“The Sound of Music'”s“ ”Nicholas Hammond Recalls Downside of Being ‘One of the 7 Most Famous Children in the World’ (Exclusive)

Nicholas Hammond was only 14 years aged erstwhile he instantly gained a portion of cinematic immortality by playing Friedrich von Trapp, 1 of nan 7 singing siblings astatine nan bosom of the classical philharmonic The Sound of Music. Now, 60 years aft nan film’s debut – and a life of acting later – he admits that it wasn’t easy being successful specified a white-hot spotlight astatine specified a formative age.

“It was a joyous movie to make. I’m enormously proud of having a mini portion successful it and being a portion of thing that's brought truthful overmuch pleasance to truthful many, now billions of group complete nan years,” Hammond, 75, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“[But] nan truth that you spell from conscionable being a kid successful nan ninth people astatine Williamsburg Junior High School successful Arlington, Va., and by nan clip you travel backmost from that, you are 1 of nan 7 astir celebrated children successful nan world, that's a large point to put connected a 14-year-old.”

As 1 of nan 7 von Trapp children who thief bring their closed-off widowed begetter (Christopher Plummer) together pinch their open-hearted governess (Julie Andrews) arsenic they fly nan Nazi takeover of Austria successful nan days starring up to World War II, Hammond and his travel young actors recovered themselves astatine nan halfway of popular taste attraction arsenic nan philharmonic was embraced arsenic an instant family classic. 

But for a teen performer taking his first steps into a larger world, each nan attraction proved much than a small daunting. “Being a teen is ever a spot of a challenging clip for a batch of reasons,” Hammond says. “It tin beryllium a clip of awesome insecurity. It tin beryllium a clip of you're having maturation spurts and each that benignant of thing.”

Hammond says he’s profoundly thankful he shared nan acquisition pinch “the different six from nan film, because we only had each other, really.”

“It was only america 7 that knew what that acquisition was like,” he explains. “Our ain siblings and our parents benignant of did, but didn't really. They didn't cognize what it was for illustration to locomotion into nan schoolhouse cafeteria and abruptly 500 group conscionable extremity eating and move and look astatine you. And it's not what you want, but it happens.”

Hammond, whose mother had besides been an character successful her autochthonal England, began performing astatine property 11 and had already amassed 1 Broadway in installments and 1 movie in installments – successful 1963’s critically acclaimed The Lord of nan Flies (“By nan clip we vanished nan sprout 10 weeks later, thing wrong maine decided, ‘This is it – this is what you're going to do for nan remainder of your life,’” he recalls). 

But those experiences couldn’t hole him for nan monolithic world personage The Sound of Music afforded him. He credits his costars and his family for helping him navigate overnight fame while remaining arsenic grounded arsenic he could.

“I cognize location are stories of kid actors who person had really unfortunate times, and I consciousness for that, and I tin spot really it tin happen,” he continues. “I conscionable consciousness truthful blessed that I had a bid of good, affirmative experiences moving pinch group whom I admired and who treated maine respectfully. And truthful to me, it was conscionable nan top occupation successful nan world.”

“I was fortunate successful that I had nan support of each those people, but besides I did support moving — it's not for illustration that was it,” he reveals. Indeed, Hammond would quickly move to onshore respective much roles complete nan adjacent decade — including different landmark popular civilization touchstone, a impermanent spot connected The Brady Bunch arsenic nan handsome precocious schooler who loses liking successful Marcia aft her chemoreceptor is concisely disfigured by an errant football. However, respective of his younger costars struggled to build their show business resumes successful nan years pursuing The Sound of Music’s phenomenal success.

“I deliberation a mates tried for a small bit, but astir didn't, pinch nan objection of Angela [Cartwright],” he says, noting that Cartwright had antecedently starred successful nan family sitcom The Danny Thomas Show and, pursuing The Sound of Music, quickly landed nan sci-fi bid Lost In Space. 

“But Angela and I were already pinch nan William Morris Agency. We'd already worked a batch arsenic kid actors earlier The Sound of Music,” he explains. “So we were benignant of successful a somewhat different class from nan others, immoderate of whom were virtually kids disconnected nan thoroughfare of L.A. who had been plucked retired by a casting director. And truthful I deliberation for them it was a batch tougher, is my guess.”

The cinematic colossus that was The Sound of Music “was a immense thing, but we each benignant of took it successful our stride, possibly immoderate amended than others,” he reflects. “But successful my case, it was ever a bully thing. It was ne'er a bad thing. I ne'er felt severely done by it aliases regretted I did it aliases felt that I'd been compromised successful my childhood.”

Six decades later, Hammond has astir 100 movie and tv roles to his credit. Though he ne'er chased fame connected a level for illustration he knowledgeable arsenic a teen, he would occasionally onshore squarely successful large spotlights, for illustration erstwhile he played nan first live-action incarnation of Marvel Comics’ famed web-spinning superhero successful nan CBS TV bid The Amazing Spider-Man from 1977 to 1979. 

“I've done a mates of comic cons, I'm ever conscionable astonished by nan magnitude of nan statement of group waiting to travel up and opportunity ‘When I was 8 years old, you were my Spider-Man,’” he says. “I'm very proud of that.”

More recently, he appeared successful different high-profile project, writer-director Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 movie Once Upon a Time successful Hollywood, playing nan flamboyant head of a 1960s TV Western inspiring Leonard DiCaprio’s guest-starring character Rick Dalton to summon his soul Hamlet. Hammond’s domiciled was named for real-life actor-director Sam Wanamaker, but per Tarantino’s instruction, he portrayed nan domiciled akin to nan imperious, larger-than-life conductor Wanamaker played successful nan 1980 movie The Competition.

“That characteristic successful that film, he was this purist, hugely energetic, excitable benignant of director, and of course, we had awesome fun,” Hammond reveals. “And past Quentin started saying, ‘I want to nonstop nan measurement you direct!’ ”

Looking backmost astatine his agelong and vibrant career, Hammond – who now resides chiefly successful Sydney, Australia – recalls erstwhile he first proclaimed to his parents that he wanted to beryllium an actor. “They ne'er encouraged me, but they ne'er discouraged me. They conscionable said, ‘You cognize what, Nicky? As agelong arsenic you're enjoying this, do it. The infinitesimal you extremity enjoying it, locomotion away.' "

Hammond says his parents ever made it clear that location was "no shame successful conscionable saying, ‘Well, I had nosy and now I'm going to do thing else.' "

“Well, we're 62 years later and I still haven't decided to locomotion away!” he laughs, scoffing astatine nan thought of retirement.

“I don't ever want to do thing successful nan world isolated from aftermath up successful nan greeting and cognize I either person a play to spell to that night, a movie group to beryllium connected aliases a TV workplace to beryllium in,” he adds. "Those are nan only 3 things I want successful life…and that's conscionable ne'er changed.”

For nan first clip ever, The Sound of Music is now disposable worldwide successful 4K Ultra HD Digital & Blu-ray disc. Featuring remastered sound, restored visuals and prize content.