Meet fifteen year-old Madison Guthrie.

I started coaching Madison about a year ago and I was impressed with her from day one.

Whenever I work with Madison, I’m always left with great food for thought and the feeling that life is pretty.  She enjoys life to the fullest and her energy for performing is more than evident to anyone who comes in contact with her.  If you ask Madison about life before performing she struggles to remember.  From the early days of performing at home for her family in full costume, to getting her start in theater and commercials around second and third grade, performing is all is knows.

KRT:  One of the things that impresses me most about you is how prepared you are when you come to class and coachings.  How do you prepare for  auditions?

MG:  There are several things that I do to prepare.  I make sure that I know my lines.  When I get a script I start preparing right away with my character diary and story, I don’t like to waste time.  Sometimes I record my sides and listen to them back, sometimes I’ll tape them up around the house so I see them no matter what I’m doing.  I like to make sure I’m fully prepared with my lines so that’s one less thing I have to worry about.  side note:  After a few sessions with Madison, I realized she always had tape on her sides.  When she explained to me why this was so, I knew she meant business. 

KRT:  Why do you think it’s so important to have your sides memorized for all auditions not just callbacks?

MG:  It’s important to have your sides memorized before class or auditions because it enables you to spend that time focusing on what’s happening with your character and in the room.

KRT:  Do you think training is important to your development?

MG:  I think training is very important; I didn’t think so when I was little.  As I got older, I realized that training is one of the most important things you can do to prepare and master your craft; you need to constantly work on your skills.  Training is something you must have.  You have to have that background and foundation.

KRT:  You mentioned when you were younger that you didn’t think you had to train, what does training mean to you?

MG:  For me training means constantly working towards something you want.  Constantly working on your acting skills, whether it’s audition technique, memorizing your lines, or really getting into your character and making it believable.  Training means that you are doing everything you can to make sure you’re the best at the things you want to do.   That applies to everything.  Training is working on what you want to do and working on making it better.

KRT:  You were coached and went on tape for a lot of pilots being cast out of LA and NY  this past pilot season while based in Orlando.  How different is that then being in the room?

MG:  It is extremely different.  You don’t have people in front of you who you can interact with and show your personality to.  You have to also remember that you’re filming it and you can only move so much, it’s definitely harder.  You’re doing it on tape and it’s harder to get the real you across.  The real you is what helps you to book the job.

KRT:  You’ve been acting for a while, I’m assuming you’ve had some rejection.   How well do you handle rejection?

MG:  When I was little I handled it very well because I didn’t really understand the whole process.  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that rejection has hit me a little harder and it’s been a little harder to deal with it.  I just keep remembering there are “yes”s and “no”s and it takes those several “no”s to learn from my mistakes.

KRT:  Would you say that the “no”s are just as important as the “yes”s in your development?

MG:  I would say that the “no”s are more important than “yes”s, because if  I got “yes”s  all the time I wouldn’t continue to grow.  I would never learn from the experience.  I think “no”s help you become a better actor.

KRT:  For a lot of people your age it’s hard to keep moving forward with this career when you don’t have tangible evidence of your success (multiple bookings).  What drives you to keep moving forward, confident that you want this for the rest of your life?

MG:  There are times that I feel like I’m not moving forward and I’m not booking a lot and I feel like I’m not going anywhere.  But then I just sit down and realize that acting isn’t just about booking something, it’s about doing something that you love and live for.  If acting is your dream and if acting is something that you love to do then it doesn’t matter if you don’t book every job, it just matters that you keep moving forward.

KRT:  What is your goal as an actress?

MG:  My dream is to be on Disney!  My goal is to be the best actress I can be and inspire kids who have dreams like me to pursue them.  Even if it’s something that they don’t think is possible or don’t think that they can accomplish.  My goal is to tell a story and be an inspiration to other people.

Do you ever think about giving up on this dream?

Yes.  I’ve thought about giving up many times.  Sometimes I feel like it’s impossible or it’s not going to happen.  But then something makes me realize that it can happen.  I remember that it’s not just a dream, it’s also something that I love to do.  I’m not going to stop doing something that I love to do.

Fun Facts About Madison

Favorite Actress-Reese Witherspoon

Favorite Food-Chocolate

Favorite Amusement Park Ride-Anything that spins!

Hidden Talent-I can fix anything broken or turn it into something useful!

3 Words to Describe Yourself:  Passionate, Fun and Loving.

Thank you Madison!  I look forward to watching your journey unfold!