If you’ve followed my interviews for even a short period of time, you are probably well aware of the fact that I adore interviewing young people in the entertainment business, and Taylor Hay is no exception to this rule. Because of my involvement with the upcoming crime/thriller feature entitled To Avenge, written and directed by Nick Belial, I had the supreme honor of conversing with this brilliant, enthusiastic young adult professional, and I am especially gratified to be able to share it with all of my readers today! (Note: Taylor stepped in to fill the role when the character of Vera Castor needed to be recast. It is with confidence that I can state Taylor will shine in the role of Vera as they both share a fighting spirit and a will to survive. At the age of nine, Taylor was diagnosed with cancer. She fought the disease with incredible strength, and she resumed acting as soon as her health allowed.)

Photo by Deidhra Fahey Photography © Taylor Hay 2018

RH: Taylor, what a treat it is to speak with you today, and I want to officially welcome you to the cast of To Avenge.

TH: Thank you, Ruth. I’m super excited to be a part of this project. It’s just gonna be so awesome! And it’s a project that I feel really needs to get out there right now with everything going on. I feel that it really needs to be brought to light, and the way Nick has written it is just what is needed to get the message out there.

Photo by DBH Photography © Taylor Hay 2015

I couldn’t agree more. I’ve been following this film for a good eight or nine months now, and from what I know of the character you will be playing–Vera–you seem to be a perfect fit for the role. You have that young, innocent look, and I think that fits her character well.

Thank you, Ruth, I appreciate that. I can hardly wait to play Vera. I had originally talked with Nick about this movie around a year ago. I wasn’t sure if he thought I was quite right for the role. You never know about those things as an actor. But when he called me about the project again recently, it was just wonderful. It was a project that had been in the back of my head. I always thought it was such a cool project.

I seriously doubt that I will able to be there when you guys start filming, even though I would love to be. But just know I will be supporting you all from a distance.

I really hope you can come, Ruth. It would be nice to put a face to a name.

So, Taylor, Nick mentioned you have a very inspiring story, and I did some research on you, and I discovered you do have quite a story. First of all, how did you get involved with acting?

It’s actually really funny because my mom was an actress herself. She never actually thought that I would get into the industry. Well, me being a persistent little…I think I was three at the time. I kept seeing her do auditions, being on stage and being on set, and I kind of got the bug. So I started bugging her, asking, “When do I get to do this? When do I get my own agent? When do I get to be on my own set?” She was kind of like, “Okay.” She kept trying to brush me off. I mean, of course, she didn’t really want to push it on me. I think finally I got through to her, which I do a lot of times, and she said, “Fine, we’ll set up a meeting and see what happens.” We were living in San Diego at the time, so I met with an agent there, and she signed me right on the spot. So my mom was like, “Okay, we’ll see how this goes.” Then I went out on my first audition for Peter Piper Pizza–it was a regional commercial–and booked it. Then my mom was like, “Well, now we really are stuck with this.” {laughs}

From there, I got into quite a few films. And it was amazing; I loved every second of it. But then I got sick, and I had to put my entire career on hold. So ever since then, it’s been kind of an uphill battle.

That was what I was reading, and I was like, “Oh my goodness!” But then I noticed the amazing thing you’ve done in developing some kind of charity, I believe.

2016 Star for a Night hosted by Taylor Hay to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a charity dedicated to eradicating pediatric cancer.

Well, it’s not necessarily a charity, at least right now. It will eventually be a charity. At this moment, what it is is an event that supports other charities. This is how it came about.

When I first got sick, I felt like I was just taking and taking and taking from multiple charities–not in a bad way. We had to have help with our situation, and they helped us through it. However, I’ve always been of the mindset that I don’t like people helping me. I’m way more about helping other people. When I was younger, I would get twenty dollars for my birthday and I would spend it on something for my mom. That’s just kind of who I am. So when this happened, I just felt so bad because I was in a sore spot. But I told myself that once I got to a point where I was better and that I could do something, I would. So that’s how the whole mentality started.

In 2012, I was working with a charity and I had to do my own event. I was thirteen years old, and I created an entire event in Santa Monica, which was a walk. Which means I had to do permits. I had to organize garbage pick-up. I had to set a route. I had to talk to city council. All this stuff for a thirteen-year-old was pretty overwhelming. But I fell in love with event planning. So five weeks before my birthday… you gotta love my mom because this was the popular thing to do around that age. I wanted to do a charity event for my birthday. So I went up to her five weeks before my birthday and said, “Mom, I want to do a charity event.” My mom was like, “Are you smoking something?” {laughs} She said, “You get a venue donated, and then we’ll talk.” Within twenty-four hours, I had a venue donated. So once again, it was, “Well, I guess we’re doing this.”

