Fred TV

He’s interviewed Tom Hanks, Robert Zemeckis, Annette Bening, Snoop Dogg, Ron Howard, even President Clinton. Cameron Diaz flirted with him outrageously at the Directors Guild Awards. Pat Kingsley, Tom Cruise’s famously difficult publicist, praised his work in an article in the L.A. Times.Just who is this suave journalist who stands out in the press line at every premiere in town? (Hint: He’s not just the youngest reporter working the red carpet — his voice hasn’t quite changed yet.) Meet 14-year-old Fred Medill, freshman at Milken Community High School, star of the Web site FredTV (www.fredtv.net), whose Bar Mitzvah unexpectedly launched his career as a kid celebrity journalist.

The Journal caught up with Fred last week just before he dashed off to a meeting at William Morris an hour after school let out. He explained that FredTV, headquartered in an old playroom in his Beverly Hills home, began with his Bar Mitzvah video and his plans to entertain seriously ill and hospitalized kids through the Starlight Children’s Foundation. In his comic Bar Mitzvah video, Fred played an ambitious, down-on-his-luck journalist slugging it out in Hollywood.

Having his school pals star in the piece simply wouldn’t do for Fred, who as a kid preferred “60 Minutes” to cartoons. Instead, he booked “talent” by introducing himself to celebs he saw dining a few tables away at Nate ‘n’ Al’s deli. One of his first coups was snagging CNN’s Larry King: “I just went up to him and said, ‘Can I come down and watch you tape your show?'” recalls Fred, whose dad Cary, his FredTV co-creator, toted the family video camera down to the studio. “Afterwards, I sat at Larry’s desk and we did a little shtick. I said, ‘Let’s do lunch.’ And he said, ‘A Bar Mitzvah boy’s trying to take over my show?'”

Other bits featured talk show host Michael Jackson and pop star Neil Sedaka, whom Fred met at the Honolulu hotel where his family was vacationing. When the Medills won tickets to the premiere of “Big Daddy” in June 1999, Cary convinced the publicist to let Fred work the red carpet, and a celebrity journalist was born.

On a warm summer evening, Fred found himself at the end of the press gauntlet, wearing in his Bar Mitzvah suit, lobbing questions at star Adam Sandler. Soon after came the premiere of “Arlington Road” and a shotgun interview with Jeff Bridges. “I thought, ‘This is getting serious,'” says Fred, who researches and edits all his own interviews. Another secret of his success: “I’m very nervy,” he confides. “I’m precocious.”

At the premiere of “Cast Away,” Fred got Tom Hanks to comment on his reputation as the most decent guy in Hollywood. At the “Thirteen Days” premiere, he asked Kevin Costner why he’s starred in two films about JFK but never played the prez. When Cameron Diaz jokingly asked Fred how he copes with fame, he replied, “I’m poised. I have a good appearance. I have a way with women.” Fred impressed Denzel Washington, who plays a wrongly imprisoned heavyweight champion in “Hurricane,” by asking how the role influenced his feelings about the American justice system.

Most important to Fred, however, is the charity aspect of his work. He often takes Starlight kids to premieres so they can meet celebrities. And when FredTV is sold (negotiations are in the works with prospective buyers), the funds will benefit the Starlight Foundation. “It’s tzedakah,” says Fred, who’ll next go backstage at “The Hollywood Squares” to tape producer Bruce Vilanch and star Whoopi Goldberg.Of course, you can’t do it all at 14, and Fred requires his dad, a civil litigator, to serve as his cameraman and booking agent.

These days, the child journalist to the stars is becoming something of a star himself. Since the L.A. Times profiled Fred in December, agents, producers and journalists have come calling. Fred has filmed bit parts in a couple of movies; “20/20” is interested in profiling him; a “Today” show appearance is in the works; and there is talk of a junior correspondent gig for “Entertainment Tonight.” “That kid is going to be a major star,” Larry King told the Times.

Fred has slightly different plans. “Eventually, I want to be a serious journalist,” he insists. “I don’t want to come and go like the latest trend. I want to be taken seriously.” His ultimate goal: “To be like Ted Koppel.”