At 11 years old, Trinity Likins’ dreams are finally coming true.
Since she was about two years old, Trinity has asked her mom for an agent so she can be on TV or in movies.
As a toddler, Trinity – currently a Valleycliffe Elementary School student – saw kids her age on a TV show, pointed and said she too wanted to be onscreen. After her mom explained she would have to get an agent and take many steps to be an actress, Trinity made it a habit for the next nine years to ask at regular intervals when she would get an agent.
Next month, Trinity will have her small-screen debut in the Hallmark Channel made-for-TV-movie, 12 Days. The Chief sat down with Trinity at a Brackendale eatery for a chat about the journey to get that agent and what it was like to be on a set.
What follows is an edited version of that conversation.
Q: Why do you want to be an actress?
A: Me and my friends like playing games and making up skits and dress up. We do funny accents and make videos and stuff. I really like acting, so I thought I would try it out with the Premiere program. With that program, I went to Orlando, Florida in August. That was really fun.
Q: Yes, you won for your age group, I heard. From what I understand, almost 1,000 kids were invited and performed in front of entertainment industry people. The winners get representation by an agent. Can you tell me a bit about the process?
A: You get to meet people from all around the world, like from Singapore and Australia, which is really cool. Basically, you go there for a week. The first three days you have monologues to practice with coaches and I actually got to meet
Peyton List, from Disney Channel’s show Jessie, who went over the monologues and stuff. After that, you perform in front of agents and talent scouts. If they like you – you wear a number – they write it down and then you move on.
Q: Were you nervous for any of that?
A: No.
Q: How did it feel when you won?
A: They announced all the age groups and once they called my category, they didn’t call my name.
My brother was really tired because it was 9 p.m. and so my dad took him back to the hotel and then they called my name — right after my dad and brother stepped out the door! We were just sitting there and they called me for the top performer award! I went, “Oh, me?” It was kind of weird.
Q: And that got you representation by Alan Thicke’s agent, Nigel Mikoski. Did you even know who Alan Thicke was?
A: No, I don’t know who he is.
Q: Now you are in the TV movie coming out in November, 12 Days [alternately called Christmas in the Air], some of which was shot in Furry Creek, which is cool. What was the biggest surprise of being on a set for the first time and seeing how productions are made?
A: You know how sometimes you see one person on TV or in a movie and they say a line and then they switch the camera to the other person who says something back? Well, that could be shot in two different weeks! It is not the same minute. They take pictures all the time so they can get the outfit and the hair exactly the same for the scene.
Q: Tell me a bit about your character.
A: Her name is Amelia and it is a Christmas movie. It is sort of hard and sad because my character’s mom died last Christmas, which is really sad. It’s going to be kind of hard for me to really do Christmas this year because I have been dealing with her.
Q: And the other actors were Catherine Bell from The Good Witch and Jag and Eric Close who was in the TV series Nashville. What was it like working with them?
A: They are both so nice. Eric Close is so down to earth and normal. That was really cool. The director Martin Wood was so funny. He did amazing card tricks for us. My little brother is actor Jesse Filkow, from Vancouver. He is super funny and it was fun to have a friend on set because most of the other people were grown-ups.
Q: What is next for you, do you think?
A: I just auditioned for a car commercial and that was fun — I got to chase a big blue orb around. Being in more movies would be fun too…
Q: Now you are in the TV movie coming out in November, 12 Days [alternately called Christmas in the Air], some of which was shot in Furry Creek, which is cool. What was the biggest surprise of being on a set for the first time and seeing how productions are made?
A: You know how sometimes you see one person on TV or in a movie and they say a line and then they switch the camera to the other person who says something back? Well, that could be shot in two different weeks! It is not the same minute. They take pictures all the time so they can get the outfit and the hair exactly the same for the scene.
Q: Tell me a bit about your character.
A: Her name is Amelia and it is a Christmas movie. It is sort of hard and sad because my character’s mom died last Christmas, which is really sad. It’s going to be kind of hard for me to really do Christmas this year because I have been dealing with her.
Q: And the other actors were Catherine Bell from The Good Witch and Jag and Eric Close who was in the TV series Nashville. What was it like working with them?
A: They are so nice. Eric Close is so down to earth and normal. That was really cool. The director Martin Wood was so funny. He did amazing card tricks for us. My little brother [in the movie] is actor Jesse Filkow, from Vancouver. He is super funny and it was fun to have a friend on set because most of the other people were grown-ups.
Q: What is next for you, do you think?
A: I just auditioned for a car commercial and that was fun — I got to chase a big blue orb around. Being in more movies would be fun too.
