How did you get into acting?
I was always a shy adolescent and I decided to take theater in high school to gain confidence and become more talkative and ended up falling in love with it! So when I graduated high school I continued to take acting classes and pursue my acting career.
When did you realize how big your parents were?
I realized that at a very young age but we were such a normal family that I didn’t really think about fame. My dad worked on a few Macaulay Culkin movies when I was a kid. I was a huge fan of his and I remember I was so in awe when my dad was working with him. When I was a kid I loved watching the Twilight Zone and I remember watching my mom in a couple of Twilight Zone episodes from the 1960’s that were shot in black and white and I remember my brother saying to my mom, “Mom, when did you turn to color?” Haha. It was awesome growing up with my parents and seeing their work on tv.
What made you move to Japan after high school and what did you learn while you were there?
I decided to move to Japan to try something different with modeling. My agent had suggested I go and experience Japan and she set me up with an agent over there. I grew up a lot while I was in Japan. I lived in an apartment complex with the other models and they were from all over the world, most of them were from Russia, Latvia, Hungary, and Ukraine. The language barrier was very difficult for us. I remember my first trip to the agency, I walked with another model from Latvia and neither one of us could speak Japanese, let alone understand each other and we had to figure out how to use the trains and find our way to the agency. We eventually found it but it was definitely a crazy experience! I learned how to use the trains but it took me a few days. I started learning about the culture while I was there and picked up a few Japanese words to find my way around. At first, I was a little lonely being there by myself and then by the end of the trip, I was having so much fun that I didn’t want to leave.
You have a lot of education. Why is education important to you?
I have always thought it was really important to get an education. I went to college and got a degree for myself, not for the experience of going to college, it was more to prove that I could do it and succeed in getting my degree. I was working while I was in school so I would have to take semesters off and take the minimum units but I still stuck with it and pushed myself to get my degree.
5 Why should you still pursue school even while in the industry?
There were a few times during my years in college where I easily could have dropped out because I was working so much and commuting 2 hours to school, but I knew I had come so far already and I wanted the degree to prove to myself that I could finish what I started. I also thought it was very important to go to school and get a degree in case I ever decided acting wasn’t for me or for some reason I couldn’t do it anymore, it’s always good to have a back-up or to be able to have the opportunity to change career paths if I want to.
6 How did you get into music?
I have always been into music. My mom introduced me to many musicals when I was younger and she used to teach me songs and sing with me. When I was in middle school I learned how to play the violin and I learned so many great classic songs. I was always a little afraid to sing in front of people but I knew I loved to sing, so when I got to be around 17 I started to get into theater and sing songs in front of people and I felt a special connection in performing. My brother also got into music when he was 18 and he taught himself piano, guitar and drums, as well as writes all of his own music so he and I have performed together and continue to work together.
7 Do you have any projects coming out soon?
What can one learn about other cultures if we traveled?
I have a few projects that I am looking at, but right now I’m back to auditioning, attending acting and dance class and seeing where life leads me! I am a part of a non-profit organization called, ALLWAYZ on Stage, which gives individuals with special needs the opportunity to participate and express themselves through performing arts. We have a play that we are in rehearsals for right now that will be going up in mid August, we are all really excited about that!
I think that having the opportunity to travel and work in other countries gives you a clear vision of how other people think and live their lives. When you can actually experience a culture different from your own you appreciate diverse ideas and bring a new understanding that can create a bond between people and hopefully bring the world closer together.