TOP 5 TIPS TO MAKING IT IN HOLLYWOOD

Helloooo Beautiful People! Hope everyone is having the best day ever!!

Before I dive into the topic, I know you're probably curious as to how I know anything about 'making it in Hollywood'. The truth is, I am not famous, I don't have a ton of money, nor do I live in Hollywood. BUT- before you stop reading, I DO have a lot of experience working in the entertainment industry.

I have performed work as a stand-in, photo double, extra, featured player, and supporting actress in many different TV shows and movies such as The Big Bang Theory, The Goldbergs, The Real O'Neals, Gilmore Girls: Revival, Forever Boys (Disney pilot),  Blood and Oil, The Fosters, Code Black, The Middle, Speechless, NCIS, etc etc. I have been SO fortunate to be a part of those productions and more, and have had SO much fun doing it.

That being said, these are just tips that I have found to be helpful in getting picked for roles. Also if you have ANY questions about the work I've done on those shows or anything that you want to know about what it's like working on set or with those actors, I would love to answer them <3

Alright, moving on.


5 - SAY YES.  If you only want to play a certain part, you are going to have very limited opportunities. If you only accept roles for the cheerleader or the 'hot mom', you are crippling yourself as an actor/actress. Basically what I'm saying, but in a nicer way is, 'You get what you get and you don't throw a fit'. Unless you are truly uncomfortable with a part, such as nudity (which yes, there is a LOT of in Hollywood), and I won't do, just enjoy the part you're offered.

Another part of this tip is a quote from Richard Branson: "If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes- then learn how to do it later".

This couldn't be a better quote for making it in Hollywood. If they ask if you can juggle, say yes, and learn how to do it before your next audition. This can go for just about anything. Keep this in mind.

And yes it happens regularly in Hollywood. Take risks. Be brave. You have nothing to loose.


4 - Know what fits you.  I know I just said to take risks and do what you may not be entirely comfortable with, and that still rings true. However, knowing what fits you is also a huge part of making it in the industry.

Hollywood is a superficial place. Acting is superficial as well. It IS about looks, a HUGE part of getting a part is about how you look. Sorry, but it's true. The good news is that Hollywood needs ALL sorts of looks so it truly doesn't matter because they will still need you but it will probably be for a stereotypical role.

Me, I'm twenty-one, almost twenty-two, and I look like a very naive, innocent, sixteen-year-old. The parts I book the most are roles called '18 to look younger'. In a nutshell, casting departments prefer not to book minors. It's a long story involving SAG (Screen Actors Guild) rules pertaining to child labor laws. Even though acting may not seem like an intense job, it is still considered child labor and minors cannot work for long hours. Anyways, primarily, I book high school roles and especially prep school or Catholic school roles.

Would it be fun to book something other than naive, innocent, high school roles? Of course, and sometimes I do, but I know what parts fit me and where I will get the most success.


3 - Learn new skills. Take acting classes, learn random skills like skateboarding, singing, speaking a new language, surfing, etc etc. This might sound silly and small but I promise you this is a HUGE tip. The more skills you have, that casting departments are looking for, the smaller the pool of actors becomes.

For example, as I said earlier, I look young, I play guitar and I sing. So when I see an audition for someone who is '18 to look younger who can play guitar and sing', I JUMP on it. That is how I booked The Fosters, as well as the Disney pilot Forever Boys. The pool of actors is smaller when they have a list of skills they need the actor to possess. If it had solely said '18 to look younger', there are probably close to a million actors who fit that bill. It gets cut with each skill they add.

Anything that you can do is a bonus. Even hobbies or activities that seem small to you, can land you a huge part.


2 - Be confident. I know this sounds cliche, but again, this is huge. If you aren't confident, at least pretend, because this is so important and especially in auditions.

Another tip that coincides with this is 'never apologize'. You will hear this in Hollywood and in the entertainment industry all. the. time. If you go into an audition and say 'sorry, I'm not as prepared as I should be', or 'sorry, I'm just getting over a cold', that is a huge DON'T.

Go into an audition and own it. If the casting directors ask you to sing, you sing, if they ask you to dance, you dance, even if you suck at it. That shows the casting directors not only that you are willing to do what they ask of you, but it also shows that you are confident and can have fun with it. Even if you aren't good at what they ask you to do, it is SO important to do it anyway and don't make excuses.


1- Stay positive. Being entirely honest, I HATE this tip, I do. But again, it is so important. I hate it because it's hard for me to remember. When I've been standing outside in 10-degree weather for thirteen hours in high heels, I want to SCREAM. I want to throw a huge fit, but you have to enjoy the experience.

There are so many people who would love to be in your place, acting, (not standing outside in cold weather), and not to mention, the crew is watching. Directors, PA's (production assistants), etc, they pay attention to you and you do not want to be seen as the person complaining, it only makes you look bad.

Another thing that is so important to remember, if you have to complain, don't just complain to anyone. Please please please, pay attention to this.

The acting world is small. Everyone knows everyone. If you are complaining to the Grip (Camera help), he/she could be the director's cousin. Seriously. If you are complaining to the 2nd AD (2nd Assistant Director), they could be the director of the next movie you audition for. No, I'm not exaggerating. You will work with the same crew repeatedly, and you could ruin your career in Hollywood before it even begins by complaining or being disrespectful, and especially to the wrong people.

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The entertainment industry is so much fun. I've had the time of my life in California and Utah, acting on these incredible projects. I've met so many amazing people and seen so many amazing things. It is not as glamorous as it appears and sometimes it is VERY hard work (I will make a post about this in the future), but if this is what you want to do. Do it! You can do anything you put your mind to. Best of luck!

