Jenny Aluning
Oh what could have been! Casey Nissen (StarCentral’s Most Promising Actress for July 2016) was only 4 years old when she caught the attention of an agent who was scouting for a Japanese commercial. Declaring her “perfect”, Casey attended the audition. She describes her audition: “I went into the room full of confidence until I locked eyes on the cameraman who was a big bald scary looking lad, he freaked me out so much I couldn’t stop crying and blew the audition.” Despite the shaky start, Casey went on to make acting her career and she hasn’t wavered since.
Casey has explored other areas of the entertainment industry as well. When she was 8 years old, she was part of the Australian Youth Choir and she also holds an Advance Diploma of Musical Theatre and Dance from the Australian Dance Performance Institute (ADPI) in Queensland. But such is her passion for acting that for the 2 years that she was in ADPI, she would travel down to Sydney to attend classes at NIDA – Australia’s famous acting school, the National Institute of Dramatic Art. But what is it about acting that has captured her so? She admits “I can’t describe the feeling, I just get this buzz and this overwhelming sensation of happiness because it has been my passion for as long as I can remember, so when I get to do it, I’m literally on cloud 11 (2 up from cloud 9, the feeling is that intense).”
That strong love for the art form is what has helped Casey through the more challenging aspects of her chosen profession. She has had to live away from her family for, as she says, “a chunk of my life” and the competitive nature of the business can, she admits, also mean it’s “a pretty disheartening career at times, as you sometimes feel like no matter how hard you’re working you feel as though you’re staying in the same place…” She also recalls not being signed by an agent in Los Angeles because, according to Casey, “I was a little bit “too fat” and to come back when I’d lost weight,(I was a size 10 at the time)…”
But those challenges are all part and parcel of being an actor and Casey tells that “I’ve learned to get back up every time and to get stronger from every rejection…” and she says that “you have to remember that one person’s opinion can be completely different to another person’s opinion…” That attitude has paid off for this talented young Aussie. Not only has she landed roles in feature films, shorts and on TV, she also has had the opportunity to live and study in Los Angeles where, she declares, “I felt like I was in a dreamland the whole time that I was finally around people who got it, who could relate to me!” She studied at one of Hollywood’s most respected audition schools, Margie Haber Studio where she says the teachers have “inspired me beyond words.” Casey also relates that “they taught me so much about getting out of my comfort zone and just believing in my talent. I had one teacher who rarely gave compliments and the day she said “you nailed it”, I cried (in the bathroom) because I had found a new level of pushing myself…”
There is no doubt that Casey Nissen is on her way. She has the support of her family behind her (her mother even actively searches and informs her of any upcoming auditions), the talent and a mindset made for acting. Casey has also recently finished studying fashion business (men’s styling) and while she hopes to return to the US one day, she says she ardently hopes “to one day be successfully doing both acting and styling together.
‘LIGHTNING FAST’ Round:
1. Last good movie I’ve seen I’m just going to say my favourite movie “Like Crazy” because I watched it again the other day and after 6 years I’m still not sick of it. I will work with Drake Doremus one day!!!
2. What do you consider beautiful and why? When a person has a passion for something, it doesn’t matter what it is I just love seeing people talk about something they love. I think it’s truly beautiful that every person you meet has that one thing that keeps them up at night too, I love that.
3. What haven’t you done yet that you wish you could? Everything, so much, this is a tough question. My goal list is basically equivalent to the size of a dictionary. Goal number one, I want to be a working Actor in Australia!! Goal number two, be a working Actor in the USA!! Goal number three eventually be either styling male celebs/rappers or have a men’s line of some sort.
4. Complete this sentence: “If I had no fear, I’d…” be living out of my comfort zone all the time and that would be a lot of fun
5. What is the one “flaw” you wouldn’t change about yourself? My awkwardness, it makes for some hilarious times, which makes me laugh a lot at myself daily.
Jenny Aluning
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Jason Harris
