12 / FEATURE
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Ashlyn McEvers lands part in 22 Jump Street Jordan Gill Assistant Editor Graduating high school takes every student in a different direction. Some choose college, some take a year off, and some start with a job. Ashlyn McEvers chose to follow her dream as an actress. McEvers graduated from DHS in 2013 and jumped into the acting industry as soon as she had the chance. “After I graduated, I moved to New Orleans to be closer to my agency,” McEvers said. “I booked a recurring role on the show ‘Star-Crossed,’ which is on the CW, and as I got more jobs, my IMDb star meter went up. My manager then found me on IMDb, and I moved to L.A. two months ago to be with her.” McEvers started her career as an actress doing small commercials and print advertisements. “I started acting when I was 14 years old,” McEvers said. “I started with national commercials and print jobs that I got from my agent. I did advertisements for Febreeze and Top Golf.” Once McEvers began acting, she immediately fell in love. She knew that this is what she wanted to do with her life. “When I left Denton my goal
was to be on film,” McEvers said. “I love to be around it so I just needed to find work. I have no goal to be famous. I just want to be able to do what I love and I believe that with my hard work fame may come.” With her goals in mind McEvers landed a role in the upcoming movie 22 Jump Street. “This is just a small role but I was super excited when I got it,” McEvers said. “I’m still waiting for my big break in the industry. You kind of have to slowly work your way up and take it one step at a time. It’s like dominos. Once you get booked, other people will see you and you will get more roles.” McEvers had an amazing time on set filming her scenes and each time she films it reminds her of why she loves acting so much. “My favorite thing about being on set are the endless amounts of food, I love it,” McEvers said. “Also I love that you’ll never know how the scene will turn out. It’s not acting; it’s changing your emotions for the scene and to play off the other person that you are acting with. I never know what I look like or how I’m portraying my lines until I watch it.” McEvers’ mother, Tiffany, is also an actress and is a huge in-
spiration to her daughter. “My mom acted for 15 years and she made all the young actress’ mistakes,” McEvers said. “Because of this she was always able to guard me from the bad opportunities and help me leap past that stage.” Both of McEvers’ parents are supportive of her pursuits in the acting industry. “My biggest inspiration is from my parents,” McEvers said. “They are big on following my dreams. Most parents push their kids to go to college but for me it was just a different case. They were supportive of me taking the next step and moving to New Orleans after graduation, and supportive all the way through, just like any other parent.” Throughout high school, McEvers was involved in cheer, soccer, and she took an art class. She loved being with her friends but she knew that school just wasn’t for her. She found happiness in other things and she made the decision to not attend college, knowing that it would only be an obstacle between her and her dream of being a working actress. “While going through high school nobody knew I acted,” McEvers said. “People would just assume I was going to be famous, so nobody knew me for who I really was. When I moved people were totally surprised. There is no need to show off, goals are personal and the accomplishments are what people can hear about.” McEvers has learned a lot since leaving the small town of Denton to live in New Orleans only to move to Los Angeles where she is currently residing by herself. “It is important to not be a follower, “McEvers said. “In high school it’s so easy to just fall into the wrong crowd and surround yourself with judgmental people. It’s crucial to take the time to find your passion. I found out that school wasn’t really meant for me and although going to college is so encouraged by everyone, I decided that it wasn’t the best thing for me to do personal-
Throwback Thursday: Ashlyn McEvers (left) at the homecoming carnival two years ago during her junior year. (courtesy photo) ly. I wanted to follow my dream, and college wasn’t going to get me there.” McEvers encourages everyone to follow their dreams. “Everything is possible, even if it’s silly,” McEvers said. “If there’s one thing I learned since I started acting is that if you sit back and think you can’t do it, you‘ll never even get the chance to do it. People that have made it to the top started at the bottom with a dream.” Being an actress has influenced McEvers positively. She learned a lot from working on set, auditioning, meeting new people, and being with her manager. “This line of work is lucky,”
McEvers said. “People spend years looking for a good manager but my manager just came to me. I am very grateful for her and all the hard work that she does for me.” McEvers loves living in Los Angeles and is enjoying her life as a working actress. Although times can get rough, she keeps pushing through, always with her passion to succeed in mind. “The acting industry is full of rejection,” McEvers said. “One of my favorite actresses, Charlize Theron, finally got booked after her 100th audition. She kept her head up high and never gave up because life is just full of rejection.”