Actor Spotlight: Elizabeth Hunter
Elizabeth Hunter to play Young Francine Valli in Jersey Boys Movie
By Sammy Skwurell | Posted Oct. 27, 2013
TAC alumna Elizabeth Hunter has been on a roll lately. Since she and her mom Allison attended The Acting Camp in January, Elizabeth has booked numerous roles, including a part in the CW's hit show Hart of Dixie (Mon, Nov. 4 @ 8pm). Her biggest break came just last month when mom got the call from her manager, Shepard E. Smith, who informed her that Elizabeth had booked the role of a lifetime! Elizabeth will be playing the young Francine Valli, in the Clint Eastwood directed Jersey Boys. We recently had a chance to catch up with Elizabeth, as well as her mom, Allison. Find out what they had to say about their interesting journey.
1. What has been the most exciting part of your journey?
Watching Elizabeth work one on one with Clint Eastwood was a pretty amazing experience. In general, the most exciting part of this journey continues to be watching Elizabeth do what she loves to do. She was able to take all that she learned at TAC and grow as an actor and a person, and she absolutely would not be where she is without Erik and TAC. For me, the most exciting thing has been to see Elizabeth's confidence grow in leaps and bounds since TAC. The shy little girl who was afraid to sing karaoke is now fearless. That carries over into auditions, which has led to her booking jobs! However, it's not just great for acting - it will benefit her in every area of her life, whether she continues acting as an adult or not. The skills and confidence she has developed will benefit her in many ways.
2. What advice would you offer to other families who are just entering the industry?
Don’t forget to have fun! We have had weeks where Elizabeth was so busy working and auditioning, that it was easy to forget that she’s only 10. It’s my job to make sure she has time and space to just be a kid and have time to play with friends and relax. Also, try not to compare notes too much with other parents, or you will make yourself crazy. Everyone is different and everyone is on their own journey. Focus on the process and enjoy each step of it. We celebrate the accomplishments, but if you don’t enjoy the process (classes, auditions, etc), you’ll burn out. There are so many hours in the car and sitting around (even on set), that you have to find the good in all of it. For us, the time we spend in the car (which is a LOT in LA traffic!) is an opportunity for us to talk - I have my “tween’s" undivided attention and that is when we get to talk about everything under the sun.
3. Erik’s programs are designed to have a lasting impact. What kind of impact have these programs had on you?
Meeting Erik and going to TAC has certainly changed life for our family! We had the confidence to try the LA market because we have a great team now - Erik, John D’Aquino, and the agents and managers we met at TAC. We certainly would not be in LA right now without having gone to TAC. Also, keeping the “fun" in the process definitely carried over from camp. Erik’s positive energy and outlook on life is contagious, and I think that’s the only way to survive this industry!
4. What kind of long term goals have you/your family set for yourself?
Elizabeth has her own set of goals for acting, which are much more specific than my goals. For our family, we are taking it one step at a time and constantly reevaluating. We have to make sure it’s working for everyone in our family since Elizabeth has 3 siblings. No matter what, we feel like each time she is in LA it is a “life experience," and has value beyond the acting experience. We try to see as much of Southern California as we can while we’re here. Ultimately, we are in LA for Elizabeth to get as much experience and training as she can, which includes on-set experience. She has worked now with both French and German directors, and enjoys learning about various life experiences from all the people she meets. Of course, getting a role in a big movie would be awesome, but we’re more focused on her growth as an actor and a person as a goal than anything as specific as getting a TV show or movie role.
5. Do you have any funny/interesting stories you could tell us?
Elizabeth’s first LA job was a Jeep commercial, which filmed in Lone Pine, CA. We had been in LA a week, and found ourselves 4 hours north, in the middle of nowhere, filming at sunrise. Mt. Whitney was in the background, and the scenery was incredible. She was studying ecosystems in science at the time, and she probably learned more history and science on set that day than she did in a month of school! The actor who played her dad knew someone from our hometown in Georgia, and had actually been there for New Year’s Eve. It was great to see how small the world really is, which made LA and the LA market seem a little less intimidating somehow.
Another funny story is when Elizabeth was being interviewed by agents and managers, they all wanted to know what her favorite TV shows were, probably to see what type of roles could see herself playing. She didn’t really watch much TV at the time, so her response was “What Not to Wear" and “SpongeBob!" Somehow, I don’t think that was the answer they were looking for… Don’t worry, she has since studied all the shows for her age!
And now a letter from Elizabeth’s mom, Allison Hunter:
"Everything changed for Elizabeth's career the day we met Erik! After learning about TAC, we decided it would be a fun celebration of all the hard work Elizabeth has done, and a great opportunity for intense training and a weekend with other actors. We attended TAC in January, and I absolutely recommend it to everyone, whether you are serious about entering the LA market or just want to get some great training and have a blast. What I loved most about it was how much fun it was for the kids. They had so much fun all weekend I don't think they even realized how much they were learning! However, I think I might have learned even more than Elizabeth. The parent sessions provided information about the industry from several different perspectives (parent, agent, manager, therapist...), and I went home fully equipped to take the next step with Elizabeth's career.
After TAC, Elizabeth signed with two agents and a manager in LA, and has been working consistently on commercials, tv, print and film. September was an incredible month of filming the role of Young Francine Valli in Jersey Boys, directed by Clint Eastwood, as well as a co-star role in Hart of Dixie on The CW (airing Nov. 4)! We are now going back and forth between Atlanta and LA, and she continues to train with the coaches from TAC. We are so thankful for all of them, but as a parent I am especially thankful that they are all concerned not only with Elizabeth's skills as an actor, but her growth and integrity as a person."
blakekathryn
andulkaphoto
dailybridgerton
tangentwithtanner
germansingergirl
2087
turnnoffyourmind