Tell us what got you into the acting world? 

When I was around 4, my mom noticed that I had a lot of pent up creative energy that I needed an outlet for, so I got into the print and commercial business. Then I realized that I really loved being on camera a lot more, so I switched over to theatrical (tv and film) when I was 6 and got some great credits. I booked Amber Brown when I was ten and I was so excited!

Growing up, what TV shows and movies did you enjoy, did any inspire you to get into acting?

I love to watch supernatural shows, like Raising Dion and Stranger Things. I also love Friends, and the movie Forrest Gump. I wouldn’t say that any of the shows or movies I watched inspired me to get into acting. I felt that they were great and I appreciated them a lot, but I think it was mostly my desire to do something with my creativity that drove me into the acting business.

You have been in the industry securing a job from a very young age, what has changed in your acting career? And do you have confidence now you are older? 

When I first started out, I think I didn’t really completely process what I was doing. I loved being on camera, I loved the feeling and experience of acting, and it was just that simple at the beginning. I didn’t really realize or process fully that I would be on TV and that people would be seeing me or the final product in that way. As I got older, I started to realize that and it powered my love for the entire acting process even more, because I would be able to reach people and make them feel better about their lives, or make them happy, through the TV into their homes. It’s a super cool process if you think about it. It’s like magic. I definitely think that affected my perception of acting, and raised my confidence as I was progressing as an actress.

You are going to be leading in Apple TV+’s new show ‘Amber Brown’, how excited are you for this? What do you hope audiences get from the show?

I’m very, very excited for the public to see Amber Brown. I’m super proud of it. I feel so happy to be a part of it, because it sends out such a positive message of kindness and empathy, and the power of helping each other through life’s problems. Those are all things that people need to learn, especially from a young age. I hope that people receive the positive messages well and that they learn from them, and are able to make themselves better from it. There’s a lot to learn from Amber. She has to live through very hard circumstances, live through her mistakes, and has to talk to her family members about them. People in life have to go through hard things, too. Divorce happens. Bullying happens. Best friends moving away, that also happens to people. I’m hoping the show can make it better because they can see the conversations that Amber has with her mom and with her friends, and hopefully be able to use those words to articulate what they’re feeling and use what she learned to help them at least get through it faster. That happens to me sometimes when I’m watching a show that’s really impactful. There can be something a character did that seems very similar to a circumstance that I’m in, and I can see how they solved it, and I can solve it earlier than they did and can overcome it more gracefully than maybe I otherwise would have.

What was your audition process like for the role and why did you decide to go for the role of ‘Amber Brown’?

As soon as I read the audition for Amber, I was very touched by the message that it sent. I really wanted to be a part of something like that. It seemed super cute and powerful, and I felt it would be a great project to be a part of. So I auditioned for it. It was a pretty long audition process, maybe 5 or 6 rounds! It felt super fun and mostly easy, because everyone was kind and easygoing. Bonnie made it especially good because she was gentle and made me feel very supported. It can get very nerve wracking to be going into a room with so many people and such big names, and have them audition you. It can get a little overwhelming sometimes. It helped that she made me feel relaxed, because that brought out my best acting and helped my performance. Overall it was really great. As soon as I heard that I got the role, I was elated! I’m just so happy to be a part of this project.

Have you been for any more auditions and what is upcoming for you?

I’ve been reading a lot of scripts. I can’t share anything specific at the moment, but hopefully there will be a season 2 of Amber Brown to speak about first!

Amber Brown will be streaming on Apple TV+ on July 29th.