CHILD ACTOR
Born Ready Why Ella Grace Helton may be Hollywood’s next big thing By Mi chae l J . Pa l l e r i no
Ella Grace Helton
was cast as the hero girl in one of Disney’s biggest commercials in recent years. The part involved seven days of filming at all four Disney parks in Orlando—in the middle of the night. “It was fun,” Ella recalls. “I was a little nervous, but I was excited to see Disney princesses. It was really awkward seeing myself on TV. It felt like I was zapped by a mirror and then showed up on the screen.” Her first TV commercial was a direct booking for Bruster’s Ice
“Whenever I’m on stage, I like having people watch me,” Ella says. “And in front of the camera, more people can watch me over and over and over, so I was really comfortable with it.” In her spare time, Ella’s life is filled with music (composing, singing, dancing, and playing instruments to original songs), and participating in various dance disciplines, voice training, songwriting, improv, art, and Krav Maga. She also is a budding aerial artist on silks, lyra, and the trapeze. And when and if there are any extra moments, Ella enjoys yoga, rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, soccer, and playing video games and building LEGOs with her dad. And if you think that is enough for a 7-year-old with aspirations to be the next great filmmaker, Ella is also in the process of writing 14 scripts. “My dad says he wants me to live my life—you only get one life so you need to go do it.” So, what advice would she give to other young actors looking to make their way in what can be a tough business? Ella’s insights are what you want from someone who lives for the next adventure. “Just be you and have fun. Don’t do anything you don’t want to do. Sing and dance, post videos. You can find the opportunity, too.” SNAPSHOT: ELLA GRACE HELTON Favorite actor: Dove Cameron Favorite TV show: Liv and Maddie Favorite Disney character: Cinderella (Cinder-ELLA, as she likes to say) Favorite singer/performer: Ariana Grande Celebrity she’d most like to meet/work with: Brad Pitt
A sk Ella Grace Helton’s mother to give you a peek into what makes this up-and-coming actress the talk of every set she works on and she’ll tell you that she’s a natural. The explanation is even more impressive when you realize Ella is 7. That’s right. At 7 years old, the young actress is already a seasoned veteran of TV, film, commercials, and Broadway. She had her feature film debut opposite Adam Sandler as Jessa Phillips in Netflix’s most popular original film of 2020, Hubie Halloween, and a few months earlier, had her network TV debut as Emily Ryan on the ABC sitcom United We Fall . So, how did she get to where she is today, again, at age 7? It all started when Ella was 3, when her parents enrolled her in musical theater. Not long after, she auditioned for her first role for Disneyland Paris, which was cast and shot in Orlando, Florida. While she didn’t land that role, a big booking came a year later when she
Cream—a spot that was even more amazing when she realized the scope of the role. “I can’t believe I got to eat ice cream for my first job. I didn’t want to stop eating it. It also was my favorite flavor, mint chocolate chip.” After that, the flood gates opened up. Before long, Ella landed 15 commercials for brands like Disney, Marriott, Hasbro, and Gerber, eventually playing her child entrepreneur self opposite Major League Hall of Famer Derek Jeter in an American Family Insurance spot. And there was Broadway, where at age 5, she was cast as Lulu in the tour of Waitress , a musical based on the book by Jessie Nelson and the movie of the same name. On her Broadway debut, Ella says, “I was just born ready to sing and dance and act.” While being a seasoned professional at such a young age may seem a bit overwhelming, Ella continues to embrace the work and the spotlight with the same approach—comfort. That sense came early, when she recalls feeling so at home and comfortable with the crew that she had her mother sit at another table during lunch.
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