Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Arnold.
Hi Alexis, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When I was 5 years old I told my mom I wanted to be an actress. In the beginning she didn’t really take me serious, because she works in the medical field and didn’t know much about the entertainment industry. I was persistent though and eventually my dentist was the one who talked my mom into letting me give it a try. My mom submitted my picture to an agent and I started getting tons of auditions. I was booking mostly modeling and commercial jobs in the beginning but my heart was into making movies. I lived in my own little fantasy world and would build pirate ships, castles and space ships out of card board boxes. I would even make my own stop motion animation movies. My mom reached out to my agent and asked why I wasn’t getting any auditions for movies and the agent recommended building my resume by working on student films, short films and independent films. Then the movie roles started rolling in.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a lot of hard work to get to where I am today. It definitely hasn’t been easy. When I started booking movies, I would need to miss several days of school for filming. Even though I was a straight A student the school district wasn’t happy I was missing several weeks of class at a time, so my mom had to start homeschooling me. She also had to find a part time job because working full time and lugging me from set to set was impossible. Many of my friends have given up and moved on to have a normal high school experience. Many of them are focused more on cheerleading, sports or drill teams. While my friends are spending Friday nights at football games and summers at beach parties I am spending my weekends and summers working on film sets and I’m loving every minute of it. Making movies is my life and it’s all I dream about. The most challenging part of the industry is convincing casting directors to give me a real chance. Once a director or producer works with me on set they always ask me back to work with them over and over again and many of them refer me to their friends so luckily I keep busy by building strong relationships in the industry and maintaining a professional work ethic.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have been an actress and a model for more than 12 years. I have modeled for Macy’s, Children’s Place, David’s Bridal, Typhoon Texas Waterpark, Citgo gas station and many other companies and I’ve had many opportunities to work on multiple commercials. My favorite commercial was for Chuck e Cheese on Cartoon Network because I ran into an old friend who was working as the production manager. I love running into people I have worked with in the past on different projects and I love seeing friends grow in their careers. I am very proud of all the movies I have had an opportunity to work on. It is so hard to choose a favorite, because I like them for different reasons. I loved working on the horse movies If I Could Ride and If I Could Ride Again because I won several acting awards for those movies. I also enjoyed working on The Shipment because I had an opportunity to work with Tom Sizemore and Robert LaSardo and I enjoy a good action film.. Last summer I wrapped a movie with Lee Majors called The Sound of Willow and I have a great scene with the world renowned actor, so I’m excited to see the movie when it comes out. I also booked a small recurring role on a TV pilot called Fixation and I’m hoping the best for that project. I just returned from Las Vegas where I traveled to work on the faith based film, He Called Me By Name. It was such a fun movie and it too had some powerful names in it. I started my career working on short films in and around the Dallas Fort Worth area including Be Still, I Will Never Forget You and 6 Minutes so I am also very happy for those opportunities. I think what sets me apart from others is that I have been able to cry on cue since my 1st day on a film set. I also have a huge range of skills for my age. I am 17 years old and 95% of the time I can perform my own stunts. I have numerous weapons I am trained in and I have been working in front of and behind the camera for 12 years. Working in the indie film circuit has given me insight on how to be a better actor. When I’m not filming I am watching actors like Lee Majors, Terry Kiser, Doug Jones, Tom Sizemore, and many other wonderful actors on set. I observe their craft and how they prepare themselves for their character. I might be running the slate, but don’t let that fool you, I’m actually locked in and watching their every move and when I’m helping edit during post production I am seeing what makes good actors stand out. I’m also learning what “not” to do as an actor.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory happened when I was 8 years old. I was at Worldfest Houston, a huge film festival in Texas. The Houston Film Critics Society presented me with my very first acting award, Best Young Actress in the feature film The Last Astronaut. It was such an honor to receive an award from film critics at such a young age. My mom and I had no idea I was even nominated for an award so we both sat there shocked for a few minutes until everyone at our table stood up and started congratulating me and telling me to go up on stage to get my award. The beautiful trophy still sits on our fireplace mantel with many other awards.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://LexiArnold.com
- Instagram: @AlexisArnoldActress
Image Credits
Shawn Welling
Ray Kuglar
Morgan Jones Photography
