Southport Magazine

When our friend Penny Watkins, owner of Boo & Roo’s Boutique in Southport, called to tell us her daughter Holland had been cast in Disney’s new animated feature “Wish,” and asked if we’d like to speak to her about it, we jumped at the chance. In my book, being in a Disney movie makes Holland a Disney Princess, and when you get the chance to talk to a Disney Princess, you take it. 

Can you tell me a little about yourself? Did you have any theatrical experience as a kid? 

I grew up in southern Virginia, a tiny truck stop town called Emporia. I did one musical as a kid but I definitely don’t count it towards my acting experience.

Can you tell me a little about your acting career to this point? 

So I wanted to major in it in college but everyone was like “you don’t major in a hobby” and really convinced me not to do it. So I chose medicine, but I remember I would go to the ECU musical performances they had and I would be so mad at myself for listening to everyone and not majoring in what I was really passionate about. I mean I wanted to do film and tv since I was six years old. I had no passion for medicine. But senior year of college I took an acting elective and my teacher was like “You are hilarious and have a true talent for this.” He asked me why I was majoring in medicine and I was like, well, I don’t know. He told me that I would probably regret it one day if I didn’t go for acting and he was right. 

At the time I was playing rugby so I moved to Florida to train for professional wrestling. It was fun but wasn’t really “it.” But I still wanted to do entertainment, so I was like okay, I need a job that will give me flexibility for acting, and decided to do hair. Then I was in a position where I could train for acting at NL Acting Studio, which teaches the method acting technique, and I’ve been there a little over a year. I’ve done a handful of short independent films and I do the fighting stunts on them as well.

Can you tell us little about what Wish is about, and your character in the story?

I’m not gonna lie, I’m honestly not sure what “Wish” is about. I’ll find out November 22! But my character is a little mouse and I can’t give too much away, but it’s an important moment in the story.

How did you get cast? What was that experience like?

I took a seminar with the Animation Casting Director Jamie Sparer Roberts over Zoom. Wasn’t expecting anything out of it other than learning about how they cast for their animated features. I asked her a question and she asked me “Is that your real voice?” I said yeah, I naturally sound like a 7-year-old. She said “No, it is the coolest voice I’ve ever heard!” So then I saw I had a private message from her asking me to send her an email that she had something for me, and it was the audition. I submitted it the next day and she calls me about a month later to tell me I booked the role. She was like aren’t you excited!! And I was in shock. All I said was “I think so.” She went on to say how she has never sent anyone an audition in a class and had them book the role. She was so nice too, I talked to her a few times after that phone call and she assured me that just because I haven’t been acting very long doesn’t mean that I didn’t work hard to get the role. She said she was so happy and proud of me.

One thing I always wonder, do you do voice to animation, or do they animate to the dialogue, I guess I mean which comes first?

They animate to the dialogue.

What’s the biggest challenge to voice acting?

The biggest challenge is not having a scene partner to work off of. A lot of acting is listening and responding to your partner. When you do animation, you’re recording alone with the director. They can guide you, but you have to really have a good understanding of your character and the scene. 

What’s the best thing about voice acting as opposed to live action?

No one can see me! I love that the most. 

How does it feel to be in a Disney animated feature? Are you a Disney fan?

WILD! Absolutely wild. Animation is hard to break into and for a Disney move to be my first big feature… just wild. Oh yes, I’m a huge Disney fan. I have an annual pass and a “Frozen” tattoo on my leg.

What’s next for you?

MOVING OUT OF FLORIDA!!! To either Atlanta or Los Angeles. I have a theatrical agent now (film and tv) and so I have to move as Florida does not film here. And today I have a meeting with my mentor about getting an animation agent, so hopefully I will have one in the next few weeks, and then more animated work.

“Wish” is in theaters now, and we tracked down Disney’s description of the movie for you. We can’t wait to go and see our new mouse friend! 

“In “Wish,” Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force—a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico—to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.”