https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=223139051875375&set=a.119060665616548&type=3&theater
1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Hi! My name is Elena Goodrow, and I’m 15 years old. I am an actress, a harpist, and Cystic Fibrosis fighter. I’m homeschooled, and I choose to spend time pursuing my interests in acting and music! I started out doing school theater, and now I am focused on making my transition into the world of tv and film.
2. You use a lot of hashtags and I want to touch on a few of them if that is okay? Of course! Yes, I tend to use a lot of hashtags because it helps my posts become available to a larger audience.
3. #cysticfibrosis, explain what it is to our readers. How does it affect you? What is your day normally like dealing with this disease? Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the lungs and the digestive system, CF has many impacts on the way my body works every day. I have to do breathing treatments each day to make it easier to breath and to try and rid my lungs of the bad bacteria that they can harvest. I also take over 35 pills each day in order for my body to be able to function properly, since my digestive system doesn’t work very well. CF is a complicated disease with a lot of impacts on my body, which makes CF come up often in my daily routine whether I am jogging up the stairs or trying to eat a snack. Even taking in a deep breath can be a challenge some days
4. #harpist, why did you learn to play the harp? Is it hard to play? Do you enjoy playing it? I really wanted to learn how to play an instrument that’s unique. A couple of years ago, I was at a friend’s house and I had just stopped taking piano lessons after 8 years of weekly lessons. I was craving music, but didn’t know what I wanted to play. The friend’s house I was at, happened to have a mother that is a harp teacher. She had a room full of harps. I sat down and started to play one, and the harp teacher came in and saw that it was me that was playing a little song I figured out. She told me that she was impressed I figured out how to play a song already, and I should consider taking lessons. I was really excited, I loved the harp and thought it would be a fun, unique instrument to start learning. So I started lessons, got myself a harp, and I have been playing ever since then! Because of my background with piano, learning how to read the harp music was quite easy, as piano music is nearly identical. The difficult part was learning the technique with the positioning of your hands and how to play the strings. After lots of daily practice, all that technique became second nature to me. However, I still learn new things each week. I love the harp, I even had the honor of performing for 35+ international consulates at a Christmas party last year. I actually have a performance tonight at a fundraiser!
5. I know you have a therapy dog. What type of dog? Name? What is he/she trained to do? Is the dog considered a “service animal?” His name is Milford and he is a Cavachon, which is a mix between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Bichon Frise. He is hypoallergenic, doesn’t shed, and is born with the nature of a therapy dog. Cavachons are one of the recommended breeds for people with CF. I got him last August, and currently he has not been officially certified as a therapy dog, he is still going through some training. However, he certainly is still a therapy dog for me. He is trained to respond to non-verbal commands via hand motions, and he is trained to sit with me during my breathing treatments. (Although he is still a puppy and sometimes gets a little impatient with how long my treatments can be!) Therapy animals and service animals are two separate categories, so he is not considered a service dog. Usually I would refer to him as an ESA, or Emotional Support Animal, which is a subcategory of therapy animals.
6.Why do you like acting? I think it is the coolest thing how humans can empathize with each other. This skill of empathy can allow acting to be possible, the ability to connect is amazing. When you can empathize with your character and step into their shoes, it’s so magical to truly get inside of the character’s head. Each character I play is a little different, and I’m constantly finding out new things about myself when I’m inside somebody else’s mind. There are so many different aspects of acting that use your brain to its full potential. It’s emotionally exhausting, but I love the rush. I love being in front of a camera or an audience. When I step onto a stage or in front of a camera, I feel like I’m back home. Also, I love the atmosphere on set. Each person has their own job, take the lighting assistant for an example. Without that one person the entire project wouldn’t be possible. No matter how small that job is, that person is 100% dedicated to it. I love that!
7. How does it help students like yourself to be able to shoot on the Ares bridge set? The Ares Studio set was so incredible, for the actors it created this whole new level of stepping into the character’s shoes. I could really see myself inside of a spaceship, because I WAS inside of a spaceship! It was really great to have the opportunity to film there, and it made the film, “Alien Territory,” much more immersive! I haven’t officially announced this yet, but I’m actually working on writing a short film and I plan to film on the Ares Studio set! That’s all I can say right now, I’ll give away more details on my instagram, @elena.goodrow, when the time comes.
8.What do you want to do in the future? Do you want to keep acting,
or move behind the camera? I love acting so much, but I also love the film industry as a whole. I can see myself becoming a production assistant in between acting jobs, and I would love to be a director! Right now, I’m thinking about going to a film school or performing arts school to figure out exactly what I want to do. I will definitely pursue a career in the film/performance industry!
9. Besides acting and music, any other hobbies? Acting, music, school, CF, friends, and family take up so much of my everyday life! I do have interests, things that I enjoy doing when I have the time. However, when I do have free time I usually try to spend it with my friends. I’m part of a Dungeons and Dragons club. (Yes, I am a nerd.) If I have a lazy few hours at home I’ll try to read, write, practice driving, or watch TV. TV shows and movies are important to me, as I enjoy studying the acting in them. But that circles back around to acting! I think once I realized that acting and music are my biggest passions, that’s what I throw myself into everyday since I love it so much
10. How supportive of all your various activities are your parents? My parents are SO supportive of me! I’m so lucky to have them, and I try hard not to take them for granted. I have three younger siblings, so driving me around everyday is not easy. My grandparents are also very supportive, they help get me to film sets and take me to my training sessions at Catapult Acting Studios when my parents schedule doesn’t allow it. My parents and grandparents are like my personal team of chauffeurs and managers! I love them so much!
11. How can people learn more about you through social media? Social media is crazy sometimes, but I enjoy that it allows me to advertise myself. On average, I post every week about what I’m up to. People that follow me will learn about the projects I’ve been in, and they will hopefully watch them! Also, through my YouTube channel people can hear me talk and play some music. Even though social media is great at keeping people up to date on what I’m doing, the best way to learn more about me is to give me a call or talk to me in person!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elena.goodrow/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elena.goodroww
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMFlV2AcoSEEGdLszvazsBQ
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10064397/?ref_=nv_sr_1
