At 13, China Anne McClain is fast making her mark in the entertainment industry. With her dad Michael, a music producer, and her mother Shontell, a songwriter, it was assumed she would follow suit.
Instead, at age six, she made her big screen debut in The Gospel. Her performance caught the eye of Tyler Perry, who cast her as Jazmine Payne in his TV series, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.
She went on to make an impact in the movie Daddy’s Little Girls, which, funnily enough, featured her real-life sisters, Sierra and Lauryn. And that’s not forgetting her cameos in Hannah Montana, NCIS, Grown Ups and Wizards of Waverly Place.
Of course, throughout her acting pursuits, McClain hasn’t forsaken her musical lineage. In June, Hollywood Records signed her on and Calling All The Monsters from the A.N.T. Farm soundtrack charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 in September.
On bagging the lead role of Chyna Parks, an 11-year-old musical prodigy at high school in A.N.T. Farm, a chuffed McClain shares: “I’m having the time of my life. It’s awesome.
“The scripts are really funny and my cast mates are really cool. I never imagined this would happen to me, but I’m really glad it has.”
Still in school, it wasn’t difficult for McClain to summon up the emotions of playing a schoolgirl – albeit an über smart one.
“The show is all about fitting in at school. So there are some fun lessons to learn along with the funny jokes and silly things going on. Kids can relate to everything,” she says.
The comedy revolves around the challenges the kids attending the prestigious A.N.T. (advanced natural talents) programme face among their older peers.
Being a child actor has its fair share of pros and cons. The young actress nods: “My favourite thing about acting is the way I get to work with so many amazing people.
“The cast grows a close bond, so you always have somebody to talk to and hang out with. I guess working on emotional scenes in the worst part of acting. You have to pretend to be sad and down, but you don’t want to be blue. That’s really tough, but I don’t have to do it often.”
Having attained a great foothold in TV, McClain says training is crucial “if you’re really serious about acting”.
“At first, I didn’t like acting lessons, but then I realised how important they were. There’s always room to learn. Never forget that.”
Given her commitment to her craft, McClain is clearly determined to leave her mark in the industry. Looks like another Disney prodigy is on the rise.
l A.N.T. Farm starts on Disney Channel on December 10, 9.40am.
DISNEY CHANNEL’S BIG FINDS
l Miley Cyrus: Daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. She rose to fame in Hannah Montana in 2006. Her Breakout album, which released in 2008, heralded a new start for the teen sensation as she embarked on a rebellious, wild streak with raunchy costumes that comp-lemented her rock star lifestyle.
l Vanessa Hudgens: She couldn’t have asked for a better platform than High School Musical, where she played Gabriella Montez. Although Zac Efron, her co-star, and her have parted ways, Hudgens has man-aged to cement her success with an array of diverse movie roles. While she hasn’t had much time to dedicate to her music career with V (2006) and Identified (2008) as her only album credits, she has managed to stay out of the lime-light (for all things negative) and remain relevant in the industry.
l Ashley Tisdale: She earned her stripes as Maddie Fitzpatrick in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and went on to earn more fans for her portrayal of Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series. Aside from turning producer, Tisdale, who has two albums to her name, is kept rather busy with a plethora of TV and film offers. And she has the awards/nominations to prove it.
l Selena Gomez: Right now, Gomez, who is dating teen singing sensation Justin Bieber, can do no wrong in the eyes of her fans. Her music career continues to soar. And the 19-year-old is inundated with movie offers. To think it all started with her playing Alex Russo in the Wizards of Waverly Place.
l Demi Lovato: Starred in Camp Rock and Sonny with a Chance. However, her career, which took root at age seven, eventually took its toll on the actress-singer. At the end of last year, she checked herself out of a rehabilitation centre for physical and emotional issues. In September, she released Unbroken, her third album and a testament to her surviving all the star pitfalls she has faced.
THE CAST SHARE THEIR FUNNY MOMENTS
China Anne McClain (Chyna Parks, musical prodigy):
“We get to dress up as some very peculiar things on A.N.T. Farm.
“I don’t like to give away storylines, but there’s a really fun episode where I have to play a table.
“At first, I felt really stupid in my table costume, but then it made me giggle. I kept bumping into things and looked so silly.”
Sierra McCormick (Olive Doyle, has a photographic memory):
“I love to laugh, but sometimes I can’t stop. Everyone says I have the most contagious giggles because when
“I start laughing, everyone starts laughing.
“We end up rolling around the floor, for hours, and we have to cut the recording. Eek!”
Jake Short (Fletcher Quimby, an artistic genius and practical joker):
“The funniest scenes usually involve someone getting gunked. And it’s usually Lexi Reed. Lexi is the bully in the show and she’s played by Stefanie Scoot.
“We have to be really serious when we’re filming those scenes, but if you look carefully you can always see us trying not to crack up.
Carlon Jeffery (Cameron Parks, China’s older brother):
“It’s really fun when we shoot in front of a live audience, but it is also very nerve-wracking. I’ve flubbed my lines quite a few times.
“One time, I couldn’t get the line out of my mouth. I looked at the audience and pulled this really funny face – and everyone just fell about laughing.”