Hollywood is a small town. You see the same people again and again.  Like today, we sat next to Corey Haim at the pool exactly as we did one year ago. Corey, if he was before your time like he was mine, was a child star in the 80’s, and he did movies with Corey Feldman.  Haim starred in THE LOST BOYS and in my opinion had the best lines in the movie- he rocked it! Sadly, he is like the child actor’s cautionary tale… big success, then drugs, leading to being broke, and no real transition from child star to roles for the adult Corey.  When I watch LOST BOYS, I see such a talented actor… but that doesn’t mean a lot in this town.

I happened to see Corey while visiting my sister.  She still lives in the apartment we moved into when we first came to L.A. It is a complex called Oakwood, and almost everyone new to L.A. has stayed here while trying to get settled.  It is big, with manicured grounds, pools, tennis courts, and furnished apartments overlooking the Warner Bros. and Universal studios… perfect for newbies.  It also hosts a ‘Child Actor Program’ during Pilot Season, and caters to families with industry speakers, meet-and-greets with agents, and academic tutors.  When we landed at THE Oakwood, I thought it was heaven- palm trees, sun, and an immediate group of girls just my age that I could hang with by the pool and walk our little purse puppies all day long.  The girls I met were great and we all bonded and supported each other wishing the one running to an audition “LUCK!” and we meant it! We compared stories of being in our hometowns with kids who didn’t understand what we were about… like even tho you may be on a national commercial, you are the most hated girl at school.  I loved how my new friends understood me. The moms of the child actors are a different story. While some were very nice, others were the nightmare version of the sterotypical stage moms.

My first week at Oakwood, I met the resident who has lived here the longest- 36 years!!! I couldn’t place her accent, but loved how she called me ‘dahling‘ and walked her chihuahua at a snail’s pace. She seemed to know everyone, and since I was new, she cornered me by the vending machines and told me her life story.  Short version, she worked in some way in the “pictures” forever and loved Hollywood.  She told me about working with Marilyn Monroe who was in this woman’s words, “the sweetest and saddest girl in the world.”  I found myself thinking of an Eagles song my dad had me listen to called “Hotel California.”  Ms. Oakwood had checked out but had never left.

I could see how this town could suck you in and decades could pass while waiting for your big break.  I thought about this when I saw Corey Haim almost exactly one year to the day… both of us in the same place.  I have had a great year of adventures, and I wondered about him… so I did what normal people do.. I looked him up on IMDb.  Happily, it seems he has had a insanely productive year with may projects in post-production.  It just goes to show that you never know what is going to happen in this town of make-believe, and so, it’s best to just take it day to day and not too seriously.  Still, I’m going back to the Oakwood pool this time next year, and I hope that Corey is there… I think he in a weird way… Corey Haim is my good luck charm.

I left for LA, CA with my family one year ago today, so I thought this would be a good day to start my blog about a thirteen year old actor’s adventures is LALA Land.  See, this is all I have wanted since I was seven. Growing up in a small town in Northern Indiana, my first grade teacher told me, “You march to a different drum,” and everyone else said I was a ’natural’ on the stage of the community theatre.  The only thing I asked for on my 8th birthday was an agent.   My mom took me to see Tanisha in Chicago, and I started auditioning and doing short movies and commercials.  I was excited to get to film a feature so close to home with Devi and the TRIPPIN’ cast… but I still begged my parents to take me to Hollywood.  Thankfully my sister, Maddy, who is five years older and an actor too, was in a horrible car wreck a year ago last November.

Well, I am not actually glad that a semi ran a stop sign and t-boned her little car and that she had to be cut out and had a concussion and a fractured hip… I am thankful that it shook us to the realization that life is short, and we should make each day count since we never know what will happen! The Whitbys decided that all the reasons we used to put off moving out west (friends, schools, money, etc.) really didn’t amount to much… So, Hollywood here we come!

My mom had researched ‘Pilot Season for Child Actors,’ so the the quick decision to make the move was not as insane as it sounds… at least on paper.  Maddy and I knew from experience that acting is about studying and auditioning and lots and lots of rejection, and in reality, most people spend five years as actors and move on to something else without ever getting a break.  We were ready for the adventure, and my mom and dad handled the logistics of when, where, and how. So, on a snowy December 29th, we left Granger, Indiana with a our SUV and a small u-haul attached.  Of course there were those who said… They’re crazy!…. or, They will be back… and, California is no place for a nice little Mid-West family. Little did they know that this Mid-West girl had been playing nice, but deep inside was a real Lil’ F*ck*r who was ready to get the party started, and that is exactly what happened! Next time I will tell you about moving into THE apartment complex for Hollywood virgins… it was like a different planet and I LOVED it!!!