Henderson teen taps way to TV

Kimberley McGee

Friday, May 4, 2001 | 8:56 a.m.

Chaz Wolcott knows change.

In one week last month the 13-year-old tap dancer from Henderson went from worrying about homework to rehearsing dance moves in front of television stars on a hit comedy show.

"It's been unbelievable," Chaz said. "Everything happened so fast."

Chaz will portray a young Jerry Stiller on an episode of the CBS comedy "King of Queens," which co-stars Stiller, set to air May 21 on Channel 8.

The show stars comedian Kevin James (who performs Saturday through Monday at Paris Las Vegas) as Doug Heffernan, a mail-delivery driver who lives in Queens, N.Y.

On March 18 Chaz competed with other young actors at a two-day entertainment event, the Best New Talent of the Year Awards Show in Los Angeles. The winner of each category was recognized in front of an audience of entertainment-industry executives and talent agents.

Chaz placed first in the dance category.

An agent for the "King of Queens" show who witnessed his victory asked Chaz to audition for the sitcom. Within a few days he was flying the friendly skies back to Hollywood to tape his television debut.

He arrived on the set at 12:30 p.m. on March 23 and was shuttled through the makeup department, quickly dressed and shown dance steps for his brief scene.

On the show Chaz performs an Irish jig for construction workers atop the Empire State Building in a flashback scene of Stiller's character.

At Stiller's request, Chaz performed a bit of the scene before taping.

"He said he looked forward to working with me," Chaz said. "But I didn't see him again."

Chaz soon learned that the world of television turns at a slow pace.

"I even went to the (child-actor's) school on the set for three hours while I waited," he said.

Remini zipped around the set during rehearsals in an electric cart with a studio employee and waved to Chaz as he beamed from the sidelines, he said.

"It was cool to be there," Chaz said.

The scene was finally shot late in the afternoon.

The filming lasted only a few glittering minutes, but they were worth it, Chaz said.

He has since hired an agent (his mom helped), and over spring break from Greenspun Middle School auditioned for a Taco Bell commercial as well as television shows on the Disney and Fox Family cable channels.

Chaz's entertainment urge surfaced early, he said. His parents had both taught dancing, so it was a natural progression for him, his mother, Susie Wolcott, said.

"He's always performed for people," she said. "It's in his heart."

Chaz danced with Gregory Hines at the famous tap dancer's February appearance at UNLV, and won the best performer category at the Las Vegas Search For Talent 2000 last April.

He hopes to snag another onscreen part to be eligible for a Screen Actors Guild card before he's 14.

"I want to be an actor," he said. "This is what I want to do."