He was great he was just so helpful. On this film I didn't really know what was going on half of the time but he would take the time between takes to explain things to me. So he was so helpful and I felt that I learnt so much from him.

- I read that you were into sports in high school and had no plans for an acting career so what made you choose this path?

I played softball, I played a bit of everything but I really did focus on softball. In junior year of my high school career, I'm not sure how it works over there (UK), but junior year is when the main recruiting takes place - so I was being recruited by five colleagues.

But during that year I actually got injured and I couldn't play ever again. I freaked out because that had been my identity since I was eight years old - getting up at 5am every weekend to go and play softball games - so I really didn't know what to do with myself.

So I actually started take acting classes as a form of therapy in a way as it allowed me to get out of my head and become someone else. But I really just fell in love with the craft and I realised that it was my new passion and it was what I wanted to do for, hopefully, the rest of my life. 

So I trained for a year and a half and then my manager got me the audition for Prom, which was my second audition, so it all happened very unexpectedly.

- This being your first movie what sort of things did you learn to onto other movies and projects?

Oh I learnt so much! I just learnt how it works; that you get a call time every morning, then you go t hair and make-up, when you are having lunch you have to wear this big garbage bag over your costume so you don't get it dirty.

I'm just so grateful that Prom was my first film, and my first film was a Disney film because now I know how I am supposed to be treated on set, I know how everything is suppose to go and how everything works.

I think the main that I learnt was just to be comfortable and to have fun - if you mess up you can re-do it. But I think just to have fun and optimise the experience because you are never going to have the same experience twice so just has as much fun as you can.

- Suddenly you have been thrust into the limelight while you have been promoting this movie so how have you found adjusting to all the attention?

(Laughs). I love it a lot and I love it mainly because it gives me the chance to help out other people in a way. When I was looking to go to colleague I wanted to become a lawyer and a children's attorney but now I have been given this opportunity to positively impact more young women.

So I work with a bunch of organisations, such as Girls Inc, and they are all about empowering young women - so I have really optimised this whole celebrity aspect just to help other people and use what I have to positively impact others.

So I guess that's what I am using it for and I think it's fantastic and I really enjoy it.

- So you are starting out on a film career so for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps and do the same what advice would you give them?

I would say, and it's the same for anything that you want to pursue, if you are passionate about it and it's something that you want to do then pursue it 100% and don't let anyone tell you no.

When I got injured all of my athlete friends were like 'you are going to become an actress? Why do you want to be an actress? There's no reason that you would do that' but it's what I wanted to do and I invested 100% of my time and effort into it - and it really paid off.

So I think follow your passion - it's extremely important and that is what I try to do. So if you are passionate about acting and you want to do it get the proper training, become focused on it and there really isn't anything that you cannot do.

- Finally what's next for you?

I'm auditioning a bit and I am writing some stuff as well. But I am also working on an EP; we are going into the studio in a couple of weeks, so that should be awesome. But it's really busy and there's so much stuff up in the air but I am just having so much fun.

Prom is out on DVD now - read out review here

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw

by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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