PLEASE WELCOME THE AMAZING - MULTI-TALENTED

MICHELLE  QUIN

1     Please tell us a little bit about your background:

       A:   I started in the TV industry working for part of Channel Nine - VTC corp - I left when 9 months pregnant to have a baby.

When my daughter was an infant I did part- time work with Melbourne production companies.  I met my original business partner at a function for my daughter’s college Melbourne Girls Grammar school where her daughter was also a student.  Carolyn was originally a television producer in London together we started and set up the Casting Couch in 1989.

2     Have you always wanted to be in the entertainment industry?

       A:   I originally studied to be a nurse, my mother was a Bio Chemist and many of my cousins were doctors, my mother believed this would be a good solid job for me, although I was easily persuaded against this idea, my friend at the time made the comment “ you’ll  look terrible in those  nurses shoes” I had skinny legs!!!!  So I decided I’d go to Business College with her, she also said that from there we could work in advertising, which far more exiting that was being a nurse.  Although many times over the years I think I would have enjoyed a career in the medical field.

3    You are a company director, a casting director and producer.  Is there anything else you can add to this already impressive list?

      A:  I am a company director, although these days I prefer to state I work  freelance, I did have 5 staff at one time, although my accountant advised me at the time to work more effectively by employing casual staff on a job to job basis so I’ve been working this way for a number of years.

I am a Casting Director and have been for over 20 years.  I teach children and adults audition skills and have also taught workshops for various acting schools.  I’ve also done corporate training.

4    Is anyone in your family or among your relations in the entertainment industry?

      A:  My father was in fact in the entertainment industry - he was a professional musician.  We always had entertainers at our home and my father often practised his music during the day, although he was also a professional golfer.

5    Do you have professional management or do you represent yourself?

      A:  I have never had professional management - I don’t enjoy self- promotion so to have someone who was to promote my services would be a bonus and I’m sure would create more ongoing casting work.

6    You would have worked alongside some very big names in the industry.  Can you tell us a little about that please?

      A:  I have worked with a number of people who have since become very successful and quite big name stars in my career.  I have been asked previously would I have known they would have gone on to such success and my answer would have been yes …I knew they were special.

7    Have you been bullied?

      A:  Fortunately I have never been bullied.

8    Whether you have been bullied or not, do you feel that the governments and schools worldwide are doing enough to try to combat this problem?

     A:  No I don’t believe that the government or schools or even the social media sites (that I’m told have a lot of instances of bullying on them) do sufficient to combat this problem.

9   What more do you feel that the above could do to try to either combat this problem around the world, or eliminate it altogether?

     A:  I’m not sure how the schools or the government could overcome this problem,  but perhaps with strict rules with punishment and/ or fines and more social awareness, they could at least bring attention to this problem.

I think it’s so difficult for the child who is being bullied to report it because they are fearful, in many instances the bullies blackmail with threats; consequently they get away with the bullying because they have nothing to lose.  From my understanding there is the lack of set punishments or fines in place, perhaps if it was made it punishable by law to bully, the bullies may think twice before bullying innocent victims.

10   Do you do a lot of charity work as well?

       A:  No I don’t do a lot of charity work, although I did volunteer to do some event co-ordination for one of the large charities.

11  What is on the agenda for 2014?

       A:  More casting work and also some corporate training.

12  Do you have a message you would like to impart to the world?

      A:  There is wisdom that comes with age

13  Is there anything further you would like to add?

       A:  No. 

INTRODUCING TEXAN MODEL, ACTOR, MUSICIAN AND SINGER - 

CAITLYN  MOORE

1                   Please tell us a little bit about your background.

    A:   I’m a 20 year old student from Houston, TX in the United States. I grew up in Houston. I went to Foster High School and graduated in May 2011.  I will graduate from Texas A&M University in May 2014 with a degree in Communications and Journalism. I wanted to move to Los Angeles, CA as soon as I graduated, but I don’t have the money for it. I am hoping to start graduate school in August 2014 and get a Masters Degree in Counselling. I have a younger brother and my parents. 

