Stardom

Showcasing students professional acting

Junior Jasmine Clock smiles behind the scenes of filming her first demo reel in 2019. Clock used the reel to build her acting portfolio before acting as an extra in her first film, Renovation of the Heart/It’s a Fixer Upper directed by Sandra L. Martin. Photo submitted by Jasmine Clock

Jasmine Clock

Movie stars walking around a high school in Kansas seems like something out of a dream, but it isn’t so far from the truth. With a passion for acting, some students are on the path to live out their Hollywood dreams.

For junior Jasmine Clock, she first felt the pull to professional acting when she watched “Jessie”, a popular Disney sitcom.

“That was the first awakening [for me] of the process with how films are being made… I just felt really drawn to it,” Clock said.

After watching the show, Clock began going to sets with her parents who work in the film industry. Later, Clock began as an extra in various shows, which eventually led to significant mentorship opportunities.

“I’ve been trained by Rod [Rodney] Rowland and I’m also working with an actress right now,” Clock said.

Currently, Clock’s passion for acting can make balancing school life difficult while involved in other activities such as the girls basketball team. However, the actress doesn’t allow that to withhold her from her dreams.

Story by Becky Coston

Julia Ruddy

For senior Julia Ruddy, acting played a role in her life early on. She started doing theatrical acting in second grade, then signed to an agency in seventh grade. Her career thus far has taken several different routes.

When Ruddy was seven she was in a feature length film called “Kick Me”, which premiered on Dec. 6 at the San Francisco Film Festival. Additionally, Ruddy has been involved with numerous commercials including Microsoft and Intel. Currently, film acting is “not a very prominent part” of her life, but theatrical acting continues to be a commitment for Ruddy.

Moving Forward

Acting consumes a considerable amount of time in these students’ lives, but this process doesn’t take away from passion in Clock and Ruddy that sparked at a young age.

“Only do it if it makes you happy… you have to enjoy the process,” Clock said.

Senior Julia Ruddy flips her hair enthusiastically while acting in a scene. Ruddy performed as Evil Tina in the 2021-2022 school year spring production of She Kills Monsters. “Being a villain takes more effort because you have to empathize with them as a character and truly believe you are justified in being an awful person,” Ruddy said. Photo Sumbitted by Julia Ruddy