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!

The Results Are In!

Annika pictured here with Matt Timmons and his Brother in Providence CAC 2011

I am having a lot of fun documenting my nine-year old daughter's journey from average kid to aspiring actress/superstar!  I am going to be posting plenty of blogs sharing about how making the phone call to Celebrity Actors Camp has launched us into a new and exciting phase of life.  My last blog entry about Annika's Showcase at the Westin Hotel in Providence was the summation of the weeks she had spent in Celebrity Actors Camp in Providence which ran from mid-February until Late March.  During that span of time, Annika participated in Training by Well-known stars of the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.  These are exceptional Actors and Talented people who happen to Love the Kids and work really well with them.  I think I can speak for all the parents involved when I say what an amazing experience this has been for them!

So, as with any Program, there comes an endpoint and at the endpoint we must evaluate.  Our children experienced an Audition Showcase where they prepared a Monologue and delivered it to several Casting Agents and Talent Agents from around the country.  These people were hand-selected by the Camp Leader, Mr. Adrian R'Mante.  For us parents, the moment of truth would come when we saw some results.  We were all asking ourselves the same question:  Did my child perform well enough to be called back?  Will they Be represented?  Will there be something that comes next for them or not?  I think most of us agree that we will continue to pursue Acting and Modeling now that we are better versed in how to communicate with people in the Business of Movies, Tv and Modeling.

Giovanni Samuels from Suite Life of Zack and Cody with Annika and another Camper from Providence.

From the feedback that has come in over the last week, from Monday until now, I have seen some good results for Annika.  She was called right away to come to Boston and meet with a potential Agency called Model Club Inc.   MCI is a reputable Agency with 25 years of experience and they cover the entire New England Area.  Today (Friday) we eagerly await an email response to determine their level of interest in her.  But then there was some very interesting and doubly exciting news that came from the Showcase too. We parents knew that Adrian was planing to bring out Mr. Larry LaFond from Hollywood.  He Casts for Nickelodeon!  I personally was extremely thrilled to know that my little baby was going to perform her Monologue for a Professional of his caliber with his connections to the Hollywood TV network.  Larry was kind enough to review the children and send a written letter to share the names of his 15 or 16 favorites.  This list, which I now call the "Short List" is where my true happiness lies...for my daughter's name was on it!  Annika M. Salgado.  That's my girl!

For now, I am content.  There is so much work to do if a person is to succeed in a tv show, movie or any sort of acting career.  But for today, we are simply content!