Local star is born in suburban-shot horror film 'Unborn'

St. Charles' Ethan Cutkosky loved making his first movie. His favorite part?

"Getting to scare people!" he said.

Ethan, 9, attends Bell-Graham Elementary School in St. Charles. When his classmates found out he would be starring in a Hollywood horror film called "The Unborn," he reported their reactions ranged from excitement ("Awesome! When does it come out?") to muted ("Yeah. OK.").

"The Unborn," directed and written by David Goyer of "The Dark Knight" credit, opens today at area theaters.

The production filmed at several locations in Chicago and in the Northwest suburbs, specifically at the Mundelein Seminary and Libertyville High School.

Ethan, already a member of the Screen Actors Guild, has been appearing in TV commercials and print ads since he turned 4.

I sat down with the young actor for a brief chat about his experience making "The Unborn." He plays Barto, a malevolent spirit from Auschwitz trying to possess a young mother (Odette Yustman).

I asked Ethan about how he got his very scary eyes.

"They actually put contacts in," Ethan said. "It was the first time I've ever worn contacts ever! I'd be OK with them, but they were uncomfortable some times. But it was pretty fun."

Would he consider acting as a profession?

"Yes. I would take that chance."

The hardest part of making "The Unborn," he says, was trying to do his scenes in a single take.

"They gave me a nickname, 'One-Take Barto' because I'd try to do (everything in) one take."

That's high praise in Hollywood. So did he do it?

"Sometimes."

I took a guess at Ethan's favorite holiday. Halloween, right?

"Yes! You got it!"

And his last Halloween costume?

"I was a skateboarding zombie punk."

The movie gave Ethan the chance to work with David Goyer. Apparently, though, the director didn't have to coach him on dialogue.

"I did not have any lines," Ethan said. "He just told me how to hiss."

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