*I know this is a blunt and honest, maybe a little harsh, of an article, but these are SO important and I cannot stress that enough. If becoming an actor is something that you are serious about, these are key to keep in mind.

** I am not an expert, this is my experience from working in the film industry and on numerous sets. I'm sure there are plenty of other actors who have had different experiences and will give different tips, these are just from my own experience. I'm not trying to start any debates or arguments about this.

*** I know this was a little all over the place but I've had so many questions about this and I really wanted to get it posted and out there. But if you have ANY more questions. I would love to answer them! Please DM me or email me or comment below! Thanks! Love you all xoxo

3 Reasons why it's okay to elope and not tell anyone

Hi Everyone <3

I know this is a random topic but it is important to me because this is something that I did personally. Not recently, but almost two years ago I married the most incredible man, in secret, and I have absolutely no regrets.

My husband and I had a simple courthouse wedding, with very few friends and family present, and we didn't tell anyone who wasn't present for months after, and why I think this is such a huge topic to discuss is because the amount of negative feedback I've received from friends and family is outstanding. We've had SO many people be supportive as well and we couldn't be more appreciative, but the amount of negativity has shocked me. So this is just my two cents and what I have to say about it:

3 - It is MY life.

Not yours. I am an adult, I can do what I want. Seems simple enough but people often times have difficulty comprehending that, especially friends and family. I will do me, you do you. This might come across as harsh but honestly, this is the base; the foundation for this post. Don't let people judge you for the decisions you make. It is YOUR life.

2 - New marriage pressure.

This is a HUGE pet-peeve of mine and a large reason as to why I kept quiet about getting married for awhile.

Newlyweds are looked at by their friends and family, church, school, or organization, as being just that, newly weds. In this day and age, people enjoy being involved in exciting events like marriage, which is great, but it causes unnecessary pressure to be and act like your marriage is perfect. When a close friend of mine was married to her long-time boyfriend, after a week or a month, people would always ask 'How is the married life?' or 'How is your marriage? Do you guys fight?' etc, etc. Even just writing this I'm getting heated. There is such pressure on those who have recently become married and it shouldn't be that way.  Unless there is a serious problem in the marriage, if you argue, and how often you argue, should not be announced to social media.

1 - It's not your business.

I will share what I want with my friends, family, and community. Marriage is between two people, not the world. There are people who are near and dear to me that I will share information with but it is not a requirement to post your life on Facebook for everyone to see. If you are comfortable doing that and being entirely transparent about your relationship, that is amazing! I'm not bashing that at all. Basically what I'm saying is that there is no rule book that says you HAVE to inform everyone of everything in your life.

Marriage is a wonderful, hard, beautiful event, and I learn new things every day. I am in no way criticizing any form of marriage or any plans, I am solely saying that however you choose to celebrate, it is YOUR choice and no one who respects you as a person should bash you for doing it.

You all are amazing. Do YOU for YOU. xoxo

Color Outside the Lines

Hello my Dears! So this morning for my university fashion class I got to spend my time at the local art museum. I'm still a kid at heart where I find them interesting for ten minutes and then I'm ready to go home but today's trip was a bit different. While I was there walking around trying to find my "favorite" piece of art I came to the conclusion that my favourite pieces were the ones that colored outside the lines; the ones that where unique, the pieces that I'm sure right when it was done, the artists parents were like "oh hon, don't quit your day job". Ha just kidding, (I hope your parents wouldn't tell you that, maybe just think it.) But anyways, you get my point. My favorite pieces were the ones that were beyond unique.

 I feel like every single person is born beyond unique but then society gets ahold of them and all of a sudden we are all the same. We stop doing what we love, to conform to the world.

A young man came into my old workplace and I managed to strike up an interesting conversation with him. He told me that he was passionate about being a musician, he'd made a couple CD's that had done alright but he gave it up to please his parents and go to school to become a doctor. That. Is. Unacceptable. This story is familiar to me and to a lot of the world I'm sure, and it's heartbreaking. There is an epidemic going around to fit in, while we were all made to be our own unique selves and to colour outside of the lines; to leave our unique fingerprint on the world. Our lives are short, we don't get much time here and before we know it we are grown up... and then it hits you like a ton of bricks. "I'm forty-five and I haven't done anything that I've longed to my whole life". I don't want that to be me. I refuse to have that be me.

I am a very spontaneous person, I always have been and I'm sure I get it from the father, the gypsy who has lived and travelled in every single country he has ever wanted. But when I'm bored at Starbucks (which is 24/7) I always think of random ideas in my head and usually share them with the baristas who are near me at the time. Like when I first started at my new store, I told my friend and barista that I had randomly decided to go to England for a while. She told me about how she had studied abroad there and had wanted to go back. We talked about it together for a couple weeks after and I would like to think that I helped convince her to take her sporadic trip to England, and as I write this, she is countries away, enjoying the culture of England and all that is has to offer.

A few days ago I informed my friend and barista Jessie that I had decided that I was going to move to Australia before I turned twenty-one, Jessie of course enjoys teasing me about my random fantasies of travel, but the next day, she told me that I had given her the inspiration to visit Europe with her husband before they settle down and have kids.

I. Love. Being. This. Person. My daydreaming, travelling desires, as well as outspoken talkative personality has helped inspired these girls to do what they love and to colour outside of the lines. I have yet to take any of the trips I plan in my head, but I have sent these two on trips that they will remember for the rest of there lives.

I apologise that this post if all over the place but if you take anything from this post, I hope that it is to:

1- Do what you love to do.

2- Do what makes you happy.

3- Don't let society conform you to the world.

4- Take a sporadic trip, it won't kill you.

5- Lizzie likes to rant.

Please please please, tell me what you think. I want to hear all of your beautiful unique opinions. Xoxo