Volume 1, Issue 4 |
| McKenzie Westmore |
For most actors, to win an award for their outstanding work in film or TV is a dream they can only hope will
come to pass. Fortunately for McKenzie Westmore, she has been able to secure an award for her outstanding
work in day time television. But hey, when you grew up around Robert De Niro, how can you not excel at
acting?
IAE: Please tell us where you are from and what inspired you to get into film and TV?
MW: I was born and raised in Van Nuys, CA. A true valley girl (laughs). My parents were involved in the film
business, so that’s how I got into it.
IAE: What was your first gig as an actress?
MW: My first gig was when I was 14 months old. I was the baby in a Bold Detergent commercial. Then when I
was about 3 years old, my dad was working on the film ‘Raging Bull’ and Robert De Niro would come by the
house and play with me. He eventually requested me to play his daughter in ‘Raging Bull.’ So my first co-star
was next to Robert De Niro! That job led to me getting a SAG card, after which I became extremely shy and
didn’t want anything to do with acting (laughs).
My mother, who was not a stage parent by any means, decided to put me into acting lessons to help me come
out of my “shell.” Acting lessons really helped me find my voice and stop holding on to my mom’s leg so-to-
speak. After that, I’d get up on a stage and just feel so at peace with myself. Eventually, I fell in love with acting
and singing opera, and every summer I did plays and musicals. I loved it.
IAE: Very cool story! So after all the training what was your first official gig as an adult?
MW: I did the couple of extras gigs when I was an adolescent, but as far as pounding the pavement and
actually auditioning, the first gig I got was a co-star on a TV show called ‘Weird Science.’ I got that gig as a
result of both my manager and agent that I had at the time. It was really an awesome role to start off with,
because I played a singing pirate queen named Jessica. It was a lot of fun because I got to sing and act, which
was something that I was very familiar with. Watch the episode online at - http://www.imdb.
com/video/hulu/vi1322713625/
IAE: So you’ve done some really big daytime soaps, how did that come about?
MW: I was preparing to enter college but I had auditioned for the show ‘Passions’ before leaving for college.
Well, I initially got called in for the role of Gwen, but the producers decided to have me read for the character
“Sheridan.” So it took about 7 auditions over 4 or 5 months, before I got the part.
IAE: As a seasoned actress who has met a great deal of success in daytime TV, how important is it
for aspiring actors to get proper training?
MW: It’s extremely important, because training teaches you how to not only prepare from a talent standpoint,
but also from a mental one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done auditions and have heard that I didn’t get
the role because of something that was out of my control. Either you’re too tall, have the wrong hair color, you’
re too thin, too fat, and the list goes on. Acting lessons can help an actor get to know themselves on a level
where they don’t second guess who they are as a person. But more importantly is the fact that I would always
walk out of an audition and the casting director would call my agent and say, “Wow, I saw that she trained with
Howard Fine, or she did a Master Class with Uta Hagen.” It’s so important, because casting directors notice
those things. Not speaking of “reality TV” shows because you don’t need any training for that. But for real
actors, it’s important to have that training on your resume because casting directors will trust calling you into
an audition with the assurance that you’re prepared.
IAE: If you could change anything about the TV & Film business, what would it be and why?
MW: What wouldn’t I change (laughs)? It’s so hard to pinpoint one thing (laughs). If I could change anything
right now it would have to be that we’re so reality TV driven now. Not that all reality TV is bad, because I have
my obsessions with it, but I don’t think we need to be as saturated with it as we are now. Reality TV actors are
more famous than actual film and TV actors, and for some of the worst possible reasons. I’d love to see more
scripted shows come back, especially scripted comedy, which is why I’ve recently teamed forces with Tom
Arnold to Executive Produce a pilot. I’m also working with Lorenzo Borghese on a skin-care line to be on HSN.
come to pass. Fortunately for McKenzie Westmore, she has been able to secure an award for her outstanding
work in day time television. But hey, when you grew up around Robert De Niro, how can you not excel at
acting?
IAE: Please tell us where you are from and what inspired you to get into film and TV?
MW: I was born and raised in Van Nuys, CA. A true valley girl (laughs). My parents were involved in the film
business, so that’s how I got into it.
IAE: What was your first gig as an actress?
MW: My first gig was when I was 14 months old. I was the baby in a Bold Detergent commercial. Then when I
was about 3 years old, my dad was working on the film ‘Raging Bull’ and Robert De Niro would come by the
house and play with me. He eventually requested me to play his daughter in ‘Raging Bull.’ So my first co-star
was next to Robert De Niro! That job led to me getting a SAG card, after which I became extremely shy and
didn’t want anything to do with acting (laughs).
My mother, who was not a stage parent by any means, decided to put me into acting lessons to help me come
out of my “shell.” Acting lessons really helped me find my voice and stop holding on to my mom’s leg so-to-
speak. After that, I’d get up on a stage and just feel so at peace with myself. Eventually, I fell in love with acting
and singing opera, and every summer I did plays and musicals. I loved it.
IAE: Very cool story! So after all the training what was your first official gig as an adult?
MW: I did the couple of extras gigs when I was an adolescent, but as far as pounding the pavement and
actually auditioning, the first gig I got was a co-star on a TV show called ‘Weird Science.’ I got that gig as a
result of both my manager and agent that I had at the time. It was really an awesome role to start off with,
because I played a singing pirate queen named Jessica. It was a lot of fun because I got to sing and act, which
was something that I was very familiar with. Watch the episode online at - http://www.imdb.
com/video/hulu/vi1322713625/
IAE: So you’ve done some really big daytime soaps, how did that come about?
MW: I was preparing to enter college but I had auditioned for the show ‘Passions’ before leaving for college.
Well, I initially got called in for the role of Gwen, but the producers decided to have me read for the character
“Sheridan.” So it took about 7 auditions over 4 or 5 months, before I got the part.
IAE: As a seasoned actress who has met a great deal of success in daytime TV, how important is it
for aspiring actors to get proper training?
MW: It’s extremely important, because training teaches you how to not only prepare from a talent standpoint,
but also from a mental one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done auditions and have heard that I didn’t get
the role because of something that was out of my control. Either you’re too tall, have the wrong hair color, you’
re too thin, too fat, and the list goes on. Acting lessons can help an actor get to know themselves on a level
where they don’t second guess who they are as a person. But more importantly is the fact that I would always
walk out of an audition and the casting director would call my agent and say, “Wow, I saw that she trained with
Howard Fine, or she did a Master Class with Uta Hagen.” It’s so important, because casting directors notice
those things. Not speaking of “reality TV” shows because you don’t need any training for that. But for real
actors, it’s important to have that training on your resume because casting directors will trust calling you into
an audition with the assurance that you’re prepared.
IAE: If you could change anything about the TV & Film business, what would it be and why?
MW: What wouldn’t I change (laughs)? It’s so hard to pinpoint one thing (laughs). If I could change anything
right now it would have to be that we’re so reality TV driven now. Not that all reality TV is bad, because I have
my obsessions with it, but I don’t think we need to be as saturated with it as we are now. Reality TV actors are
more famous than actual film and TV actors, and for some of the worst possible reasons. I’d love to see more
scripted shows come back, especially scripted comedy, which is why I’ve recently teamed forces with Tom
Arnold to Executive Produce a pilot. I’m also working with Lorenzo Borghese on a skin-care line to be on HSN.
| McKenzie Westmore - Film Producer/Actress |
| UPDATE: Catch McKenzie Westmore as the Host on SyFy reality series, 'Face Off.' |
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