Steiner Ranch resident Ashlea Klam stars in in the “Sage Alexander” TV series, here she is on the red carpet with other cast members.
Steiner Ranch resident Ashlea Klam stars in in the “Sage Alexander” TV series, here she is on the red carpet with other cast members.
By ERIN SEITZLER, Four Points News
Ashlea Klam, a local Canyon Ridge Middle School student, is starring in the “Sage Alexander” TV series while balancing sports and academics.
Ashlea, an 8th grader, is currently working on a web TV series called “Sage Alexander” on TigerBeat TV. They have already shot the first six episodes in Plano,Tex, at the Dark Hour Haunted House.
“It was very cool and creepy at the same time,” she said. The new TV series is a fantasy thriller based off a book series. There will be seven books in total, but only one and two are out currently. Viewers can watch the released chapters on TigerBeat TV on YouTube.
Ashlea, a Steiner Ranch resident, has been acting since 2013, and started going to auditions in 2014. She goes to local auditions in Austin and Dallas, as well as taped auditions. On average Ashlea goes to three to five auditions a month, but the summer is pretty slow. For some of her auditions and all of her callbacks, she flys out to Los Angeles. She has a manager in LA and an agent in Texas.
When Ashlea is not acting, she stays very busy. In 7th grade, Ashlea played all of the sports for CRMS. Her volleyball, basketball, and soccer teams all made second in the district. During track and field season, Ashlea made district for long jump, 100-meter dash, 400-meter relay, and shotput, which she broke the school record for every meet except district. She also plays on a select flag football team, that is currently third in the nation, and was first just two years ago.
“Managing school can be difficult at times with making up the required hours. Auditions are not excused absences, but working on set is excused. I attend some Saturday school classes, so I make up the missed hours,” Ashlea said. “I am lucky that I can still stay caught up on the lessons and still make good grades, even though I miss a lot.”
She loves both sports and acting so much and she plans on doing both for as long as she can, before she has to choose.
When Ashela originally taped her audition back in November for “Sage Alexander”, she went for a different role, but the script was rewritten and her manager told her that they wanted to cast her for the part she now has, Adelaide Neese. She is one of the five angelic warriors.
Most of her co-stars were in some big productions such as Madison Hu, who is still the lead in Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark”; Brooke Butler, who was in “All Cheerleaders Die” and many more; and Hayden Summerall, who is still in “Chicken Girls” and has his own songs.
Ashlea said that the “Sage Alexander” series has probably received the most publicity of her work. She has also worked on a National Geographic TV series called “The Long Road Home” last year, which was up for many awards. Her biggest commercial so far has been a Phillips 66 basketball commercial that she filmed also last year.
Acting has changed Ashlea’s life, teaching her how to be responsible and how to keep her priorities in check. It also has helped her with public speaking, talking to adults, and getting to meet a lot of new friends.
“My parents have always said that if it (acting) causes problems for me with my education then we will have to make changes,” she said. But so far so good on that front.
“Most importantly it has taught me how to balance things in my life and handle stress,” she said.
Between studying and acting Ashlea also makes time to participate in sports.
Madison Hu, Dodge Prince, Aidan Langford, SteVonté Hart, and Ashlea Klam all pose for a picture in their costumes
from the show.