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Local Student Brings Home National Acting Award
The Kingston EMC
Thursday June 4, 2009
By Kristen Coughlar
A young talent from the Limestone City received national recognition recently during the 17th Annual Canadian Model & Talent Convention.
Lauren C., a Grade 7 student, was presented with the Actor of the Year Award during the four day convention which connects undiscovered talent with the who’s who of the acting, modelling and entertainment industries.
“I didn’t think I was going to get anything. It was my first competition and there were lots of people there,” said 12 year old Lauren.
Acting since age seven, Lauren has been a part of a number of local productions. She is also a member of the Limestone Education through the Arts Program (LEAP). Lauren has also been dancing since she was three years old.
“I love acting and dancing,” she said.
It wasn’t until recently, however, that Lauren became a part of the Mode Elle Model & Talent Agency in Belleville in the hopes of expanding her career as a performer. The convention in May was Lauren’s first competition.
During the dour day convention, Lauren competed against 300 contestants in the modelling, talent / acting and entertainer categories; however, it was in talent and acting that her star really shined.
In the talent / acting category, Lauren received first runner up in the TV commercial event, and her combine scores in the TV commercial, monologue, cold reading and improv events gave her the national title.
Lauren credited both her time in LEAP, dance and her roles in local productions with helping her perform at her best during the competition. “They’ve helped me a lot with having the courage and confidence to get in front of a crowd.”
And while Lauren did feel she performed well in each event, she was still surprised when she was presented with two awards, especially considering the amount and level of competition.
“There were some really talented people there… When I went in my expectation was just to have fun and keep on top of my fame, but I achieved more that I thought I would,” she said.
When she was first awarded first runner-up in the TV commercial category, Lauren said she was “very proud and excited,” but still she never through she would take the national title. “When they presented the model of the year award, I thought that would be cool if I won actor of the year and then I hear my name and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, did they just call my name?’ It was really surprising.”
Lauren said that being awarded two trophies at the convention has done a lot to increase her confidence, but she noted that even without the trophies the convention itself was a great experience.
“It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done in my whole life,” she said. Along with competing in the various events, Lauren also got to meet new people and connect with agents from across the globe. “Every single part of it was amazing.”
Since Lauren’s participating in the May convention she has received callbacks from agents and producers from L.A. and Toronto.
Lauren said her plan is to keep in touch with agents from Toronto and continue taking courses to improve her craft in the hopes of being cast for print advertisements, films and TV commercials.
Speaking of her dream, Lauren said, “I just want to become an actress and be in commercials and stuff.
