Every year, thousands of young performers make their way to Hollywood to follow their dreams of ‘making it’ in show business. While most fail to hit their marks, Fifteen-year-old Shauna Case has succeeded and is now a rising star.
An Erie, Pennsylvania native, Shauna and her family moved to Los Angeles two years ago so that the budding young actress and recording artist could follow her dreams. After years of acting, dancing and singing lessons, Shauna won a part on Nick Cannon’s Incredible Crew on Cartoon Network. Now Shauna and five other teens, perform in a variety of sketch comedy skits, commercial parodies, funny music videos and hidden camera pranks aimed at entertaining children and teens.
I sat down with Shauna recently to talk about being cast in Incredible Crew, and her own “from small town to Hollywood†tale.
BRYAN SHACKLEFORD: Hi, Shauna. Congratulations on the show!
SHAUNA CASE: Thank you.
BS: You grew up in Erie – a long way from Hollywood. What opportunities did you have to explore acting or singing in Pennsylvania?
SC: I went to a local theatre summer camp. When I was 10, I was cast as Sharpay in their production of High School Musical. It was clear to me then that I wanted to do this as my career.
BS: Were you always theatrically inclined?
SC: I always loved to play singing games with my friends, pretending that I was auditioning for American Idol, and trying out for musicals and singing in talent shows. I remember when I was six; I pulled my Mom out onto the porch and had her sit on the steps so I could sing her a song. It was probably awful, but she had this big smile on her face and told me that I did great. I’ve always had a love of performing. I would say I’ve been acting my whole life! My Dad and I are always cracking jokes and imitating different characters and personalities with accents. I’ve always loved comedy.
BS: So, your parents have been really supportive of your aspirations.
SC: Without my parents’ support, there’s no way I could’ve gotten to where I am. They have been amazingly supportive. Moving to California, my Mom and Dad have had to sacrifice a lot of their time and money for my dreams, driving me to auditions, the recording studio, acting and dance classes – even when they know there’s a possibility there might not be a payoff in the end.
BS: What was it like auditioning for Incredible Crew?
SC: My first audition was a general talent search for Cartoon Network, and then on the third call-back, I auditioned for Incredible Crew in front of all the executives and Nick Cannon.
BS: That must have been a little nerve-wracking.
SC: It was awesome and surreal. Whenever I audition for a big project, I get a little nervous and have butterflies in my stomach, but it turned out just being really fun. I had to perform three different characters, so I started with the enthusiastic country girl who was auditioning for a record label. I had my guitar and sang Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar†. Then, I went into my materialistic mean girl, and finished up with my full-blown Jersey girl with loads of rings, a comb to teach them how to rat their hair, and a mouthful of chewing gum. I love doing characters at home, and here I was doing them in front of Nick Cannon!
BS: Did he love them? Did you get hired on the spot?
SC: He and the executive’s laughed a lot during my audition, but no, I wasn’t hired on the spot. I auditioned for the show in August, but didn’t hear anything back until November. It seemed like forever, but it was three months from the audition until I knew I booked the show.
BS: What’s it like working with Nick Cannon?
SC: My parents and I love watching Nick on America’s Got Talent, so it was like a dream come true to work with him. He would come to the set and play improv games with us. He’s really humble and fun to be around.
BS: Coming from a theatre background, you’ve been part of an ensemble before. How is the ensemble on Incredible Crew different from any other cast you’ve worked with?
SC: I think the biggest difference is that we’re all working together to make people laugh, excite the viewers with every bit. I’ve never been in a comedy troupe before. We’re a really diverse group and we all have different strengths, and it is fun to see what comes out throughout the show. It’s a laugh a minute!
BS: Are you all friends off the set?
SC: We try to hang out when we can – catch a movie, grab dinner. We’ve been known to go play laser tag together.
BS: Are there any of your cast mates that you absolutely love to watch work?
SC: Everyone is extremely talented and funny. I can’t pick just one! We’re all unique and that’s what makes our show so great. Everyone is exciting to watch.
BS: Do you have a favorite sketch that you’d say is a “must see†this season?
SC: Brandon and I did a sketch that is like that television show, Wipeout, but it’s the Home Edition. There was this mud obstacle course in the house, and we got so messy. Even though it involved me falling flat on my face in the mud, it was definitely one of the sketches that I can’t forget. It’s one of the sketches I think the viewers are going to love . I was so drenched in mud that I had to shower on set before I could go home!
BS: There are some music videos on the show. Do you enjoy those, especially since you’re also a recording artist?
SC: I love the music videos we do on the show. I love to sing. I get a great opportunity to show my musical talents on the show. Nick Cannon is a talented and experienced recording artist as well, and we record at his studio, so our talents are showcased in the best possible way. Hopefully, if the viewers like what they hear on the show, they’ll check out my music outside of Incredible Crew.
BS: How are things going with your music outside of the show?
SC: Things are great! I’m just finishing up my EP with my producer Eddie Galan. We’re shooting a music video for my first single, “Some Kind of Fairytale†. It’s a really great song that tells the story of my journey this far – from small town girl to Hollywood, chasing my dreams.
BS: What advice for other teens who want to follow in your footsteps?
SC: I hope that my story can inspire other girls and boys to follow their dreams. Whatever they want to do – be an astronaut, a rodeo rider, a ballerina – they can do. It might mean a lot of hard work, but anything is possible if they’re willing to pursue their dreams with their whole hearts, souls and strength.
BS: Sound like good advice. Thank you for sitting down with me. How can people keep up to date with what you’ve got going on next?
SC: I am on Twitter, Facebook, and I update my website, www.shaunacase.com, all the time.