This event is called “Star For a Night.” We help other charities. This will be my fourth year to do it. In 2012, I did it for Leukemia Lymphoma Society. 2014 I did it for Make-A-Wish Foundation. 2016 I did for Alex’s Lemonade Stand. And this year I’m doing it for Cancer For College. All of the charities have a similar interest which is cancer patients and/or survivors of life-threatening diseases. What we do is we bring up the patients or the survivors–the people that are ill–and we make them feel like a star for a night. So they walk the red carpet. They hang with celebrities. They get autographs. They do photo booths. And there’s also a small performance planned for them. So it’s three hours dedicated to those people. It really opened my eyes in so many different ways, and each year it gets bigger and better. I mean just when I think it can’t get better, it does.

Taylor, that is just awesome that you do that! To be a teenage actress and you’re already active in doing something like this and making a difference. You sound like someone who doesn’t just sit there and let things happen, but you go out and make things happen.

Exactly.

Taylor Hay and Will Ferrell on set of the Cancer for College promo shoot.

I think that is an admirable quality. Not everybody does that, especially amongst young people. I think it’s very commendable that you’re giving back this way.

Thank you so much. It’s really opened my eyes in so many ways that I never thought it would. And all the stories that come out of this event really energize me. I’m working on the event for this year right now, and it truly does drive me.

As I looked through your list of credits, I don’t recognize everything, but I stopped for a moment and said, “Wait a minute! She was one of the voices on the animated version of Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus!”

Yeah, that’s another really funny story. That was involved with my Make-A-Wish. With me being in the hospital and having cancer, I got a visit from Make-A-Wish. They approached me and told me I was able to be granted one wish. With me being an actor beforehand, I wasn’t just going to do some of the typical things kids ask for. I wanted to get my career back, and so my wish was to be on the set of a Harry Potter movie. I was obsessed with Harry Potter. I came to the wish-granters with that, and they were like, “Well, they’re currently filming, so I don’t know. We could make that happen, but it’s not going to be the way that you would want.” So I was like, “Okay, fine, I’ll wait.” They kept coming up with, “Oh, you can meet so-and-so. You can go here.” And I was like, “No, no.”

Then they finally teamed up with Macy’s for Yes, Virginia. They came to me with, “Hey, we’re working with Macy’s on this project. Would you like to be a voice in that?” And I knew that was what I wanted to do. I went up to New York. We did the voiceover session. They found out I was an actor, so they gave me more lines, which was amazing. It was my first voiceover thing which was even cooler because I had never done voiceover. I’d never gone in a booth. I had never spent two, three, or four hours just saying the same lines over and over again because when you’re on set, that’s not how it works unless you’re doing an ADR session. It was a wonderful learning experience, and of course, Macy’s and Make-A-Wish Foundation made it even more wonderful because they always go over the top. I love them with all my heart!

But ever since then, I have been involved with the believe Campaign every December. I’m one of the spokespeople for it. And again, it’s opened so many doors to so many other experiences for me which has widened my eyes to help in whatever way possible. So not only did I get a credit out of it, but I learned how I could help other people.

And now you’ve become a part of Christmas holiday programming. I remember watching the movie, and while they don’t replay it every year, at least it’s out there. I know we watched it the first year it came out because we’re big on Christmas here in my family.

While they haven’t played it the last couple of years, it’s still available on DVD. And our family is the same way. Every year they played it, we always watched it. Our family always watches all the Christmas specials anyway. It’s kind of a tradition for us.

I noticed you also were on an episode of The Real O’Neals.

Yeah, that was really a fun thing. That was a week-long venture. It was just a super small co-star role, and they cut all the lines, which was a bummer. But it was still a super fun set to be on. There was never a dull moment. And working with Maddie Pettis…I’ve known her for quite a long time. But that was a fun shoot and actually one of my main first network shows I’ve been on. Everybody on set made it so memorable and lots of fun.

The Real O’ Neals

I actually discovered the show when I interviewed another actress who appeared on two episodes, Lizzie White. It was a pretty good show, and it’s a shame it wasn’t renewed. But I’m glad you got to be on it.

Everyone on set was just so kind and so open. One of the scenes we worked on was loads of fun. We had streamers, and we were popping those air streamers that you pull and it pops it all open. It was really a fun thing.

Are there other works you would like to mention before we discuss To Avenge?

Well, I just got off the set of Bumblebee. I was a stand-in, which was fun as well. While it wasn’t acting-related, the connections I made on it were great. That was also a fun project since I was working on a Transformers film no less. I worked on that set for about a month and a half. It was nice to go to set and have them know you by name. As a stand-in, you go in for three or four hours on one scene and then they take twenty or thirty minutes to film it. You get a really good working relationship with the DP and the director and all the crew members. I hope everyone checks out the movie when it comes out. I think it will be out in November.

