Young Houston Actor to Be Honored During Red Carpet Celebration in Hollywood

Young Houston Actor to Be Honored During Red Carpet Celebration in Hollywood

HOUSTON and LOS ANGELES, April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Joshua Rush, a six-year-old kindergartener from Houston, will be honored with a C.A.R.E. (Child Actor Recognition Event) Award during a red-carpet ceremony at Universal Studios Hollywood. The award recognizes his work in a national commercial for Safeco Insurance, available at http://www.safeco.com/ and click on en Espanol.

The fourth annual C.A.R.E. Awards, sponsored by BizParentz.org, will be held on April 13, 2008 at 10:30 am to celebrate the positive ways children contribute to the entertainment industry. BizParentz.org is a non-profit organization that provides education, advocacy and charitable support to "showbiz" parents and children. Awardees are chosen based on professional acting work in 2007, academics, union membership, training, a written essay, community service, and parent industry knowledge.

In the Safeco Insurance commercial, Josh played the role of Jaime, a little boy who loves his soccer ball more than anything. His father, played by Houston actor Pablo Bracho, is presented with an anonymous delivery -- a card atop a pedestal that reads, "Tu ¿que valoras?" or "What matters to you?" He places his different answers on the pedestal (a lawnmower, an oversized chair, a saw) with Jaime coyly squeezing in his soccer ball whenever possible.

Josh has been a performer almost since birth. At 13 months he began modeling in fashion catalogs, and soon appeared in commercials and videos for medical equipment, baby sign language, and Galveston, Texas tourism.

"Josh has no problem being genuine in front of the camera, which most actors, young and old, find difficult. He is articulate, fearless and funny without really trying," said Houston coach Mari Ferguson, whose clients also include Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's Tanya McQueen, High School Musical 3's Matt Prokop, and Piper Harris, of Disney's G-Force. "He is so adept at taking direction, I often forget that he's only six years old."

This year, Josh will appear in Solange Knowles' Baby Jamz DVD; The Journal, a short film by Los Angeles director Sam Wasserman; and in April will begin filming Mindsight, a full-length feature by Texas Indie film company Gut Check Productions. Josh is represented commercially and theatrically in Los Angeles, Houston and Dallas.

For more information about Joshua Rush or the C.A.R.E Awards, visit http://www.joshuarush.net/ and http://www.bizparentz.org/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: joshuarush.net

CONTACT: Beryt Nisenson of Active Imagination, +1-713-256-8044,
for joshuarush.net

Web site:

http://www.joshuarush.net/
http://www.bizparentz.org/

-------
Profile: intent