Senior Aiyana Skye has always believed she was born to be an actress. By age 17, she has already landed roles in various film projects. Photo Courtesy of AIYANA SKYE
BY BLUE KAUFMAN
Acting is a competitive profession to break into. It requires patience, luck and an ability to withstand constant rejection. Despite the hardships, one Cooper City High School senior is determined to make her way to the red carpet. With some experience already on her resume, Aiyana Skye is destined to make her way onto the big screen.
Ever since her first performance in a play at her local community center, Aiyana Skye knew that she wanted to act.
“My whole life I’ve wanted to be an actress,” Skye said. “I used to always put on little shows for my parents and sisters when I was younger.”
As Skye grew older, her love for acting only grew stronger. She was more willing than ever to expand on her acting career, but didn’t know where to start. She found that answer while auditioning for a role in “True Grit” a few years ago. Lori Wyman, a major casting agent, was so impressed with Skye’s audition that she referred her to Stellar Modeling and Talent Agency, insisting that Aiyana “shouldn’t waste her talent.”
Once Skye started working with the Stellar Modeling and Talent Agency, her acting roles skyrocketed. Agents have contracts with casting directors, so when an actress within a certain criteria is needed, the agency will be sent a script and eventually an audition will be arranged.
“Having an agent changes everything; without one, it’s almost impossible to get acting job,” Skye said.
With the help of her agency, Skye has landed several professional roles. During the summer, she headed to California where she starred as one of the main characters in The Hunted, a short independent film based on a post-apocalypse scenario. She also made her way onto an episode of The Glades, the hit A&E television series.
“Being on Glades was little intimidating,” Skye said. “The set was huge and every scene was really crunched for time. But everyone was working towards the same goal so there was this underlying sense of unity and motivation.”
Right now, Skye is currently filming a few short films for the Miami film festival. According to Skye, It is her most significant achievement yet; if popular, they could even be shown in theaters. In these short films, Skye’s roles range from an innocent daughter to a destructive killer. For Skye, it’s not who you play but how you play it.
“Every character has unique emotions,” Skye said. It’s kind of like Halloween, you have to become the character you are playing.”
Although acting can be time consuming, Skye has still managed to juggle her high school and acting career. She studies hard, plays soccer and even volunteers just like a normal teenager. And while some might think that acting is just reading from a script and flashing a smile for the cameras, it’s really much more than that. Skye can spend up to 1-2 hours daily reading monologues, filming auditions and practicing facial expressions in the mirror until she is completely satisfied.
“Aiyana is just so talented and practices so hard,” Aiyana’s sister Ashira said. “She can even make herself cry.”
Skye’s career has been off to a remarkable start, yet it is only just the beginning for this talented actress. After Skye graduates from CCHS this year, she hopes to continue acting, beginning with majoring in acting at a California college.
“The first thing that I have to do is sign with some agents as well as extra talent agencies,” she said.
Despite the fact Aiyana will be 5,000 miles away from her hometown in Cooper City, she still has a few connections. Producers and stage managers that have seen her performances already have her number to keep in contact when she graduates from high school. Even though acting remains a competitive career choice, Skye is not worried.
“I don’t want to be an actress, I AM an actress.” she said.
