Chantal's Hollywood Adventures

Hello my lovely readers, I can't believe I have been in Los Angeles for nearly six months already. After a long twelve weeks of classes and two weeks of rehearsals for our exams play, the first semester is finally up. The last six months in Los Angeles have been a roller coaster, but have been the best months of my life. In just one semester at The Academy I have learnt so much and allowed myself to grow in confidence and as an actor. I have made the best of friends and had so much fun experiencing the nightlife and going on many adventures around LA. I've also had an amazing time reconnecting with a good friend of mine from England who also happened to be studying in Los Angeles at the time and I definitely feel this has given me a feeling of being at home.  The day after my exam play I was so excited to go and pick up mum from the airport who had come all the way from London to spend winter break with me. We went to stay in the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills for four days ...

Hey guys, So.. things here in LA have been super crazy. We have finally finished our first twelve weeks of classes and I went to San Francisco for my very first thanksgiving with my family, which was so much fun. Now that I have returned I am in the process of rehearsing for our exam play at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The play that I will be doing is Wendy Wasserstein's Pulitzer Prize winning play 'The Heidi Chronicles' and I will be playing the role of Heidi. The Heidi Chronicles is an iconic play that speaks a very strong message to the audience. The play follows the life of Heidi through the decades from 1965-1980 whilst she tries to find her place within society and how this fits in with the rise of feminism. Heidi is a very interesting character and I am so glad I get to play such a rounded, strong, independent character. When I was first given the character, I had a complete overwhelming feeling. This is such a strong play and I want to bring Heidi to ...

Hey Guys, So I've never really been a huge fan of Halloween, I know most people think that's crazy but back in England I never saw the appeal in it. I knew before moving to LA that Halloween here was a big deal and from the moment I got here in August people were already planning what they were going to do and wear for Halloween. I didn't really have a plan but I knew for the first time I wanted to experience it real LA style. We still didn't have a proper plan up until about five minters before we actually went last night. I'm usually very organised and hate planning things really last minute as I like to know plans in advance so that I can prepare, but since I've been here I've started to get used to the fact that people do not plan things, they usually just happen. I also wasn't even sure that I wanted to go out in the end because I still extremely hungover from the following night that the thought of putting on a costume and heels made me angry. ...

Hello my lovely readers, This blog is definitely way overdue and from now on I will make sure that I start updating it more often. Everything in LA has been so crazy that it's been difficult to keep up. I have now been living in LA for almost two months and I absolutely love it here. Every week is a new adventure. Last week I went to the Disney Hall in downtown LA to experience the work of classical musician Stravinsky with a very good friend of the family. It was an amazing experience, I have always taken an interest in classical music but was never something I had experienced live before, so this was definitely something different and new for me. This not something I would have really had the chance to see back home so it was nice to try explore something different. I enjoyed it so much that I was luckily enough to have the opportunity to attend another classical concert in Glendale, which was put on specifically to raise money for underprivileged children. It was a lovely ex...

Hello my lovely readers, I have now been in LA for the last three weeks and still can't quite believe I'm here. I feel like I have done more in the last three weeks than I have in my whole time living in London. It's so exciting, yet so daunting at the same. Being here at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts has probably been one of the most amazing experiences of my life, I have learnt more at Aada the past few weeks than I  did the whole year that I was at Italia Conti.  Sitting in my acting class listening to my teacher talk about objectives and intentions I just felt a massive sense of clarity regarding what I am here for and knowing that this is where I am meant to be. I am working with the most amazing and talented actors and teachers that it doesn't quite feel real. I just keep thinking to myself that I am so lucky and proud to have made it this far. I become so much more aware of my skills and accepting of my little flaws. Before coming to LA I didn...

This last week has been a bit of a roller coaster for me. Sitting in a little coffee shop in the Grove waiting for an appointment at the Apple Store is the first time I have really had a chance to reflect of my first week at AADA. On Wednesday I finally moved into my apartment, which was probably the most stressful day of all. I got the school housing orientation with CHS regarding my appointment and with no explanation I was told by the advisor of CHS that I was being moved  to a totally different apartment. When I asked the reason he responded with "because I said". He seemed completely unapologetic and responded with rude abrupt answers when I enquired about things to do with the new accommodation. I was already feeling overwhelmed and anxious by the fact that in only a few hours I would be left in LA by myself and he had no interest in making the experience positive for me. I went to my apartment that day feeling quite stressed and upset. I was hoping that I would feel ...

Hey Guys,  Last Saturday I got onto to the plane at Oakland Airport and flew to Burbank for my final stop in Los Angeles. After landing at Burbank my cousin and I headed off to west Hollywood to stay with a very good family friend, who was kind enough to let us stay with him until I was able to move into my apartment.  Our first few days of exploring the area were fantastic. We started off with a spot of shopping at the Beverly Center, which we walked forty minutes to as we had no car, before heading off on a night out at a stylish nightclub near sunset called Boulevard3. The club consisted of a large outside area with large water display surrounded buy fire burners, an outside cocktail bar and luxury VIP areas. There was also an inside section with another very large bar, podium dancers, a VIP section and a large dance floor. It cost about $20 to get in, which is pretty pricey considering in London nightclubs girls will always get i free. I was ...

