MARY WISNIEWSKI
Assistant A&E Editor
Samantha Stewart entered a room for an audition to be in a Buddy Jewell country music video. It was one of her first auditions, and she was trying out for the part along with a boy who was four years younger than her. Soon she discovered the scene did not require much acting. In fact, it mostly required strong lips. After all, Stewart just had to make out with the guy. The audition began and so did the lip action.
“It was the most awful experience of my life,” Stewart said as she flips her chestnut hair back. Stewart did not get the part; however, it certainly did not scare her away from auditioning again.
Theater is a fitting major for Stewart who longs to go into film. She acts, sings and dances, and prefers them in that order.
“It goes skill-wise,” she said.
Stewart has already had a leading role in Pepperdine’s play “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball.” She said the production was small, and consequently allowed her to try out new things.
“The director was very open,” she said. “It was a great first show to do.”
Stewart said she really likes Pepperdine’s theater program and called it supportive.
“I don’t think seniority is a big thing here,” she said. “I don’t feel like the little freshman who has to wait her turn.”
Stewart wants to make movies that will impact people.
“I don’t want to do Tara Reid or Paris Hilton kind of films,” she said. “I want to do Oscar-worthy films. I want to do a great movie.”
Freshman Kasey Arnold, who has been Stewart’s close friend for eight years, said Stewart’s drive, ambition and love of theater sets her apart from others.
“Sam stands out wherever she goes,” Arnold said.
Some of Stewart’s favorite actors include River Phoenix and Edward Norton. She also looks to Reese Witherspoon for inspiration, a woman who grew up in the same town as her in Brentwood, Tenn.
Stewart has been acting since the
second grade with her first play called “The Littlest Angel.”
“I was the fat angel who ate a lot of candy,” she said.
Stewart has not stopped since. It is a surprising talent considering she is the only one in her family who wants to pursue acting.
“My mother said she doesn’t know where I get it from,” she said.
Stewart has come a long way for those days, but said she still realizes the cutthroat nature of acting.
“You really need to have thick skin,” she said. She credits her faith as helping her get through the competition and letdowns. Stewart also said she thinks the acting business is just like being in any other business.
“It’s like everywhere else,” she said. “You have a nice group of people and a bad group of people.”
Stewart joined Advantage Models and Talent agency in eighth grade in her hometown. At first, the company immersed her into modeling, something Stewart enjoyed, but was not part of the future she wanted. She told them she wanted to be an actress, and over time, began to have more acting auditions. She also began to teach classes for the agency.
Since attending Pepperdine, Stewart has joined a Los Angeles agency. This summer, she will be living in Los Angeles with a friend from high school who wants to go into acting too. In the city she will be doing as many auditions as possible.
“I want to get more experience,” she said. “I’ll do anything I can.”
Stewart said her main goal while at Pepperdine is to get her agency to really notice her.
“I have to get my name in the front of their minds,” she said. “It’s really difficult for them to notice.”
Stewart is highly motivated by acting and plans to graduate Pepperdine a year early. She said the early graduation will save her dad money, and let her explore Los Angeles.
It’s not just acting that Stewart said she enjoys. She has a passion for knitting and scrap booking. Stewart also owns a Blockbuster of her own in her room with her collection of about 400 movies that she says friends are constantly borrowing. She also spends time on Melrose attending improv shows about once a week.
“It makes me feel like I’m part of the LA scene,” she said.
Stewart has come a long ways since being the fat angel and is ready to take on Hollywood one audition at a time.
03-30-2006
