On July 14, NBC will be premiering a family film called American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars. This movie is based on the American Girl Dolls collection. The lead role is played by 11-year-old actor Jade Pettyjohn. She has been in shows such as Criminal Minds and The Cape. Jade had a chance to talk to me about her lead role playing McKenna who is a gymnast trying to balance school, family, friends, and gymnastics. We also talk about other films she has been in and who she would love to act with in the future.
Art Eddy: So tell us a bit about the movie?
Jade Pettyjohn: American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars is a movie about a girl named McKenna who is a gymnast who has problems balancing her gymnastics, her friends and family, her school work all on one plate. This movie talks about how she gets through it.
AE: Have you done gymnastics before preparing for this film or was this new to you?
JP: Well, I did the basics in gymnastics before this film. They flew me out two to three weeks before the film so I could train. I trained with the junior Olympic team for Canada which was really cool. It was really like stepping into a whole new world.
AE: Which was tougher training for the gymnastic scenes or filming the movie?
JP: I guess that the gymnastics was a little harder for me because I definitely wanted to get it right. So I would have to say training for the gymnastic scenes was tougher than filming the movie.
AE: What would be one thing you would want people to take away from the film Mckenna Shoots for the Stars?
JP: The one thing I want people to get out of the film is that you need a little balance in your life. You can’t just focus on one particular thing or otherwise you might lose the fun from it. If you just focus on one thing you might not want to do it anymore and lose the fun it used to bring you. I really want people to know that balance is something they really need in their life.
AE: Are you a fan of the American Girl Dolls Collection and what is your favorite one?
JP: I am. I really do like American Girl Dolls. Well, my favorite now it is McKenna. But before the McKenna doll came out, I really liked the Julie doll. I think she is a really cool doll. She is from the ’70s era and she likes musicals. So she was my favorite.
AE: So how cool is it to have your own doll that is from the movie?
JP: It is really awesome. I can actually say I am a doll, literally.
AE: You are only 11 years old but have done many TV Shows and films. How did you get into acting?
JP: Well, I was seven when I first got into acting. Yet, I was acting to act ever since I could talk. I really loved making up all these characters and creating and being all these different people. I thought it was a lot of fun. I realized that is what actors do. So, I said to my mom this is what I want to do and that is how I got into acting.
AE: What advice you give to kids wanting to get into acting?
JP: The first thing I would say is to understand the script that you are reading. If you don’t understand the words you are going to say you will have a tough time trying to perform or drive it. I really think you should understand the script and everything it is asking you to do and to know all the words.
AE: Do you think you will be acting all your life?
JP: Yeah, definitely. When I get older I still want to be acting. This is something I want to pursue. I might change my mind, but I seriously doubt it. I am also a musician. I am a singer, so I want to do that too.
AE: Nice, what type of music do you listen to? What is in your iPod right now?
JP: There is a lot on my iPod. Recently I have been listening to Jason Mraz, I really like his music. Taylor Swift is definitely on there as well. I listen to alternative as well.
AE: You were also in another movie called Prodigal. How was filming that movie? It is a totally different film than McKenna.
JP: It was really awesome and, yes, it was very different from American Girl. (laughs) Most of the crew and a little bit of the cast worked on the Thor. Kenneth Branagh directed both films, Thor and Prodigal. So everyone on the crew knew each other and it was like walking into a family making a film. It was really awesome to work with all these great people.
AE: If you could work with anyone in a film who would you want to work with?
JP: That is a very, very hard question. There are so many people I would like to work with in a movie. I would probably want to work with Tom Cruise, Dakota or Elle Fanning, Will Smith, Johnny Depp, well the list goes on and on. There are so many great actors. It is hard to pick only one.
