Cody Linley, the onscreen boyfriend of Disney Channel's hit TV show Hannah Montana, plays Eric "Hoovey" Elliott in the Christian film entitled 'Hoovey', that premiered last week.
The movie, produced by EchoLight Studios, the production company of Rick Santorum, is based on the true story of Elliott, a star high school athlete who suffered a brain tumor. Through the support of his family, he was able to walk, talk, and see again and even led his high school basketball team to the championship, according to Assist News Service.
Cody told the press how he had a great experience shooting the film and related to the character.
"It was such a great experience," he said.
"There's a lot of basketball in the film and a lot of action. I've been playing basketball since I was 5-years-old, so that really helped. I also got to ride a horse, so it was really fun to do all of those things," he added.
Cody's most memorable experience while making the movie was to spend time with Elliott whom he described as a "real sweet humble guy" who loves basketball and his family.
According to Cody, he needed to get to know Elliott more so he could accurately portray him and his conversations with him regarding his experiences in high school helped him a lot.
Asked about what Elliott might think of his portrayal, the young actor said: "I believe he's really proud of it and he helped me at times when I needed his assistance in just getting to know him. Then, seeing his life philosophy, I was able to be more accurate in my portrayal of him. So I think he's proud of me and I'm proud of him. We did this together!"
Cody is best known for playing Miley Cyrus's boyfriend "Jake Ryan" in the hit Disney Channel show "Hannah Montana."
"I hope it will inspire others to see that the power of love can transform anything," he added. "It can bring you through any obstacle".
