As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Mallory James Mahoney.
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Mallory became interested in acting when she saw a play at age 4. After a year of begging her parents to enroll in a local theater, they finally agreed and next thing they knew, she was offered a solo. At eight years old, Mallory decided she wanted to try acting in TV/film and ended up landing her very first audition, a Chuck E. Cheese commercial. For the past 6 years, Mallory has starred in the Disney Channel series “Bunk’d” as the pageant queen ‘Destiny.’ Disney fans may also recognize Mallory from the Disney Channel Original Movie, “Adventures in Babysitting,” in which she starred as ‘Katy Cooper.’ She was also lead in the short film, “Dig,” which was an official YouTube selection at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and also starred in the 2016 Lifetime holiday movie, “Heaven Sent.”
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Thanks for having me! Well, I am a Texas girl, born and raised, but I did start acting and doing pilot seasons out in California when I was eight, so I guess I was kind of raised in LA too!
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was about 3 years old my hair finally started to really grow and I had blonde ringlets and big eyes. That’s when my grandfather (who I call Popeye) would say I reminded him so much of Shirley Temple as a little girl. I had no idea who that was, so he bought me a box set of her films for Christmas. When my parents turned on one of the films, I was instantly mesmerized by her. I turned to my family and said “are you sure that’s not me?” That’s when I first realized that real children could be in movies and TV. That’s where I started to believe that maybe I could do this too since this other girl who I looked a lot like was able to.
It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
For my first audition in LA I was sick at the time and I did not sleep well the night before. The project was a pilot called “Sober Companion” with Justin Long and Nick Frost. In the script for my audition, my character had to state the number of Pi in the scene. Due to the total head fog that I was in I could not remember all of the numbers, so instead I said 3.14 and then continued to say my mom‘s phone number because I knew it had to be some numbers. Needless to say I bombed the audition. But, I did end up getting lucky with that part because the project was shelved for a couple months and when it came back into rotation, casting was nice enough to let me to audition again. I ended up booking the part! But, I completely made sure I knew those numbers for Pi like the back of my hand. In fact, I still remember the first nine digits of Pi to this day. The lesson I learned from the experience is to always be well rested and super prepared before any auditions!
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I’m currently filming season 6 of “Bunk’d” on Disney Channel. It very exciting because our show is making history on the network. “Bunk’d” is officially the longest running live action show on the network. It is a real honor to be part of this history.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Failure is a part of this industry, we are all told “no” a lot of the time. One thing that I do that I feel helps me, is I treat every audition like I’ve already got the part. I imagine that I’m filming it live and everyone’s watching, so rather than phoning it in, I’m attempting to put my absolute best foot forward and act as I would if I already booked the part.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I feel diversity is very important to be represented in all aspects of film. We have diversity in all our lives so we should be seeing it on the shows we’re watching or the movies we go to see. Every little girl or boy should be able to see a character that they can look up to that reminds them of themselves. I also think it is very important to have diversity in people with disabilities on shows as well. My uncle is a quadriplegic and he and I talk all the time about how we would love to see more characters using a wheelchair like he does.
What are your “things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
Number 1. Be prepared to be told no A LOT! In this business you get turned down for roles more than you will ever get, and often it’s for very superficial things. I have been turned down because I was too blonde, or too skinny. I’ve even been told that I’ve looked young enough but I was too old for a part. I’ve learned the best thing to do is just roll with the punches, and don’t let those no’s get me.
Number 2. Make sure that you really love acting before you’re in too deep. I was really lucky I found my calling at a young age and I am still so happy doing it every single day. However, this business is tough so if you don’t truly love it with all of your heart, I can see it getting too difficult for people to keep wanting to working at it.
Number 3. Find the funny! In everything the scene, every situation, and every outcome.
Number 4. Always be training. If this is what you want, study and work hard.
Number 5. Relax and enjoy the process! Don’t take yourself too seriously! Feel the fun!
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
If you’re struggling and not booking a lot and it’s getting really taxing on you, keep working, keep auditioning. Join an acting class so you can do different types of scenes regularly. Don’t be afraid to take a day and just relax, maybe go to a spa to reset or park and meditate. I think that the best thing to do is see what helps you remain focused on your goals.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I think one of the most important movements that needs more support is saving our environment. There are so many wonderful causes that I love so much, so it is hard to pick only one, but I think that saving the environment would likely have one of the most positive impacts. It gives a safe healthy world to so many future generations.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I am so grateful for my mom. I have so many family members who have helped me throughout my journey and continue to help me every day, but she definitely deserves the most praise! There isn’t even one story I can tell, because I am overwhelmed with the amount of stories about how supportive she is. She drives out to LA with me all the time for filming, she lives out here with me constantly, she always supports me, and always cheers me on!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One thing that my family and I always say is to leave any place you go into better than it was when you found it. I feel that applies best to Earth, schoolwork, friendships, pretty much everything in life. I want to do whatever I can to make it better!
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
I would love to meet Reese Witherspoon. She is so multitalented and can do it all in this business. I would love to hear how she handles the journey from child actor to teen, to adult actress. I love that she forged her own path in producing and directing, she even has her own production company. She also still is big in philanthropy. She is definitely an inspiration to me!
How can our readers follow you online?
On Instagram @malloryjamesmahoney
Twitter: @MahoneyMalloryJ
Facebook: Mallory James Mahoney
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
