Becoming a Superstar

There is no special way to become a Super Star or any one path to follow to get there.  I think sometimes about how some of our favorite TV and Movie stars got there.  They did not get up and say "My goal is to be a SuperModel or Movie Star" necessarily.  But, they also never set out to land at the community Theater level and never get higher.  A lot of people just get caught up in the steps or they back down because it is a lot of work.  In all honesty, the difference is in the dedication.  How dedicated are the people who support the Child Star and what they sacrifice or create for the Youth Actor to rise up the chain.  Acting is no different from other careers...it is important to put in the time and acquire the skills necessary to handle larger projects.

Another hidden aspect to finding success (I believe), is the Law of Attraction.  The more focused the interest, the greater the draw.  We here at the Salgado-VanGyzen home are Disney Channel fans. We have very selective TV and Movie tastes.  When Annika was very very young and was first being introduced to TV shows, there were many to choose from. As a new Mother, I recalled that I grew up watching Sesame Street mostly.  Other favorites were Mr Rogers, Electric Company and Tom & Jerry.  Where Annika was concerned, we opted on a new addition to our TV family and that was the Disney Channel.Some of the shows she watched as a preschooler were PB&J Otter, The Wiggles, Rolie Polie Olie, HigglyTown Heros, Jojo's Circus and Little Einsteins.  It was wonderful to have these shows to help her grow with and learn from.  We visited Walt Disney World for Annika's 5th birthday and it was the best family vacation I could have ever experienced and I believe that all three of us enjoyed it completely!  Our deepset LOVE for Disney was set in stone.

                                         Annika age 5, 2006 at Hollywood Studios, Hollywood & Vine



A few years later, Alex was born.  Somehow between the 9 months of pregnancy and the first 6 months of his life, Annika hit a TV-Growth spurt.  She was 6...then 7 and suddenly, she was too big for the Little Einsteins.  I nearly missed the memo.  I had not noticed that her TV need and interests were changing.  I would come into the room and find her watching The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.  I wasn't sure how I felt about this show.  I didn't yet see my child being ready for some of the more mature aspects of this non-cartoon.  On the show, twins Zack and Cody live in an upscale Boston Hotel where their Single Mom, mother is a lounge singer.  The colorful characters that surround them are nearly as outrageous as the silliness that ensues.  But as a Mother myself, I felt that my child was learning to talk, speak, and mimic mannerisms that are theatrical and unrealistic.  With this kind of influence, how was she going to develop the necessary skills to adapt to reality?  I feel that TV images can be dangerous to a child's deveopment and should be carefully selected.  This is why shows like SpongeBob were never part of our experience.  But eventually I realized that I could familiarize myself with her programming and decide what it was that she liked about the show.  What was funny?  What was intriguing about the characters?  Was it good or total garbage?

I became a fan of the show myself!  And then Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place, and many more.  No TV shows are perfect in the subject matter or connection to reality, but what Disney does right far outweighs what they do not.  They are a commercial-free station and have a large variety of programming for kids of various ages and tastes.  Between shows they offer "shorts" which are as interesting as the full shows.  As for the show that started it all for us, The Suite Life, it has become our household favorite.  My personal favorite is Mr. Moseby who is played by Phil Lewis.  So I became a fan and a Lover of All things Disney.  After reading The Secret in August of 2010, I learned that we attract to us the things we Love.  When Annika arrived for her Audition to Celebrity Actors Camp, I was delighted to discover that the Camp had brought along an actual Celebrity to hear the Auditions, and it was none other than Phil Lewis himself!

So here we are on the precipice of great opportunity, and I am reflecting upon the journey.  Where did it actually begin?  Who started the passion for this journey?  Who's desire is it really?  Many people have cautioned us Parents of Youth Actors to be sure that the child wants this.  Every one of the people I have met along this path are here because their children are pushing for it, working for it and really truly desire to be Actors!  Adrian has been an amazing coach and has shown the kids and us Parents how to help them get there.  He introduced us to his friends in the business so that they might have an idea that we exist.  And from here on, we must continue to follow his example and set in motion the steps needed to secure success.  It doesn't hurt to LOVE it!  It only helps!  The more we LOVE something the more we draw it to us.  When the Love is gone, the dream will end.  I hope I do not wake up too soon!