2                   You are a model, actor, musician and singer.  Have you worked with any celebrities?

    A:     The only celebrities I have worked with are Daniel Baldwin (Alec Baldwin’s brother), Lorenzo Llamas, Josh Danziger and Oleysa Rulin.

3                   Can you tell us what projects you have worked in?

    A:     I have done two commercials; one was for Hope Pregnancy Center and I was a pregnant teen and the other was for Houston Community College - which I was a student. I have just finished working on my first feature film called 'Urban Myths'. I play the lead role named Mary. It is coming into some local theatres and on Netflix. I was an extra in a Lifetime movie called 'A Little Christmas Business' and on a television show called 'Hired'. Other than that, I have been leads in multiple short films and have done over ten musicals. I played a rape victim in a PSA for the Houston Rescue and Restore Coalition. I just got the news that I am officially the spokesperson for the Crisis Intervention of Houston, so now I can share my story.

4                   Have you always wanted to be in the entertainment industry or what else did you aspire to be as a child and teen?

          A:   I’ve always known I wanted to be in the acting industry. I was an extremely quiet and shy kid, so no one knew that’s what I wanted to do. I would go to dance performances at my school and just sit in the audience bawling my eyes out because I wanted to be on stage so bad. I finally told my parents when I was about in fourth grade and I got into an acting agency. Now that I’m older, I want to become a licensed professional therapist so that I can work as an independent therapist and have my own independent practice.

5               Are any of your family in ‘showbiz’?  Now or in the past?

                A:  That’s the funny thing. My family has NO performing talent                        whatsoever. They don’t play any instruments. I play three. They                      don’t sing, dance, act or model. They have zero experience of                        doing anything of that nature. I have no idea where all my passion                came from for acting!

6                   Are you managed professionally or do you represent yourself?

     A:   My manager is Shaun McFarland at Neal Hamil Agency in             Houston, Texas. He has only gotten me one audition since I have       been with him over the past year. I am currently looking for a new         agency. I have gotten every single one of my jobs by myself, by           putting myself out there and going to auditions.

7          Have you ever been bullied?

             A:   I have been bullied only emotionally and verbally, never                          physically. When I was in high school, people would call me names              in the hallway. I was on the yearbook staff in high school and all of                the other staff would write nasty letters and hang them up in my                      locker for me to see. When I would walk down the halls, people                      would turn their heads and start talking to their friends, while I could              overhear everything they were saying. It was nowhere near a bad of              bullying as other people, but it really took a toll on me.

8                   Whether you have been bullied or not, do you feel that the governments and schools worldwide are doing enough to combat this act?

A:     I don’t feel like the government and schools are doing anything to combat bullying. In the movie Cyberbully, the girl who was being bullied went to the school and they said they couldn’t do anything about it because she wasn’t being bullied on school property, even though it was her classmates who were bullying her. I think the schools should have a strict tolerance for bullying and that people should be suspended or expelled if they get caught bullying someone. I think the government should do more and make laws against every type of bullying.

9                   What more do you feel they could be doing to either decrease bullying hugely or eliminate it altogether?

              A:        I think students should get in serious trouble with the school              is they bully someone while at school. I think cyberbullying is                        become more apparent these days because kids are more likely to              say things over the internet since it’s not to someone’s face. There                should be more awareness about bullying in general. Posters and                fliers should be up around school and communities. Counsellors                 should prepare talks on them and present it to middle school and                   high school students. I also think the government should play a                     bigger role in bullying since it is such a widely-known problem.                     People should get in trouble with the law if they are caught bullying               someone else.

10              You have also suffered from a medical condition.  Would you be happy to tell us all about that at all?

              A:     I’ve suffered from an eating disorder for ten years. I’ve                            struggled with anorexia, bulimia, self-harm, depression and suicide.              I developed anorexia when I was ten because I felt like I didn’t fit in                with my peers and I thought that being skinny would help me fit in. I             have been in multiple types of treatment and hospitals, but I was                   forced to go so it would never work because I didn’t want to get                       better. I knew that either this disorder would kill me or I would kill                   myself, so I made the choice and put myself in a residential                           treatment center for eating disorders. I got a scholarship to help pay               for treatment, bought my plane ticket and went to Florida for                           treatment. It was the best decision I ever made. I can now say that                 after ten years, I am on my way to being fully recovered.

