Bay Head Boy to Star in "Big Lebowski" Prequel Series on Netflix

Young Geoff Ponte is pretty laid back for an eight year old kid. He's not that into sports or school. He mostly likes "chillin'" and playing video games. His parents were worried that their son was a little too relaxed. Then one day last year Geoff's mother, Heather Ponte,  saw a story online about an open audition for a television series. The show is based on the Dude from "The Big Lebowski" when he was a child. "I was in the kitchen reading about the audition when, just then, my son walked in wearing a robe and sunglasses and pours himself a glass of milk. He said, 'Hey Mom, how you doin'?' I knew right then that I had to get him to that audition in the city."

After three auditions, the Producers of the Netflix series "The Little Lebowski" were convinced that Geoff Ponte was the boy they were looking for. "It was kind of cool," said Geoff. "The people who run the show were, like, just regular people, ya know? We mostly ate snacks, played video games, and hung out. They asked me what kinds of things I like to do and I said what we're doing now, and they thought that was funny. So, like, they asked me if I wanted to do their show, and I was, like, sure guys. It sounds epic. I got to go to California for a while which was pretty great. And I learned to bowl, which wasn't bad either. For school, the other kids on the show and me get tutored by a nice lady named Maggie. She's pretty cool and it's way better than being in a classroom. So far, being the Young Dude is pretty sweet."

The show will follow the Young Dude as he grows up in Irvine, California. Viewers will meet his unconventional family and see how he became friends with Walter and Donnie in a kids bowling league. It will also be revealed that the Dude's love for White Russians started with a preference for drinking half-and-half instead of milk. 

An early episode will be based on something that was part of the original Big Lebowski script, but was not included in the final film. In the script, the Dude was supposed to reveal that he lived on an inheritance from an uncle who invented the Rubik's Cube. In the Little Lebowski, Young Dude's uncle gives him a prototype and then suggests that Young Dude's father invest in it. Eventually, Young Lebowski talks his father out of it saying "Dad, there's no way anyone will ever want Uncle Bob's twisty block thing, man. It's just too darn hard to solve. You'd just be wasting your money, man." 

Geoff still has not seen the "Big Lebowski" film. "My mom says I'm too young," he said. "I only watched a couple of scenes so I could get an idea of what the older Dude was like. I got to see him bowling, and drinking milk stuff called White Russians, and just hanging out with Walter and Donnie. He seemed like a decent guy. Like you'd like it if he was your uncle or teacher or something. So I try to kind of act like him, cause that's what the director said I should do. It's pretty easy to act cool like the Dude. So when the director tells me what to do, the Young Dude abides."

The Little Lebowski will begin streaming on Netflix in September. Until then, Geoff will be doing some promotion tours for the show. "I've already been to New York and Boston. I get to stay in big hotels and can order whatever I want from room service and play whatever game system they have. My parents never let me do that when we go to hotels, but Netflix is totally cool with it. They gave me some other stuff, too. I got my own bowling ball, a new robe, and a rug for my bedroom. It really ties the room together. Being the Young Dude rocks!"