Actor Patrick Renna is serving up a sweet dose of nostalgia, revealing he still has a major soft spot for a childhood favorite – S’mores! And of course, who can chat about childhood favorites without throwing in a “You’re killin’ me Smalls,” here and there? 

Patrick Renna recently sat down with The Blast to reminisce about the good old days of “The Sandlot” viewings and freshly toasted S’mores. 

Patrick Renna Brings Nostalgia To The Chat With ‘The Sandlot’ And S’mores

The actor fondly remembered as Ham Porter, is bringing “The Sandlot” vibes to his partnership with HERSHEY’s. Renna is featured in HERSHEY’s Heated Debate, to tap into the playful divide around what the “right way” is to make a S’more, inviting fans to choose a side – Camp Toasty or Camp Gooey. 

When asked about his S’mores preference, Renna said, “There’s no wrong way to make a S’more as long as you have some HERSHEY’s chocolate in there.” 

He added that you “can’t really mess it up” so you can make one however you want and it will be delicious.

“Kids love them. I think they love how gooey they are. I’m Team Toasty so I don’t even like to say the word gooey, but for this, I will,” he added. “It’s just a really good combination of different sweet treats.” 

In a new national survey, HERSHEY’s S’mores Heated Debate Report, it was revealed that 69% of people are Team Toasty along with Renna. The survey also uncovered that one-third of Americans are Camp Gooey, 15% have tried bacon or cured meat in their S’more, 18% add a spicy element, and 95% of Americans agree: HERSHEY’s chocolate is the OG they want in their S’more. 

Patrick Renna Takes Us Back To Some Feel-Good Memories From Growing Up

With the chat all about the days of the past, Renna shared that one of his favorite childhood memories tied to making S’mores was filming “The Sandlot.”

“You know there’s nothing that comes to mind more than that,” he said. “But I think my favorite memories now are making them with my kids. I got to have my 9-year-old in this campaign with me, so we made S’mores together and that was fun.”

You can get a HERSHEY’s Flavor Combos S’mores Kit with 3 HERSHEY’s Milk Chocolate Bars, 3 HERSHEY’s Milk Chocolate with Caramel Bars, 3 REESE’s Peanut Butter Cups, 2 packs of graham crackers, and one bag of marshmallows at Walmart, Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and Costco.

‘The Sandlot’ Was The Actor’s First Taste Of The Industry

While Renna did school plays growing up, his first real acting audition and gig was the one that everyone immediately thinks of when talking about him.

“‘The Sandlot’ was my first job really. I always knew that I wanted to do that and I moved out to LA with my mom. ‘The Sandlot’ was my first job, my first audition,” he told The Blast. “It was sort of just right away it kind of happened for me.”

He explained that it wasn’t until later in adulthood that he tasted “Hollywood defeat” but said it was a “nice, cool beginning” and he actually loved the fact that he wasn’t really a “child actor” because he was already 13 when he got his start.

‘You’re Killin’ Me, Smalls’

Being tied to one of the most recognized and iconic lines of a film is a tough job but Renna is up for the challenge.

“It’s definitely wild, you know. It’s cool though. It’s humbling as an actor, your whole, at least my reason for acting is to make people laugh, make people have an escape or have an experience of entertainment. So what better way to show that entertaining you succeeded in that than someone repeating a line for 33 years, you know?” he told The Blast. “So that’s pretty special.”

He explained that he sometimes gets to do appearances with his costars and after the event, they’ll look at each other and laugh, “Can you believe this?” because it’s 33 years later.

“When you look at it in a positive light like that, it is pretty special,” he shared. “No one ever comes up to you and goes, ‘Oh my God, I hated the movie.’ It’s three generations coming up to you saying, ‘You meant so much to us. You’ve been in our living room.”

Renna shared that he recently met a man and his son while golfing and they shared a special moment. The man’s dog, named Patrick, just passed away and he thought it was a sign that he got to meet Renna that day.

Acting After The Success Of ‘The Sandlot’

After “The Sandlot,” Renna had his next great acting experience in “Son in Law” with Pauly Shore. After that, it was onto “The Big Green.”

“I did a few smaller independents in between some of them. But those first three years, I was a bit spoiled, and I was like wow this is crazy,” he said. After graduating high school, Renna said he did a lot of independent movies and then started getting into auditioning and losing out on parts, ultimately “tasting defeat.”