Miranda Rae Mayo is the perfect example of the wholesome yet sexy young actress prospering in Hollywood today. With a nice balance between the smart and witty and the sensually fascinating, Miranda Rae Mayo seems to have navigated the acting world so far with spirited success. Her roles have been somewhat limited in the sense that she is no breakout star YET, but there is something always enthralling about her work. A daring adventurous nature that seems to rise from her screen presence, and seems to demand deserved future attention without being greedy. Her roles have been captivating to say the least, and her recent work in ‘American Caravan’ has her traveling to the Middle East to work with locals and learn a bit about the harsh reality.
The show, interestingly, is a reality show. Yet it seems to exist beyond the void of typical reality show fervor. I spoke with Miranda Rae Mayo about her experience in acting, and how the reality angle has actually added greatly to her acting as opposed to taking away. We discuss natural talent and honed skill, and which is more important, and touch on the future of television one streamed series at a time.
What is it about acting that makes it so appealing to you?
I have an extremely vivid imagination and LOVE to play pretend, so if it wasn’t acting or performing I don’t know how else I would exercise this busy mind of mine. It’s also fun to look at life through numerous amount of point of views. Imagine taking off your point of view as if it were a pair of glasses and then picking up another point of view and wearing it like it’s yours. That’s how I see acting and I love it!
Did you find the transition from modeling to acting to be natural, or was there a deliberate and focused effort to move into acting?
I feel like there will probably always be a deliberate and focused effort when it comes to my acting if I ever want it to make me proud. I feel like it was something that initially came very naturally to me but instincts and talent can only take you so far. I saw a video awhile back on YouTube of Will Smith talking about skills versus talent and he said that true skill comes from hours and hours of beating on your craft. I totally agree. That’s really what I want most, is to possess an incredibly effective set of skills for whatever role I come across.
The acting world is notoriously difficult. Is there a certain moment where you knew you wanted to go into it, or were you very hesitant growing up and witnessing the things you have?
I mean I still get hesitant! Don’t we all? There are days I feel so discouraged! But once I make the choice to focus on what I WANT and move forward in the energy of “yes I can.” It pushes me to make success my reality.
There is a fascinating growth one can achieve by going through the world of acting. Do you find your story worth recalling to other young actresses and perhaps helping with the progress down this road emotionally?
Oh my goodness yes. I feel like it’s important for all of us to recognize that we have more in common than we don’t and that it is possible to make mistakes while still coming out on top. I feel like that is the ultimate recurring theme in my life story; I fall down, hard, dust myself off and keep on keeping on. Another big theme is keeping the focus on where I want to be, which is definitely what I would love to share with other young actresses on their journey.
You are involved in the upcoming television show American Caravan, which follows the exploits of six young Americans into the Middle East. Where many reality shows focus on finding Bigfoot and rich people yelling at each other, do you see this show offering something truly unique that has been missing from a lot of reality TV? What was your involvement like?
Absolutely. I feel that this show is telling the story that the majority of Americans haven’t heard regarding the Arab Spring. Today it’s so easy to sit behind a computer or even a newspaper and read about people you’ve never physically met and judge them. It’s easy to forget that they are humans and have families and communities just like we do. Every day was such an adventure, I learned so much. My only job was to be in front of the camera while being educated by and experiencing a different culture. It was such a humbling experience, I feel so blessed to have been able to go.
Some actresses really challenge themselves in their roles, and others stay consistent with their style and character. Are you concerned with being type-casted at all, or do you wish to challenge yourself with a variety of roles and styles?
I absolutely want to challenge myself by taking on different roles and styles 100%! One type of role I definitely want to play at least once in my career is an action star like Scarlett Johanson in The Avengers or Anne Hathaway in Dark Knight Rises. I’m not too concerned with being type cast because it’s ultimately not something I can control. I feel like putting too much energy into worrying about things that are out of my control is never a good idea.
Television has seen some amazing growth, especially in the era of cable and streaming services. Do you think streaming specific television shows have a long future, such as Netflix’s House of Cards or there recent continuation of Arrested Development and do you have a desire to get involved in that type of environment?
I couldn’t agree more; the production of increasingly convenient forms of entertainment has been expanding so quickly! I think House of Cards is a brilliant idea and is a glimpse into what the future of entertainment is going to continue to look like. I am all about it! Series Regular on House of Cards? Sign me up, please!
