Have you ever had a bad day? Have you ever had a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?"

Well, Alexander, played by Ed Oxenbould, in "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," which hit theaters on Friday, Oct. 10, knows a thing or two, or a million about enduring the worst of the worst days.

The adorable 11-year-old Alexander is down on his luck, and his birthday is coming at a time when everything is going wrong for him, Yet everything is going right for his family. He thinks it stinks and that it's unfair. So he makes a wish that his family will share in his grief and also have a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." He soon regrets it as the day unfolds.

Director Miguel Arteta assembled a fantastic cast for the Disney Pictures film, including Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Ed Oxenbould, Dylan Minnette, Kerris Dorsey, Megan Mullally and Cuban-America actress Bella Thorne. While the family's patience is tested throughout the day, its quirky sense of humor and ultimately affection and love of each other conquers all.

"I am particularly proud of the cast," Arteta told Latin Post. "I had worked with Steve Carell in the past for 'The Office.' I love him, I think he's a comedic genius. Being able to do a feature film with him was a dream come true for me. ... I read the script, and I loved the story. ... I thought he would be perfect (as the father, Ben Cooper). He's so kindhearted, and he can make comedy out of being a nice guy -- that's hard and rare."

Jennifer Garner, who isn't often associated with comedic roles, was also a score for Arteta, who has been a fan of her work.

"Jennifer Garner (who plays the mother, Kelly Cooper) also came to mind. She's also so genuine. She's such a dedicated mother. Also, something that she doesn't do very often, she is also very funny. '13 Going on 30' was a movie that I loved," he said.

"It turned out that they (Carell and Garner) really wanted to work with each other," he said. "They went to the same college, 10 years apart, and they had the same theater teacher."

Finding the perfect Alexander wasn't easy, however. According to Arteta, it took over 500 kids to cast the perfect Alexander until they found Oxenbould, and it was well worth the wait.

"At 11, kids are very self-involved, and I wanted to find a kid that felt like he had a genuine heart. ... He (Oxenbould) is such a sweet presence and an authentic kid. He's like an underdog. He's acting style is more real than most. It worth the time and effort for the search."

So has Arteta ever had a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?"

Hee said he's been fortunate enough not to have that kind of bad day, though when making the film, there were a few quirky bumps along the way.

"I haven't had any day from hell like in this movie, nothing near that, but I have been so blessed in my life. In comparison, what can I say, I had a splinter one day," he said. "My parents worked very hard to get me a beautiful education."

Though the film brought the humor, the behind-the-scenes did as well.

In a scene with baby Trevor (who was actually played by twin baby girls, Elise and Zoey Vargas), he gets hold of a green marker and puts it in his mouth, and the inks gets all over his face. 

"It was very hard, you can't tell a 1-year-old what to do," Arteta said. "Steve had to sit there frozen." However, for over an hour the production crew showed the baby what to do, ink-face and all, with the marker, and alas, it worked.

"It was one of those moments that the crew really banded together to make things come through."

Arteta was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and graduated from Wesleyan University in 1989. He is a director and producer most known for "Youth in Revolt," "The Good Girl," "The Carrie Diaries" and "Cedar Rapids." He has been nominated for several awards and won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature in 2001.

Arteta offered some advice for aspiring Latino actors during Hispanic Heritage Month.

"My best advice that I can give, you know storytelling ... Latinos are great storytellers. ... It all comes from basically sharing something that you have noticed about the way people are. At the end of the day, that's what we want to learn," he said.

"We want some insight. What have you noticed about the way people are -- I think that's your best bet to get into any kind of storytelling business to keep a record of all of the little things you notice about the way people are and share that with the world."

Check out the official trailer for Disney Pictures' "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," which hit theaters on Friday, Oct. 10.