“I remember very vividly on the drive
home, Mom, Dad, and sister were all in
the car,” Harper recalls. “Mom was like,
‘Do you want to do it?’ And I said, ‘No,
seems really scary. I don’t think I could do
it.’ And she said, ‘I think you could if you
wanted to. If you love it, you could try.’”
Three weeks later, Harper called his
agent and accepted the offer. He booked
his first three jobs — a rarity in the ultra
competitive industry. Years later, Harper
says he’s still thankful for his initial
parental push.
“My parents wanted me to know that
if I loved something and wanted to do it,
I could,” he says, smiling at the memory.
“Even if it was something that was really
scary or daunting. My parents are amazing
for that, because they always encouraged
us to not do the typical thing.”
Since his entry into the entertainment
industry, Harper has graduated from
dancing in High School Musical to featured
spots on Dance on Sunset, Wizards ofWaverly
Place, Good Luck Charlie, plus recurring
roles on MTV’s Awkward and Happyland.
That last one in particular proved to be
an interesting experience for Harper,
who was given the chance to augment his
homeschool education while preparing
for the role of Ian Chandler, the show’s
silver-spooned charmer.