            Here is a link to a video about it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfl8hkmw-                iQ&list=TLC0BgvW7OQaISdF8B5Kgz9yhiJA9aHEs_

11       What and/or who are your inspirations?

             A:    Demi Lovato is my biggest inspiration. We have gone through                extremely similar things and I can relate to her so much. I am her                  biggest fan. I see what she has gone through and watch her staying              strong. She is my motivation to stay strong. When I feel alone, I                      listen to her music and I don’t feel alone anymore. Acting is also a                huge inspiration for me. It is what keeps me going. When I am                        acting, I am at my happiest. When I was really sick, I would try and                do acting, but I would never get any jobs because I was so out of it. I              couldn’t remember lines to scripts, I didn’t remember where I was                  supposed to go half of the time. Now that I am in recovery, I have                 been way more successful with my acting career because I am                     actually capable of performing. I’m not worried about fainting or                     passing out on stage or on set anymore.

12      As a musician, do you play any instruments?

             A:    I joined the concert band at my school when I was in fifth grade.              I have played in a concert band since I was ten. I’ve played the flute              for ten years and continued with band for my first two years in                        college. I’ve also played the piano for about six years and the guitar              for a little over year. I want to eventually write my own songs for the                guitar and have them recorded.

13         Have you had professional training in any of your talents?

             A:      For acting, I have just taken classes at my agency and have                 taken private lessons. I just had my first voice lesson yesterday and             it went great! I haven’t really had any major training besides at Mayo             Hill Center for Modelling and Acting and classes with Deke                             Anderson.

14        What do you enjoy doing in your ‘spare’ time?

        A:   My best friend Malinda and I are inseparable. We live together          and do everything together. We wake up every morning at 6am and          go to the gym. We work out for an hour and then do a daily                          devotional and pray. We also love to go to three or four different                restaurants in one day and order a different food from each place.            We would get an appetizer at one, then an entrée, then dessert at              another restaurant. I really enjoy yoga – it is so stress relieving!                Painting and running are also hobbies of mine too.

15        What is next in the pipeline for Caitlyn Moore?

              A:   I don’t really know what pipeline means, but I’ll try to answer                   this question! HA. I am flying out to Los Angeles, California to film a              TV show called Copycat. It is a reality singing television series. I                    have to perform Skyscraper by Demi Lovato and I have a chance of              winning $5,000. It will air on MTV in the spring. Also, my new feature            film Urban Myths comes out on January 30! It will soon be on Netflix.

16      Where do you see your career in ten years’ time?

             A:   My ultimate dream for my career would be living in Los                             Angeles, California and working as a professional actress. In reality,             I hope to just be more widely known across America. I want to                         release a cd of my music after I eventually write some songs down. I             hope to be in many more feature films as well! Regardless, I just                   hope to be acting in some way for the rest of my life.

17              Do you have a message you would like to impart to the
         world?

             A:   Sometimes it seems that life won’t get any better. I am living                    proof that things DO get better. Things may not always go the way                that you planned, but it all works out in the end. God has a plan for                each and everyone one of us. Always remember that you are                          beautiful no matter what you look like, and that it’s what’s on the                    inside that counts. Do what makes YOU happy. Do what you want                  to do- not what other people want you to do. Stay strong.  

18              Is there anything further you would like to add?

             A:  There is hope for everyone, no matter what you are struggling                  with. Don’t be ashamed to speak up and speak out. You are never                alone.

LINKS:

        TalentPages
        Model Mayhem

        StarNow
        IMDb

PLEASE   WELCOME  THE  LOVELY  CANADIAN  MODEL  AND  ACTOR

MARI  SHERKIN

1     Please tell us a little bit about your background.

       A:        I was born an only child to affluent parents and had everything a child could want.  Having no siblings, I was on my own a lot so I had to learn to entertain myself from an early age with my imagination. I grew up sailing, boating and waterskiing and I loved (and still do) the outdoors.  I read a lot and used my imagination to play. This really helped me later on in my acting career. Before getting serious about acting, I studied Interior Design in college and later became a professional home stager. I have always loved design and art.  I got my first easel and pastels for my eighth birthday. My mother encouraged my love of drawing from a very young age. I still love to paint today.


