A star in our midst

When asked about his favorite actor, Xander Franco, a 9-year-old village resident and rising thespian, didn’t miss a beat.

“Me,” he deadpanned.

Xander guest-starred in “Imprisoned Lives,” the two-hour season premiere of “Law & Order: SVU” that aired on Sept. 25. He played Buddy, a young boy abandoned in the middle of Times Square by his father and introduced to actor Mariska Hargitay’s iconic Detective Olivia Benson. Buddy had been locked in a basement with his mother, aunt and sister for most of his life, a story inspired by the Ariel Castro kidnapping in Cleveland.

The episode, directed by Michael Slovis, was Xander’s first moment of major exposure, but it wasn’t his first time in front of a camera. With the help of his parents, Deborah and John Franco (and lots family, friends and babysitters), he juggles schoolwork and family life with two to three auditions a week, occasionally cramming multiple auditions into the same day.

Xander began acting in Rockville Centre’s Time to Shine Musical Theatre, has taken classes with Diane Hardin and at Actors Technique and the Performing Option, and is privately coached as well. He began auditioning in January, and has since earned a number of jobs doing commercial voice-over work. His favorite technique, he said, is improvisation, and he loves acting in front of a camera.

Otherwise, he’s a regular kid. He plays tennis in his spare time, and loves video games. When asked about his favorite, he ran upstairs to his room and returned clutching more than a dozen Wii U games.

The Francos’ experience on the set of “SVU” was a rewarding one, they said. Xander worked closely with Hargitay, who, according to Deborah Franco, had nothing but praise and helpful words for her son.

“The ‘Law & Order’ people from the cast and the crew were the most professional, nicest people you’ll ever meet,” she said. “It made the entire experience for Xander the most wonderful experience. They really knew how to deal with children. Very kind and caring people, and professional.”

Xander’s favorite moments were filming in Times Square, although the scene was shot on one of the hottest days of the summer. In it, he wore Crocs — but the pair the crew found didn’t fit his feet, and kept breaking when he walked.

Being in Times Square, it was hard to replace the Crocs immediately, so the costume folks acted quickly and duct taped his Crocs in between scenes. Franco was fine with it.

“I’m supposed to be a poor kid,” he said. “That’s perfect. I’m just an abandoned kid who lives in a basement.”

This may have been Xander’s first major shoot, but it will most likely not be his last. Asked why he loves to act, he grinned. “Acting is fun,” he said, “and everything else is boring — like soccer.”