A Star is Born

She’s super talented, super gorgeous and has a charismatic air about her you wouldn’t expect from a 16-year-old. Meet Carly McKillip, the self-proclaimed workaholic, and now star of The Comedy Network’s Alice, I Think. FASHION18’s Sandra Colburn recently sat down with the talented young actress and chatted about being addicted to her cellphone and having a weakness for cowboy boots.

FASHION18: How did you get your start in acting?

Carly McKillip: It was sort of a fluke. I was four years old and I had a babysitter who was into acting. Her mom thought my sister and I were cute kids, so we went to her agent and they sent us on a couple of auditions and we started getting parts. It just sort of fell into our laps.

F18: Both your parents are involved in the entertainment industry. Did you ever feel pressure either from them or yourself to follow in their footsteps?

C.M.: I never felt pressure because it was always something I wanted to do. I think that if I hadn’t fallen into it when I was four, I would have fallen into it anyways because of what my parents do. My dad is a producer and my mom is a songwriter. But I don’t think there was any pressure—it just fueled my desire to pursue my career.

F18: Your character, Alice, has a very quirky and interesting fashion sense. How does your personal style compare to her style?

C.M.: Alice definitely has an individual sense of style. My sense of style is similar to Alice’s in the way that we both like vintage pieces, cowboy boots and colour. I love cowboy boots and I really love colour. However, I would never put the pieces she puts together—they just don’t mesh well.

F18: How are you most like Alice?

C.M.: At first glance you won’t necessarily see the similarities, but I’m definitely like her in more ways than one. Once one gets to know the character I think a lot of teenage girls are going to see that they, too, have a lot more in common with Alice than they thought. She is just a typical 15-year-old girl masked by a bunch of awkward outfits, but then underneath she is like your best friend, or even you. She is very insecure and very unsure of herself, but she is very hopeful. She wants to make the right friends and decisions, and she wants to do the right thing all the time—unfortunately for her it doesn’t always turn out that way. I can totally identify with that.

F18: What do you do to relax?

C.M.: I’m a workaholic, so when I do finally relax I find a way to keep myself busy. I do love shopping—it’s my therapy. I also like to spend time with family and friends.

F18: What is the one thing you just can’t leave home without?

C.M.: My cellphone! I am addicted to my cellphone. I always have it with me. I’m also a text message addict. I guess that is my guilty pleasure. That and lip gloss. I love my lip gloss.

F18: What would you take with you if you were stranded on a deserted island?

C.M.: This is going to sound really funny, but I think I would have to take my toothbrush! I hate not brushing my teeth. I think it is the worst feeling in the world. I run to the bathroom to brush my teeth in the morning. I have even woken myself out of a dead sleep to brush my teeth! That and my cellphone.

F18: What is your favourite karaoke song?

C.M.:  “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. I love, love, love that song. Everyone can sing along to it, everyone knows it, and it is fun!  My girlfriends and I always have fun with that one.

F18: What is your fashion obsession?

C.M.: Cowboy boots. I have five or six pairs. I just love them. I also love belts and shoes. I have a nice little collection of both. I went through a jacket phase for a while, but then I realized I had enough jackets and I didn’t need to buy anymore so I started collecting boots and belts.

F18: What is the one beauty product you can’t live without?

C.M.: Face wash. No particular brand, just a good face wash, and makeup remover. I wear a lot of makeup for my job so it is important for me to take good care of my skin and prevent breakouts.

F18:  What is your summer must-have?

C.M.: Bronzer. I love bronzer in the summertime. It you are wearing a skirt or a dress you can dust a little on the top of your legs to even out skin tone. It really makes your legs look great.

F18: Who is your style icon?

C.M.: I have said it before and I will say it again: I love Sienna Miller. She is great!  She always seems to be the one who starts the trends and then you see everyone in Hollywood doing it.