2     You are an actor and a model.  Are you professionally trained in both?

             A:      I was professionally trained as a model in my teens. I was very shy and quiet and my mother thought that this would boost my self-esteem. When I was 17 my picture was featured on a 10 foot Billboard at Yonge and Eglinton in Toronto. It was there for a couple of years. That same year I won a beauty contest and became Miss Canadian Heritage 1980.

     Although not professionally trained as an actor, I have been doing theatre since middle school, and have done quite a bit of community theatre over the years, not to mention radio and television interviews. This gave me quite a bit of experience. I do quite a lot of different character voices and my biggest goal is to voice cartoon characters. I also love to write.

      English Lit was my favorite course in school. I mostly write children’s fairy poems but recently delved into some darker poetry, which was inspired by my friend who was in an abusive marriage for 20 years and finally got the courage to leave.


 3     Have you ever wanted to be anything else in life?

        A:    When I was much younger, I wanted to be a veterinarian - however, I had difficulty with the math.

 4    Are any of your family/relations in showbiz?

        A:    My cousin's daughter is a professional singer in a band.


5   Have you acted in any major productions - stage, TV or big screen?

           A:    I recently performed in the short horror film:  'M is for Madame Kali', written by award winning director Jazz Virk.  We were entered in the ABCs of Death Horror competition and although we didn't win, we came in 16th place world wide.  Last summer I was in the televised play 'When it All Falls Down' by Natalie Miller and sang back up vocals for 'Milky Whites and the Bluesmen' on their new album.


     6    Who or what are your inspirations?

      A:         I am inspired by nature and by people who are kind. I admire Ellen Degeneres and her “Be Kind to One Another” motto. People are always so rushed and stressed these days and I think they forget that other people have feelings too. My mother took me to the ballet quite a bit when I was a child and I knew I wanted to dance and be on the stage from an early age. They were so glamorous with their hair buns and tights. I also loved Phyllis Diller and the early comediennes of the day. I saw Joan Rivers in Toronto when I was 19 and I thought right then that I wanted to be funny. I love comedy and I love to make people laugh.


7    How were you discovered?

        A:    I put up a STARNOW profile and started going to auditions but it was really the work on 'M Is For Madame Kali' that put me on the radar. Since then, I have been scouted by two agencies and have been invited to audition on some new projects (one in New York!) by directors that have seen the film.

8      Do you have a management agency or do you represent yourself?

        A:      At this point in time, I represent myself, however, I am in talks with an agency.

9    Have you ever been bullied?

     A:      I was a shy, quiet, bespectacled girl with braces. I was popular and had friends in grade school but when my girlfriend died suddenly in Grade 6, I fell into a deep childhood depression that lasted for years. I became introverted and a bit of a loner. In high school, after the billboard came out, I was entered in a beauty contest by the modeling agency I was with and won. Unfortunately, some boys from my school were there and heckled me. When I went back to school, I was treated differently. We didn’t call it “bullying” in those days but without going into detail, it was. I remember crying after school a few times.    


10    Whether you have been bullied or not, do you feel that the governments and schools worldwide are doing enough to combat this act?


       A:   Well, I feel that violence has certainly escalated since the early 70’s but I don’t know if the government can help. I think it starts with the parents, teachers, schools etc. but if we can have bullying regulated as a crime (and after the Reteah Parsons case, I feel that it should be considered a crime), then perhaps it will help. I feel that the government is just too far removed and we have to get more up close and personal talking to these children to show them how wrong it is and how their actions will affect (effect?) others for their entire lives!

 11   What further do you feel could be done to help either decrease this problem or to eliminate it completely?

                   A:    I believe that social networking is a huge way to spread the word – facebook, twitter, TV, movies etc. but most importantly, teach your children kindness. Spread the word!

