Why were you drawn to this reboot, She’s All That?
I was really drawn to the project when I saw that Mark Waters would be the director. I had previously worked with him on the Disney+ movie Magic Camp. I really wanted to work with Mark again, and after reading the script, I became super drawn to my character Brin. She had so many great moments and fun opportunities for me to play around with.
How did you prep for your audition?
The night before the callback, I re-watched Mean Girls to get back the sense of what Mark’s directing style is. When I told him I did that, we called it getting back into the “Waters Mode.” Of course, I went over the lines a thousand times because I hate forgetting lines during live auditions. I read the script very thoroughly and rehearsed a lot with my Mom.
Who did you connect with the most on set?
I had great connections with everyone! But, especially Tanner. Tanner and I decided to get to know each other so we could have real chemistry as brother and sister on screen. We decided to chat on the phone and go for a hike. We talked a lot and really bonded, so our onscreen relationship would be as real as possible. He really became like a big brother to me and I consider him a good friend. Tanner and I always had fun conversations off the set, and Addison and I would film TikToks. Annie always had great jokes and sarcastic remarks that made everyone laugh. We all would usually hang in a group offset and sometimes play games in our cast chairs in-between scenes on sets, like telephone or something silly like that.
As a young actress, in your own words, how is that an advantage? What are some important lessons you have learned so far?
As a young actress, I’ve been working hand in hand with adults since I was 6, so I had to be good at communicating with people much older than me from an early age. Being in this industry, I had to grow up a little faster than most since I had a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. But acting has given me a lot of confidence and support throughout my life, and it always gives me something fun to talk about as I’ve been lucky to work with some pretty amazing people.
Tell us about a time on the set of the film where you were faced with a challenge. How did you overcome it?
I had a really emotionally charged scene in He’s All That. I needed time to get into that headspace before I shot. I just sat in my trailer listening to sad music and getting my mood ready for the scene. However, when they brought me into the hair & makeup trailer, I had to stay in that saddened mood while everyone was working around me. I don’t know what happened, or maybe I just listened to too many sad songs (lol), but I just started crying in the hair & makeup chair WHILE they were doing my makeup! I kept apologizing but once you start crying it’s hard to stop. I couldn’t snap out of it because I was about to go straight to set to film the really emotional scene. I managed to stop, but I had to stay in the zone because we filmed right away when we got to set. Acting is just weird like that.
Why acting?
To be honest, I’ve been doing it for so long it’d be weird if I stopped. It’s kind of a part of who I am. But even so, I just love doing it. Not many people can say they get to do all these fun things for a job! I meet so many great people, have these incredible experiences, and have an amazing time doing what I love.
What is something about yourself most people do not know?
Something a lot of people don’t know is that I am currently studying Korean. I am actually in Korea writing this right now, along with spending my whole Summer here. My dad is shooting in Korea, and I was lucky enough to come along and assist him behind the scenes. I’m learning a lot about production and other parts of the industry. After coming to Seoul, I really fell in love with the city and Korean culture. There are a lot of amazing people here, great food, awesome places, and of course the music. I’ve liked K-pop for four years now. I have made so many great friends here, but all of them are bilingual! My goal is to become decently fluent in 2 years so when I come back, I can have a conversation with my friends in Korean.
How do you balance the life of an actress and the life of a student?
I have been balancing school and acting since I was 6 years old. There really is no secret behind it, just hard work. I’ve had to give up much of my free time to make sure I get everything done that I need to in a day. I have a lot of other hobbies and interests, like singing and guitar. I have to make sure I do vocal warmups for signing, practice guitar, exercise, and a lot of other things every day. When you add up all the extra stuff I have to squeeze into my schedule on top of acting and school, it can be a lot. I won’t lie, there are days where I get overwhelmed by the number of things on my schedule, but I have a little trick to calm my nerves. JUST TAKE A BREAK! If you’re stressed out, you don’t perform your tasks well anyways. So just stop, chill, and if you have to skip something for the day then so be it. You mustn’t dwell on it! 😉 If anything, you just need a lot of determination.
What comes next?
Hopefully becoming fluent in Korean haha! But other than that, starring in a big movie. My dream role is either a period piece like something from the 1800’s so I can wear cool costumes, or a big sci-fi action movie like Harry Potter, Avatar, or anything Marvel so I can kick some serious ass. Besides acting though, I really want to sing. Since I was little it’s been a dream of mine to make great music. I play guitar and have been singing professionally for 7 years, so someday in the future, I want to make that goal happen.
@BELLOmag
Talent Isabella Crovetti @isabellacrovetti
Photographer Colleen Chrzanowski @chrzanowskicolleen
Hair and makeup Heather French@heatherfrenchicago
Interview Alexandra Bonnet @alexbonnetwrites