Like a high-suspense movie keeping the audience on the edge of its seat, Haylee Manning’s pursuit of her dream would already fill an exciting script about her life.
“I’m not afraid to do it,” said the 11-year-old about acting. “It just comes naturally to me and it’s fun.”
This Luling girl is already waiting on word about whether her taped audition will land her a role in a movie that has been kept so secret that the script had a bar code for a title. The answer on whether she got the part may not come until next month.
“If that script got lost we could get sued,” said Manning’s mother, Kellie. “What movie she auditioned for we have no idea.”
The only tip on the flick that Haylee could give was, “I had to be a very serious kind of kid … very tough and stuff.”
This could be her break into movies, and one she’s worked hard to earn.
“We’re crossing fingers,” Kellie said. “But even if not, the thing with Haylee is she likes to perform. She’s been told you’ll get a lot of ‘No’s’ before you get a ‘Yes.’”
Even so, if Haylee doesn’t get a part, she’s still a kid who smiles all the time and keeps on going.
A year ago, Manning auditioned for and was accepted to the Launch Model & Talent performing arts school in Metairie. Soon after, she was chosen to attend the Industry Network event in Los Angeles where young actors perform in hopes of landing an agent and manager.
“There were hundreds of children auditioning,” Kellie said, noting, her daughter was among only 25 who made the call. “The line was out the door.”
Upon her return to Luling, Haylee got 11 callbacks and provided a demo tape that she hopes will land her acting work.
“When I was younger, I really wanted to try to be an actress,” Manning said. “Once I auditioned for the school, I realized I wanted to be an actress.”
Her mother added, “Haylee has always wanted to do something at a very young age.”
But her mother praised her school as the place where she is developing the groundwork and connections necessary to launch her career.
She’s got a local agent, Ashley Wilkinson with CTG South in Metairie, which also represents Madison Wolfe, child actor starring in the horror film, “Conjuring 2.” Manning won the tickets to a private screening of the movie, which she attended with Wolfe. The two attend the same acting school and know each other.
They share Nicole Barre’ as a teacher.
Barre’, a native of New Orleans and graduate of Destrehan High School, worked as a personal assistant to actors Angelina Jolie-Pitt and Brad Pitt, as well as assisted or worked with top movie names including cinematographer Robert Richardson while she lived in Los Angeles.
Landing a spot in the school is when both Haylee and her mother say they knew being an actress was a good fit.
Haylee auditioned for a part in the television series, “Roots,” when it was filmed in Baton Rouge. Kellie said seeing how her daughter was comfortable with five people prepping her for the scene was convincing enough for her.
Although she didn’t get a part, she made incredible new friends, including Cailey Fleming, child actor in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
Like thousands of children, Haylee hopes to land a role in a TV show or movie.
But she’s prepared to take any role she has to start her career.
“It’s for me,” Haylee said of being an actor. “It’s comfortable for me. I can do it anywhere.”
Even as she anticipates word about her much anticipated movie break, she’s equally realistic: “What the future holds for me is what happens.”
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