What does the world of acting mean to you, as a young and rising actress?
It means the start of a promising career in a field I have always dreamed about since I was a young child. It also means the ability to get out of my comfort zone and become someone else.
Who are some of your industry role models that you look to as an example of who you want to be? Teen actresses? More established actresses? Why?
Kaley Cuoco, Mariska Hargitay, and McKenna Grace are my industry role models. Each of these actors seems to excel in playing their respective roles. To me, they were very believable in character and are an inspiration to me to achieve the same greatness.
You’ve previously mentioned in an interview with True Hollywood Talk, that The Big Bang Theory, for example, was a type of work dynamic you’re interested in for the future. Can you shed some light on what about the series or even the character relationships that stuck out to you?
The relationship between the characters seemed more like family than just a bunch of disparate actors. The synergy and chemistry they seemed to have is what I aspire to in a future role in this genre.
Tell us about the process in which you came by Toll House Horrors? What do you like about it? When it does resume, what do you hope will come from it? Can you tell us about some of your co-stars?
I convinced my father to pay for me to sign up with kidscasting.com. He said that he would only allow me to sign up because he knew I was too shy to really act and he wanted me to prove him wrong. I was contacted by the producer of THH and auditioned for the role.
I landed the role and surprised my father. What I liked about it was the experience of being on set as well as the challenge of acting out of my comfort zone. At this point, we do not have a confirmed date to resume production but it likely will be sometime late spring or summer 2021.
As for my co-stars, they were very kind and talented and varied in ages from 9 years old to 17 at the time. Between scenes, we were able to get to know each other and some of us still keep in touch via social media. What I hope will come from this role is the experience necessary to perform in the next role.
What has been the most challenging part of the pandemic for you?
The pandemic was a huge challenge for me because of the change it brought for me. It caused panic, fear, and uncertainty. I don’t like a lot of change, so it had a major impact. Traveling was stopped, school went virtual and it impacted my social and family life. There was a lot of uncertainty in the world and it changed my outlook on life.
I learned to realize that life can change almost overnight so try to make the most out of everything you have and live for today as tomorrow is uncertain.
Favorite TV show, Go!
My favorite TV show to date is “The Big Bang Theory”, because I feel like I grew up with that show. I started watching this when the series first came out in 2007, at just four-years-old (I did not completely understand everything), and continued watching through the series ending.
I continue watching reruns, as now I understand it more, ha! (now I understand Right now, I’m currently watching “Blindspot” on Hulu. The pandemic has given my parents and me the opportunity to binge-watch many shows on Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime together (family bonding, a positive from COVID-19).
As a rising actress, who is still devoted to her education, what would you like to see from the education system as it begins to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic? How do you envision your education playing a role, if at all in your up-and-coming career?
The effects of COVID-19 led me to the decision to enroll in an online school program. As I am almost done with my junior year of high school, I have no intention of going back to in-person learning. Once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, and things return to a “new normal,” I would like to see more social options available to students who choose an online program and possibly offer more of a hybrid-type system. I hope in the future to go to a college or university that offers an acting major or a good drama program where I can improve upon my acting and also increase my networking opportunities.
What advice do you have for your peers, who are looking to enter the industry as you have, with respect to work/life balance, education, and having your parents as support?
One of the big challenges that I encountered is if you do land auditions and roles and you have to travel, it helps to have a school with flexibility. A lot of this career is an investment in not only your time but your parents’ time so it is definitely a must to have your parents’ support.
My father jokes that he spends more time managing me than doing his own work! Another challenge is that you can’t take it personally when you don’t land the role or get a callback. You need to learn to take criticism and use it as a learning tool to better yourself for the next prospective audition.
To learn more about actress Alyssa Oster, check out her IMDb page, and follow her on Instagram and check out her website.
