Thalia Tran / Photo credit: Deidhra Fahey

Teen actress and singer Thalia Tran is a star to keep an eye on. A young actress with her sights set on success, she is quickly becoming a TV and movie presence that you won’t want to miss a second of. We got to talk to Thalia about her role in the upcoming movie Little, her TV career, singing, and more.

Coming to theaters April 12, 2019, the movie Little is about a businesswoman whose rise to the top has left her selfish and condescending. When she finds herself trapped in the body of her 13-year-old self, she’s back to middle school. That’s where she meets Thalia’s character Raina and her group of ostracized tweens the “Friend Zone”. Thalia revealed that her character was humiliated for wearing unfashionable clothes to school which led to her finding her place in the group of outcasts. Of course, power-hungry Jordan tries to teach the group how to be cool, finding that she actually needs to change herself in the process.

We asked Thalia about the casting process for Little. “The audition process for Little was actually really smooth,” she said. She only had to audition for the role twice! “I remember one day after school, I hopped into my mom’s car, and my agents and the manager were all on the phone. They told me that I had booked the role of Raina!”

“It all felt surreal.  Little was a dream come true, and my heart is filled with gratitude.”

Thalia has also been working hard on a TV role. She recently finished filming the pilot episode for NBC’s drama, Council of Dads. Based on Bruce Feiler’s bestselling novel by the same name, it tells the story of Scott Perry, a father who has been diagnosed with cancer that gathers his close friends to be father figures to his daughter if he doesn’t survive. Thalia plays that daughter, Charlotte Perry. “The script is so beautiful and powerful,” Thalia said. “It tells the story of how all of us cope with the devastating news of the cancer diagnosis while simultaneously struggling with other challenges in our lives… I truly believe that this project is something that is so necessary in today’s world.”

With both a TV role and a major movie role wrapped up, we had to ask Thalia about the differences between the two types of media. “For me,” she said, “the difference between TV and film roles is in the length and complexity of your character’s journey.” She says that there is an advantage to TV because it gives you more time with a character, more space for complicated journey’s and multiple periods of growth as episodes and even seasons pass. With movies, the journey is more specific, and that journey only lasts as long as the film, so things have to be more concise. “On the other hand,” she told us, “the fun part about film is that you’re not limited to one character for several years. From film to film, you get the chance to experiment with different characters, and you get to tell a wide variety of stories.”

As if TV and movie acting weren’t enough, Thalia is also a talented singer! In fact, Thalia’s first love was music. She told us about how she would hum herself to sleep as a baby, and growing up, Thalia could be found singing wherever she went. After some time taking vocal, piano, and guitar lessons, it was actually Thalia’s vocal coach that suggested she take acting lessons, saying it would be a great way to improve her performance skills. “I signed up for a lesson just to try it out,” she said, “and I simply fell in love with acting.” She told us that music gave her her love for performance and that she hopes to one day be able to use both talents in a project together.

“I sang anywhere and everywhere, and to this day, I still do the same.”

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that we’ll be able to see Thalia taking on the role of Charlotte in Council of Dads soon, but for now, we’re excited about the upcoming premiere of Little which makes its way to the big screen Tuesday, April 12, 2019. But what’s Thalia’s next big project?

Right now, she has her sights set on playing a superhero someday, but a long-term goal she shared with us is to push for more diverse representation in movies and TV. “As an Asian American actress, it’s really inspiring to see projects like Crazy Rich Asians and to see people like Constance Wu, Lana Condor, and Gemma Chan succeed,” Thalia said. “There are still so many more stories to be told.  It’s wonderful to watch these Asian American actors challenge assumptions and defy stereotypes.  Hollywood is changing right in front of our eyes, and I hope to contribute to this movement.”

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Veronica Good has been with Showstopper Magazine since 2016. When she isn't keeping you updated on the latest trends, she is at home with her many pets or probably playing The Sims 4. Veronica has a BA in English and an MA in writing from Coastal Carolina University. She is also a writer of fiction and poetry, and her work can be found in Archarios, Tempo, and Scapegoat.