Hey Guys, So I’ve now been in California for over two weeks and so far I’ve loved every minute of my time here. My first week was spent in Marin County where I went to Napa for wine tasting and had some lovely quality time with my aunt. This week, however, has been a little different, but just as exciting as the first. For my second week in Cali I went to stay with my cousins in Concord and Pleasant Hill, whilst my aunt was in Orange County. This is about an hour away from Marin and has a little more to do. The first few days I was here I didn’t quite feel comfortable, as everything seemed a little alien to me. Even going to the grocery store to buy dinner seemed to be a bit of a stress. I decided after a week of takeaways it was time for me to do a bit of cooking. I headed on my thirty-minute walk to Safeway to pick up the ingredients. After about twenty minutes of searching I finally found most of what I needed except from a bottle of soy sauce. I couldn’t ...

Hello Amigos,  My first week in California has been pretty amazing. On Saturday I went with my aunt, cousin and her husband to Napa Valley for a day of wine tasting. We hired a driver so that we would all be able to sample the different wines without worrying about how to get home. We started the day off at Chandon winery where we were able to try a variety of different prosecco wines and champagnes, before moving on to three other places in Napa. The second two wineries consisted of a combination of wine, cheese and chocolate tasting which comlimented each other perfectly. Our final winery  (which I did not partake in) was a family favourite and a place in which my cousin and aunty have been going to for years. The scenery was beautiful and had an area where you could purchase meats, cheeses, wines and pastas to eat outside in the picnic area. Every winery was beautiful and showcased its own unique identity. Chandon had a classy and elegant feel whilst Castello was ...

Hey Guys, So after talking about my preparations and my excitement to move to America for the past year, the day is finally here. At the moment I am currently sitting in the garden drinking coffee and enjoying the sun whilst I write my first blog post in the USA. I can't believe that it is finally here and I am thrilled to be able to share my latest adventures with all you lovely readers. Waving goodbye to my mum, dad and sister at Heathrow airport I realised that I was finally on my own and ready to start this new chapter in my life. Even at the age of twenty-four I had never really been away from my family for longer than a few weeks and I now had to learn how to be a grown up in the real world (a very scary thought). This is something I felt was extremely important for myself as I was hoping it would allow me to gain a bit more Independence and force me to not always rely on my parents for everything. After leaving my parents for security I was ready to board the plane. I ...

'Is drama school essential as an actor or is a complete waste of money?' This is a tricky debate and is not a decision to take lightly. As someone such as myself who has attended many acting classes and been to various drama schools I feel that there are both pros and cons to attending drama school. I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer to this question as every actor will have a different opinion depending on their personal experiences. For this reason my response to this debate is that it is all personal preference to that individual.  Some actors swear by drama school and believe that it has shaped and developed them into better and more confident actors, whilst, others believe it has made no difference in bettering their careers and now all they have to show for it is  £30,000+ in student debts.  Firstly I want make clear that I wouldn't go to drama school if you are not 110 percent sure that being an actor is for you. Acting is a craft that is very speci...

Hola Amigos,  I cannot believe how fast this last year has gone. Today is officially my two weeks notice. In exactly fourteen days today I will be heading off on my latest adventure. I will begin with a three week trip to San Francisco to visit family and then onto LA to start my new adventure at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. It feels so surreal. I have dreamt about this move since I was about twelve years old, when I would draw pictures of myself under the Hollywood sign, with my name up in lights and now it's almost here.  Yesterday I rang up EE to cancel my phone contract and when the lady asked me why I was leaving, I  jumped with excitement that I was finally able to say that I was moving to Los Angeles. "Wow I was not expecting that. That's fantastic, so your going to be actor?" the lady says in delight. 'Yes, yes I am" I reply eagerly. "Well that's definitely a good reason to cancel your contract with us". Hearing other peo...

Hey Guys,  So as you all probably know by now I will be officially moving to Los Angeles in August to study acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts located in West Hollywood. With only nineteen days left until the big move I have been doing major preparations to to get 'hollywood ready'.  Tan- Check, Bikini body- half check, Hollywood Smile- Double Check!!! For a long time now I have been getting my teeth professionally whitened. The issue I find with this is that my teeth become extremely sensitive after and although they look white for a while, it always seems to fade between treatments. I am a big coffee fanatic and drink two espresso's every morning, as well as, a red wine drinker. Although I love white teeth I can't really afford to be spending large amounts of money on whitening that doesn't last and ends with my teeth feeling sensitive and uncomfortable.  I have probably tried nearly every tooth whitening kit and toothpaste on the market from ...