I’ve talked to other actors who have worked as a stand-in, and even though it’s not an official screen credit, I have heard it is a great way to make connections that can sometimes help you later on. Or then there are the people who are going to be stand-ins and they suddenly get put in as an extra or even a featured extra. So you never know how that goes, and hopefully everyone will check out the film when it comes out.

I hope so too.

So we already talked some about To Avenge. What do you like about the story and your character, Vera?

Photo by DBH Photography © Taylor Hay 2014

Well, as I mentioned, I have known about it for about a year now, but I only recently had the opportunity to read the script. And all I can say is that Vera is so much fun. As an actress, seeing the depth of the journey she gets to go on, I am so excited to go on that journey with her. There is just so much to her, and as I mentioned, I believe this is a story that really needs to be told now with everything going on in today’s society. And I’m excited to be a part of that. Playing Vera in To Avenge is going to be an amazing and life-changing experience for sure.

While you haven’t worked with anyone else in the film, are you familiar with the works of any of the other actors already attached to the film?

When Nick approached me about this role and he told me who else was in it… Fast Times At Ridgemont High is one of my favorite films and the same with Gremlins. I’m so excited to work with Kelli {Maroney} and Zach {Galligan}That’s gonna be awesome. And Zach playing my dad is gonna be so much fun. I actually grew up watching a lot of the older stuff. I grew up watching those films plus Sixteen Candles and Breakfast Club and other films like that. And I love those movies. So I’m excited to be working with people who made those movies. I’d like to be able to pick their brains at lunchtime once we’re working together.

Now I understand you just graduated.

Yes, I actually graduated from college with a double AA. I’m not fully out of college yet.

Wait! And you’re only nineteen going on twenty?

Yeah, I’m just on a roll. I graduated from high school when I was sixteen, so when it came to college, I’ve been taking it slowly and trying to keep things open so I can act. I don’t want to get overwhelmed because acting is my main goal. I am willing to quit college for it once I become more stable in the profession. But college is a backup plan that I have told myself and discussed with my family that I definitely want to do.

It sounds like even when you were sick, you were able to keep up with your studies. I know that sometimes people fall behind during those times.

I did a lot of work in the hospital. My teachers would come and give me my schoolwork. Then as many times as I could, I’d go to school, even it meant coming to school with a mask on so I wouldn’t get any infections. School was really important during that time to help me keep my mind off my cancer. My teachers were great and supportive and wanted to help me in as many ways as possible, which I really appreciated. So no, it didn’t slow me down academically.

Taylor, that makes your story even more amazing, as far as I’m concerned. I commend you for continuing with your studies and I wish you all the success in your career.

Thank you, Ruth.

I want to thank you also for this amazing interview, Taylor. You have given some truly impressive and insightful answers, and I can hardly wait to see you in To Avenge. I think you’re going to be outstanding.

Thank you, Ruth, and thank you for the interview. You are a great interviewer, and I’m so thankful that you took the time to chat with me today.

From the moment Taylor and I began our chat, I was blown away by her philanthropic heart, her passionate spirit, and her compassionate soul. Surviving a debilitating disease like cancer is a feat that not everyone is blessed to achieve. Cheating death is something that absolutely has to alter someone either for the better or for the worse, and in this case, Taylor’s entire viewpoint has only intensified with appreciation, love, and a zeal to serve. While it is evident that Taylor was always a generous person with a tender heart and crackerjack capabilities, there is no doubt in my mind that her two-year obligatory hiatus has given her the sort of skills necessary to truly make a difference in the entertainment industry as well as the world as a whole. It is a rarity to find a young person who not only works alongside various charities, but one who also creates a grassroots movement that supplies a need for these nonprofit organizations to aid in the healing of the body and the enlivening of the spirits of innumerable youngsters all over the world who were “unlucky” enough to be blindsided with a life-threatening illness. Not only that, but since she has walked the road herself, she has become a veritable beacon of light and a wellspring of inspiration for all those wrestling with diseases that have practically robbed them of their innocence.
As To Avenge begins its pre-production and lays the groundwork for the actual filming, I would invite all of my readers to not only follow Taylor at the links below but also to consider following the feature film itself. No matter your thoughts about the current movements that have liberated women who believed that exposing the manipulative and disgusting acts of those in leadership who were supposed to be their benefactors may lead to dismissal and humiliation, I think we all can agree that the time for silence and sweeping things under the proverbial rug is over. Furthermore, I do believe it is an issue that demands attention by any credible means possible. As Taylor dives in and immerses herself within the complex and tragic persona of Vera, I can only hope and pray that viewers’ minds and hearts will be open to the film’s timely message and the endearing, talented Taylor who will characterize this role with true grit and intense emotion, not to mention impeccable talents!
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