  Jasmin Savoy Brown blabs about playing Evangeline Murphy on HBO's hit series The Leftovers, and working graveyard shift at restaurant in Hollywood. Jasmin also share her knowledge with teenagers about breaking into acting. You started performing at a young age playing guitar, piano, and violin. Can you tell us how you got started in the business? Absolutely. I wanted to go to school for musical theatre, so in high school I auditioned for thirteen college programs and the one that accepted me didn't accept the FAFSA, meaning I couldn't afford to go. That rejection lit a major fire inside of me. I took the anger and sadness and moved straight to Portland (from Springfield) where I threw myself into my career - taking screen acting classes, voice lessons, nannying full time, and auditioning several times a week. I barely slept. After thirteen months, I made the move to LA where the grind continued full swing. In 2015, I booked The Leftovers and that changed the game for me. Congratulations on the third season of the hit HBO drama The Leftovers. Can you take us through the audition process for Evangeline Murphy? Thank you! When I first found out I was auditioning, I was working graveyard shift at a restaurant in Hollywood, taking classes and auditioning full time, and in rehearsal for a musical. Needless to say I didn't have a spare minute or a spare penny, so I didn't spent the $1.99 to rent an episode of the show on iTunes! I just watched the teaser for season one over and over again to understand the tone. Once I got the callback, I took the plunge and bought an episode. It was so good I bought three... I could not stop watching. I thought it was brilliant. After the callback was the chemistry read where I met Jovan and we instantly annoyed the heck out of each other - perfect for that sibling vibe. Over two weeks later I got the job, and flew out only two days after that. The Leftovers is a brilliant series about the Garvey family, and the global events that take place after the departure of 140 million people. Please describe to our readers your character on the show? I play Evie, one of the neighbors to the Garvey family in their new neighborhood. When we first see her, she seems like an exceptionally happy, successful, loved and fulfilled teenage girl - she is good at everything and adored by her friends, family, and community. But just like everyone else, she has her secrets...  Jasmin Savoy Brown currently stars in the HBO's series The Leftovers. We recently got the chance to watch Lane 1974, and your performance of Puma was electrifying. What was it like working alongside lead actress Sophia Mitri Schloss? A dream. Sophia is not only a phenomenal actress, she is smart, funny, and kind. Watching her work and process notes may have been my favorite part of the job. She is going to change the world just by being herself. We often talk with young actors who are looking to break into the business. What advice would you give teenagers who are interested in starting a career in acting? Work as hard as you can play. Meaning, if being in class 24/7 and taking lessons and doing the grind full time brings you joy - DO IT! But if not, don't. You will not be successful if you aren't happy. In high school, I knew I would regret if I didn't take the time to be a teenager, so I enjoyed my social life while training part time. I was SO HAPPY doing that. I saw some kids my age training full time and they were so sad, some of them quit. You have to balance your professional life with your social life forever, but especially as a teenager when you can still live for virtually free and enjoy life at a bit of a slower pace. I'm not saying don't work and make sacrifices, just do so in a way that is true to you. I know it doesn't feel like it, but you have time. Being a kid won't last for ever. Enjoy that time. At just 23 years old you've accomplished quite a bit in the entertainment business. How do you prepare for an audition in front of casting directors? This is a complicated question to answer. There are several different types of auditions. Across the board, I am always as prepared as possible, and ground myself before walking into the audition. I work to remind myself I am not there to present a finished project, but to share my artistic expression. It's much more fun that way. Later on in 2017 you'll be starring in the new TNT drama Will, which mixes Shakespeare with punk-rock. Can you reveal the character you will be playing? In Will I play Emilia Bassano, the famous Dark Lady of Shakespeare's sonnets. She was a real person, who many believe was Shakespeare's muse and inspired his greatest works. She was the first published female English poet, a singer, musician, and an artist through and through. One of your co-stars on The Leftovers is actress Liv Tyler from some of our favorite films, Empire Records, and That Thing You Do! Do you have any interesting stories about working with Liv Tyler? She is incredibly collaborative! We had rehearsals for the end of episode 10 in season 2 when Evie and Meg are singing together, and she brought several ideas to the table, making the process much more fun. Shooting the scene in episode 9 with the carrot was a special day to me as well. Watching her process and work on that scene will stay with me forever.
Comments
 By: Daniel Hoyos | PHOTOS COURTESY Brett Erickson, Lisa Rhymer  15-Year-Old Soccer star turned actress Sixx Orange, chats about her Amazon series The Kicks, shooting the pilot with Alex Morgan. Also Sixx talks about life grown up with her godfather NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick. Congratulations on Amazon’s The Kicks a smart, and witty show about a Jr. High Soccer player. Can you take us threw the audition process for Devin Burke? So I was notified about the audition for The Kicks in September of 2014 and I remember getting it super late at night and freaking out when I read what it was for. I had the first audition and then got a callback a week later. The callback audition was with the Casting Directors and the actual Director. Once again about a week later I tested for the show which was super fun because I got to play soccer in the room and ultimately be myself. Right after my testing I received a call from the writer saying that I got the role of Devin. You’re an internationally renowned soccer star at just 15-years-old. Can you tell us how you got started playing soccer? I started playing soccer at the age of 4 and fell in love with it instantly. I had previously tried other sports but none of them stuck like soccer did. With each episode of The Kicks Devin learns a different life lesson, which contributes to the fantastic writing. What do you hope kids who discover the show on Amazon take away? I hope that kids or anyone in general who watches the show takes away the lesson of pursuing what you are passionate about. Yes, there are going to be obstacles and challenges but if you really want something you can have it. Along with that I want everyone to take the lesson of life throwing curve balls like moving or mean girls. That is simply life but it isn’t the end of the world though it may feel like it. You still compete in soccer tournament around the country. How do you prepare for a soccer game? For me my preparation for a game is hydrate, carbs, music, and watching a good pro game. Especially when I have a tournament coming up I drink lots of water to keep my muscles hydrated and eat a lot of carbs to burn off that weekend. Music is a necessity for me because it gets me in my head space for game time. And watching a pro game just gives me a visual of what I want my game to look like.  Sixx Orange plays 13-year-old Devin Burke, a young athlete and headstrong role model in Amazon's The Kicks. You have become a role model for teenage girls in the sports world. What advice would you give young girls who, are interested in playing professional Soccer? My advice would be do it. If a young girl has the goal of being a pro player it is 100% possible. I would tell her to give soccer everything she’s got, to work hard and do her thing. I feel like a lot of people who be very surprised to learn that Chris Kirkpatrick, from N’SYNC is your godfather. What’s it like having Chris be a part of your family? Growing up with Chris as my godfather was nothing but fun. He was basically my best friend! We went to Disney World a lot, it was like our place. He would play dolls with me and by that I mean he had Star Wars characters that fought battles against my princesses. We even pulled all-nighters playing videogames! Couldn’t ask for a better godfather. The Kicks was based off a series of books, published by international superstar soccer player Alex Morgan. Can you tell us any interesting stories about hangout with Alex? I met Alex when filming the pilot and I was on the verge of losing my cool, mind you I’ve been watching Alex play since I was 8 haha. But we were in the makeup trailer and she came up to me and introduced herself and from there on we talked about my soccer career. It was like talking to a friend, she was humble and sweet just like I had always thought she’d be! Lastly can you tell our audience what you’re currently up to professionally in sports, and acting? As of right now I am auditioning for new projects and in soccer my team just finished State Cup which we made to the final 16 of 72. Doing both acting and soccer everyday. |
