Bullying Gets Eve Suspended on Last Man Standing

By: Lynn Barker

Just turned 16 actress Kaitlyn Dever has tackled the subject of bullying before playing Chrissa, an American Girl who was bullied because she was homeless. Now, several years later, the teen’s character Eve, the youngest daughter on the funny ABC show “Last Man Standing”, gets suspended from school for name-calling.

We wanted to know about the episode and more about what Kaitlyn has been up to. She told us that the first thing she did for the New Year was a “major cleanout of my room and I took a lot of trips to the thrift store”. Good for her!  We should do the same.

Kidzworld: You just had your 16^th birthday on the 21^st! What did you do?

• Kaitlyn: Yeah, it was my sweet 16. I’m so happy to be 16 finally. I went up to Big Bear with a bunch of friends. It was so awesome. We went in early December and I got this huge cabin and we had a big sleepover and made Christmas cookies, went sledding during the day and to the cabin at night. We played Wii and danced and played games. Since my birthday is so close to Christmas, I had my birthday party on the 8^th.

Kidzworld: Good idea. Your character Chrissa in the “American Girl” movie a few years ago was bullied at school because she was homeless. That’s pretty severe so was it kind of fun to play the person accused of bullying instead of the victim?

• Kaitlyn: Yeah, the bullying episode really taps into how teens deal with it in real life. It also gives both aspects showing the bullied and the bullier. People think that just calling someone a name isn’t considered bullying but it totally is and it really hurts people.

Kidzworld: Have you ever been a victim of either in-person or cyber-bullying? Any advice for kids who have?

• Kaitlyn: Luckily I haven’t but I know a lot of my friends who go through it a lot. When I was in elementary school (I saw it). I’m not around it as much anymore because I’m home-schooled now but when I was in elementary school a lot of kids in my class were bullied. It’s totally wrong.  The victim, I would say just don’t let anything mean get to you because it doesn’t mean anything. They’re just being rude. The bullies are mean people and just don’t let it get to you.

Kidzworld: What band or music artist would you just jump up and down if they could guest on the show?

• Kaitlyn: I don’t listen to pop hits. I usually listen to ‘80’s stuff, ‘70’s stuff like Fleetwood Mac. The pop artists I’d want to guest star would probably be the Foo Fighters or Justin Bieber. He’s awesome so that would be wild. I’d like to meet him.

Kidzworld: What skill or talent do you have that you wish you could use more or use at all on the show?

• Kaitlyn: I play guitar. I’ve been playing for about eight years now. In season one they said that Eva was taking oboe lessons. What? I really want to start playing guitar on the show. I also got an autoharp for Christmas.

Kidzworld: What storyline do you wish the writers would create for Eve?

• Kaitlyn: The writers are so awesome. They’re constantly writing great things for Eve, They’re already done “The Inglorious Baxters” episode but I want them to do a new music video. In season one we did the music video and that was so fun. I got to sing and have choreography, like a real music video. I think it would be cool if they did that again. Bring “The Inglorious Baxters” back.

Kidzworld: Which castmember is the biggest jokester on set?

• Kaitlyn: Probably Tim Allen (who plays the dad) is the jokester. He’s constantly cracking jokes. There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t laugh so much that I’m crying. He’s so funny and then when I’m just hanging around on set or during rehearsals, Molly (Ephraim who plays Mandy) and Amanda (Fuller who plays Kristin) make me laugh as well on and off camera.

Kidzworld: Eve is more tomboyish and trying to grow out of that so do you like her wardrobe and would you keep anything?

• Kaitlyn: I definitely am a little more classic, like Audrey Hepburn but with more edge. I do really like Eve’s wardrobe. At first she was, really, really tomboy which is cool but that’s not me in real life but I do really like her wardrobe now. The wardrobe department is starting to add a little bit of girliness, boots and skinny jeans.

Kidzworld: As far as guys go, do you like the “manly man” type guy or the more sensitive guy who is in touch with his emotional side?

• Kaitlyn: Hummm. I like both. A little bit of both would be good.

Kidzworld: Why would kids and teens really enjoy watching “Last Man Standing” on ABC?

• Kaitlyn: They would really enjoy it because it’s about everyday life and about a family and a really enjoyable show that kids and teens can watch with their parents and sisters and brothers. It’s about real life situations.