Actor Ryan Kelley, a guy with Chicago ties, has super powers and knows how to use 'em.

He flies. He chills thugs with his ice breath. And he stomps baddies, big time, as the hero of Cartoon Network's new "Ben 10" live-action flick. "Ben 10: Alien Swarm" debuts 6 p.m. Wednesday.

When you morph into a huge dinosaur-alien, "you can smash everything that gets in your way," joked Kelley, 23. "I could find many uses for this. I would get out of Los Angles traffic easily."

A native of Glen Ellyn, Ill., Kelley broke into show biz early, cutting his teeth on commercials for Huggies, McDonald's and Amtrak. But he's stomping up his share of small-screen time this year. He starred opposite Sigourney Weaver in Lifetime's Emmy-nominated "Prayers for Bobby," the true story of a gay teen who committed suicide due to religious intolerance. He's also guested on "Law & Order," "Ghost Whisperer" and the TV movie "Mending Fences."

But this is the diehard Cubs fan's first shot at sci-fi fantasy. His youngest siblings are thrilled Big Bro is playing action hero Ben Tennyson. "That's one of the reasons I'm so excited about the role," said Kelley, the fifth of 14 children (nine are adopted).

As fans of the "Ben 10" franchise know, Tennyson is an earthling of alien descent. He fights crime with the help of his wristwatch-like Omnitrix, which lets him transform into 10 aliens. His frequent sidekicks are cousin Gwen and ex-foe Kevin.

In his latest adventure, Ben is 16. He's also intrigued when a cute acquaintance (Alyssa Diaz of "Red Dawn") asks him to find her father, banned from a secret force that shields Earth from hostile aliens. Gwen (Galadriel Stineman) and Kevin (Nathan Keys) are suspicious, but agree to help. Grandpa Max (Barry Corbin of "No Country for Old Men") helps the teens crack a conspiracy that threatens the planet.

When the original series launched in 2005, the cartoon Ben (voiced by Claudia Schmidt) was 10. A typical kid, he liked video games and water parks. Kelley's older alter ego has different interests. "Oh, girls are definitely starting to come into play," the actor said. "And driving. And he's starting to branch out on his own, making decisions on his own."

Note to "Ben 10" fans: That way-cool green Dodge Charger has a starring role.

Turkey Day parade

Don't forget to tune into Chicago's 76th annual Turkey Day parade while the bird roasts. WGN-Channel 9 will air the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade live from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday. Expect to see Miss Illinois Erin O'Connor, legendary Harlem Globetrotter Curly Neal, two dozen bands, a slew of floats and a dozen giant balloons.

Grapevine

Spotted: Beyonce at Park 52 ... R&B singer Omarion hosts WGCI FM's College Bash on Wednesday at Laffzone Comedy Club & Grub ... And the Youngest Author Award goes to Rebecca Byrnes, 4, of Chicago. The well-connected tot (mom is Attorney General Lisa Madigan, dad is New Yorker cartoonist Pat Byrnes) has co-authored the children's musical "Fässi Goboggan and the Curly-Headed Girl," being workshopped Tuesday at Theatre Building Chicago. The yarn -- transcribed and fleshed out by Rebecca's father -- was inspired by her imaginary friend and their adventures with cloud sharks and snowbots. "I have a job. My job is author," Rebecca states.

Opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. Reach her at (219) 852-4329 or molly.woulfe@nwi.com.