12   What are your aspirations for your career for the long term future?

       A:      My aspirations for my career are to be funny and kind and entertain people. I think we should all be more like Ellen Degeneres “Be kind to each other” is my motto.

13  What is next in the pipeline for Mari Sherkin? 

       A:     The pipeline?  I have a couple of projects lined up, including a stage play this spring.  And I want to cotinue to paint, write poetry, ride my horse, walk my dog and enjoy nature on my 54 acres of heaven.

14   Do you have a message that you would like to impart to the world?

       A:    Be kind to each other. Life is short – don’t wasted it with negative energy.

15  Is there anything further you would like to add?

      A:    Love yourself :o) No one will love you more!

LINKS:
     
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     StarNow

PLEASE WELCOME ACTOR, MODEL & COMEDIAN

QUENTIN  WALKER

11     Please tell us a little bit about your background.

         A:  I was born and raised in the United States.  I moved around a fair bit due to my father being a locomotive engineer. I have 6 siblings, me being the youngest. I've always played sports - basketball being my favorite.  I'm a college graduate with a business degree and that would have to be the biggest accomplishment for me thus far in my life.

  2      You are an actor, model & dancer.  Have you had professional training with any or all of these?

    

        A:   I've had no professional training.   I love movies and I just always say to myself I can do that.  I'm intrigued of the fact that being another person and being someone other than yourself.

 3      Have you always aspired to be in the entertainment industry?
    
          A:   No, I was into sports my entire life.  I thought I was going to the N.B.A.  Entertainment was just something I was always interested in doing. I was the class clown in school and It would get me in trouble in school at times. I was voted funniest guy in high school. I love making people smile and feel comfortable.

44     Are any of your family members in 'showbiz'?

           A:         None of my family is in the industry, but I do get my sense of humor from my dad - everyone says he should have been a standup comedian.

  5     What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

                      A:        I love spending time with my friends and family, just relaxing watching movies and sharing laughs.

  6     What and/or who are your inspirations? 

                     A:         My biggest inspiration was my late mother - she passed back in November from lung cancer.  She went through two kidney transplants and never once complained. She was the strongest person I've ever known.  I was her pride and joy and she supported everything I did. She was my heart.

  7     Have you ever been bullied?   

                     A:          I've been bullied before yes, not in the sense of hands on contact but bullying comes in many forms.  I've been teased as a kid.

  8     Whether you have been bullied or not, do you think that the governments and schools worldwide are doing enough to try to combat this act?   

                  A:     I feel that they try, but they only make a big deal of it when it's too late. If a kid is bullied and they happen to take their own life or something drastic they make it a priority. That’s just not right to me - it should be expressed a lot more and brought to the forefront.

99     What more do you feel could be done to either decrease this act hugely or eliminate it altogether?

                 A:     I  think educating the society more from a young age about equality no matter what race, body type or just differences people have from one another we are all humans and we all bleed the same.  I think TV is a problem because they glorify stupid things and make reality shows for entertainment and most viewers are young children who don’t know the difference.

  10   What projects have you acted in?

            A:     I'm in the midst of auditioning for roles now - just getting a feel for it. Its a lot of fun.

111   Have you had many interviews with the media?

                      A:         Not really, some for sports but nothing too major.

112   Where do you see your career in ten years' time?

.                  A:      Hopefully doing something I enjoy  - whether it be acting/modelling/business - I just want to enjoy it.

113  Do you have a management agency or do you represent yourself?

1             A:       I represent myself at the moment - I'm just starting up so all of that comes later I suppose.



.   14  Do you have a message you would like to impart to the world?
      
               A:    That’s a good question - I could come up with a cheesy line but for me its simple. Life is your one chance to leave an impact on the world.  I want to be remembered as Quentin Walker.  I think people should always remember that. Being yourself is the best impact you can leave.

15    Is there anything further you would like to add?

                  A:     I love the country of Australia and I believe that you guys are the most friendly, laid back people in the world.  You’re the secret everyone thinks they know, but no one has a clue.



LINKS
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