Dawson Fletcher of Destin is having a pretty good year.
After appearing on the hit CBS show “The Big Bang Theory” in March, Fletcher will hit the small screen again tonight on the newest episode of “Good Luck Charlie” on the Disney Channel.
It was only five years ago that Fletcher realized he enjoyed acting after participating in plays at his church. He later asked his parents to take him to California.
“I told them that I really wanted to be on the Disney Channel,” Fletcher said.
His parents Lisa and Brad Fletcher were supportive. They signed him up to train with Darla Briganti Kain at Class Act Studio and Anne Marie Crouch with AMC Talent.
Fletcher and about 20 other children traveled to California with Crouch to showcase their talent in front of Tinseltown agents and managers.
“The first year I went out there, nothing happened,” Fletcher said. “I was kind of bummed.
“I would get so discouraged,” he added. “When you’re auditioning, you’re selling yourself. So when they say ‘No,’ they’re not saying no to something, they’re saying no to you.”
On the flip side, getting call backs — or email backs — is always gratifying, Fletcher said.
“After auditioning for ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ I got an email the next morning saying I got the part and I just screamed, ‘Yes,’ ” he said. “Even though it was a small part, it was such a rewarding feeling.”
Fletcher realized early on he would get rejections, but he didn’t let that deter him.
“There’s a saying that you’re not going to get your first hundred auditions,” he said. “It can be hard because you put your heart into everything and you get down sometimes, but there’s always going to be another audition.”
At 11 years old, he left Destin for California again with Crouch, landed a manager and signed with Coast to Coast Talent Group. Dawson and his mom found an apartment in Burbank and he has been bi-coastal since then.
“It was pretty hard at first,” Fletcher said. “We all went out there as a group, and then it was just me and my mom and I thought, ‘This is real.’ ”
Education was an easy transition because Fletcher always has been home-schooled.
He and his mom typically stay in Burbank from January through May and from September through November. While he misses his family, friends and his dogs back home, he has grown to love the Los Angeles area and hopes to make it his permanent home someday.
“This is something I want to do for the rest of my life,” Fletcher said. “It really is my passion. Even if it’s not acting per se, I want to be involved with this business. You can write. You can direct. There’s so many stories out there.”
Fletcher’s favorite actors include Johnny Depp, Steve Carrell and Neil Patrick Harris.
He will share the big screen with Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley in the upcoming sci-fi thriller “Ender’s Game.” His face is even on a poster for the movie, which will be released in November.
His dream roles include being a regular on a hit sitcom or a detective drama. Eventually he’d like to explore deeper, more challenging roles, he said.
Fletcher credits the support he receives from his family and faith to success so far.
“My mom has been a big part in all of this,” he said. “And I think God has been guiding and directing me. I wouldn’t be here without him.”
TUNE IN: Dawson Fletcher will appear in an episode of “Good Luck Charlie” at 6:30 p.m. today on the Disney Channel, Cox Cable channel 26. Catch him on the big screen in November with Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley in “Ender’s Game.”