Over the year or so that I have been interviewing actors, I have discovered so many remarkably gifted and exceptionally grounded young people in the industry. Chatting with them and featuring them on my site is always something special, and Lizzie White is no exception. While I am new to her talent, she and I recently discussed how she got started in her acting career, what her current and notable works are, and even how she manages her free time and outside interests.

RH: Lizzie, I am so glad you could meet with me today. How old are you now?

LW: I am thirteen.

Oh, then you’re the same age as my daughter! And you live in LA?

Yes, the LA area. I actually live in Burbank.

How long have you been acting?

I started acting when I was four and a half. I got my agent about the time I was turning five. And almost right away,  I began booking work when I was five years old.

Why did you decide to get into acting?

Funny story. I can’t remember this, but my mom tells the story all the time. When I was very little, I was watching Bear in the Big Blue House. As I was sitting in my living room, I turned to my mom and I was like, “I wanna be on TV.” My mom said she imagined me on Bear in the Big Blue House just walking around and talking. She was at work, and she overheard her friends talking about an acting school–John Robert Powers. She took me, I loved it, and I’ve been acting ever since.

from Nowhere Cafe

I notice you’ve made several short films, and I think that is an excellent way for actors to begin. Are there any short films that stand out or maybe got some special recognition?

Last year over the summer, I did this camp that I’ve been doing for three years. It’s a very fun camp. It’s two weeks long,  and you film short films over the course of the camp. Last year, I filmed this short called Nowhere Cafe. It was a lot of fun, and I met up with a ton of old friends. I’m very proud of how it turned out.

Have these short films gone to film festivals?

Some of them have. My first one, Weekend, that I did when I was five, that one went to several film festivals. And I recently did another one called Goldfish, and that one was in a film festival and might be headed for more. I don’t know for sure.

You’re from Arizona, but now you’re in the LA area. How did that come about?

When I was about nine years old, I went to this thing called IMTA {International Modeling & Talent Association}.  I went to LA with a handful of other people. We performed monologues and scenes in front of casting directors, agents, and managers. It was an amazing experience. We ended up moving out here when I was about ten.

So you guys made the move so you could do acting?

Yes, we moved here ’cause of acting. There wasn’t very much work in Arizona.

You must have really supportive parents.

Oh, I do! I definitely do! I’m very grateful to have them.

And that’s what I usually find with successful young people like you. Their parents are very supportive. So do you go to traditional school?

Up until the beginning of seventh grade, I was in normal public school, and I loved it. Recently, I started doing online school.  And it’s a lot of fun and also very flexible. But another part of it is that I was not being challenged in school. My school wasn’t willing to have me tested for the gifted and talented program. But I was able to test for the program in the online school.  I’m now in all gifted and talented classes, and I’m a grade ahead in math.

In addition to the short films, I know you have done some work for TV shows. What can you tell us about that?

Yes, I got a role on The Real O’Neals. I’ve filmed two episodes. One already aired, and the other is going to air on February 7th. It was absolutely amazing. We’re all praying for season three. I auditioned for the role, and oddly, I was not nervous at all. We binge-watched season one. I ended up booking it, and my first episode was season two, episode one. And then I got called back in for episode eleven. When I got the call, I had just come out of acting class. We were going to my friend’s house, and my mom told me. I started crying ’cause I was so happy.

Your character on The Real O’Neals is a recurring character then and has the possibility to come back if they’re renewed for another season?

Yes, that is correct.

What can you tell us about your character?

Clare is one of Shannon’s friends, who is one of the main characters. In the first episode, we see her as very meek and quiet, and she’s kind of scared of Shannon. In the next episode that we will see on Tuesday, she’s going to be coming out of her shell a little bit more.

That is a great role for you then. I was unfamiliar with the show, but I have spent some time getting to know it. It looks like a well-done show, from what I can tell. It’s funny, and it’s a family sitcom where they seem to be dealing with potentially uncomfortable issues in a lighter way. So since I’ve not been watching, is there a good fan response where people are really pushing for season three?

The Real O’Neals is on some top ten lists, I think, for shows, so it’s very popular. I love the show–I really do. And not just because I’m on it. I think it’s a great show.

In addition to The Real O’Neals, is there anything else coming up that you can mention?

Yes, I was on an episode of Game Shakers, and this Saturday, that episode will premiere. It’s a Nickelodeon show.

I believe I read that your sister {Morgan Aliyah White} is also an actress–is that right?

Yes, she hasn’t been going on auditions recently, but she wants to get back in the swing of things.

In your free time, when you have it, what do you like to do?

Not counting acting classes, usually I’ll Skype my best friend. I also read. I don’t have a lot of time to read ’cause I’m very busy, but I love to read. I like rereading the Harry Potter series.

Is there something I haven’t covered that you want to be sure to mention?

A couple of things actually.

I am an ice skater. I’ve been ice skating for as long as I can remember. When I was in Arizona, I used to compete, but since I moved here, I stopped competing because acting takes up my time.

I’ve also been singing for as long as I could speak. In fact,  my mom decided against getting a DVD player in our mini-van when I was three because she wanted us to talk and sing in the car rather than be “movie-watching zombies.” I started writing some pretty bad songs when I was five or six….I thought that they were amazing, but I was really just changing the words to Taylor Swift songs. Mean was my favorite!  I started taking voice lessons in Arizona when I was eight, and when I moved to LA, I continued. This year, I have some pretty big singing goals. I’d like to record some covers. I’d also like to learn to play the piano and ukulele. I used to play the guitar, and I’d like to start playing that again too.

Yet again, I have found an optimistic, young lady in the business, and chatting with Lizzie was a blast. I learned quite a bit about her, and I cannot get over the opportunities that have come her way. While it is true that without her supportive parents, she never would have been able to accomplish all that she has,and she is forever grateful for their influence. Furthermore, she is well aware of the fact that as “easily” as she fell into this world of entertainment, she could just as easily fall out without notice. For that reason, she devotes herself to honing her craft. Moreover, she has outside interests that fuel her passions, including ice skating, reading, singing, and academics. Her excitement is infectious, and she lights up every room she enters. While I am still waiting to see her on screen, I am certain that her joie de vivre will illuminate the screen, and there is no doubt that her love of acting and willingness to make the most of every moment will radiate from within. At thirteen, she has learned the art of focusing on her goals and being determined to meet every one of them no matter what pitfalls attempt to block her way. I salute both Lizzie and her parents for their commitment to positivity and humility as well as their ability to live within the moment rather than bemoaning why this or that isn’t happening more quickly. I hope that everyone will be able to tune into The Real O’Neals tomorrow night (February 7) on ABC (check your local listings), and be sure to keep an eye out for this vivacious, delightful lady! Also, don’t forget to tune into Nickelodeon Saturday night (again, check local listings) for Lizzie’s episode of Game Shakers entitled “The Mason Experience”! As she told me, good things seem to come in threes, and this is going to be a fabulous week for her. What are the three things? This article, in addition to the two TV episodes! If you are inclined, I would additionally ask that you check out all Lizzie’s links below and maybe even follow her via social media as I am certain this girl has a monumental future ahead of her!

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