadway with Steve Martin and Robin Williams. I have been acting for most of my life, since I was 5, and I don’t know anything else.”

When he’s not acting and going to school, Haas beats the drums in a rock band he formed with two buddies.

“They like stuff like Rush and I’m more into stuff like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. But we get along real well. I think next summer we are going to start playing in clubs.”