Lynn teen forging career in Hollywood

LYNN – At first sight, there is something unique about Janet Egbe. She is tall and slender, wide-eyed and bubbly, and just a bit dramatic.?I just want to make people happy, even for a minute or two,” said Egbe, a 15-year-old actress from Lynn. “I don?t take myself too seriously, but acting is one of my greatest passions.”That upbeat attitude is bringing Egbe success in Hollywood. Egbe has built her resume working in the film and modeling industry working under the direction of Momentum Talent and Literary Agency, and her manager Terrie Snell of TalentINK LA.Her recent projects include working on the film “Grown Ups 2,” acting in Chamber Stevens? theatrical performance “Greasy Grimey Gopher Guts” and strutting down the catwalk during the 2013 New York Fashion Week. She even modeled at an event for Dash, the clothing store owned by the Kardashian sisters.Egbe, who goes by the stage name Gracie Marie Bradley, said that her latest project is a role in the movie “Diamond Ruff.” Written by Joseph Young Jr., the plot revolves around the life of an adult criminal. In the film, Egbe plays a contestant in a school competition and appears in flashback scenes from the main character?s childhood.?When I was younger I wanted to be a comedic actress, and then I was trained in dramatic acting. So I can get really dramatic …” she said in a mellow voice. “I just have fun.”Egbe said that she turned to comedy as a way to deal with the bullying that she faced in school. She and her mother, Felicia Moore, also wrote a children?s book to bring awareness to the problems that bullying creates.Moore said that her daughter has always been a lively and upbeat person.?She brings so many different personalities to the character she is playing,” Moore said. “Half of the time she is just being herself, because she really is silly and just fun to be around.”Now with her mother?s help, Egbe balances school, acting lessons, auditions and current projects.Moore said her daughter began homeschooling last school year so that she would have more flexibility in her daily schedule. Egbe currently splits her time between the family?s home in Lynn and a second home in Burbank, Calif., living on the outskirts of Los Angeles and right next to Warner Brothers Studios.While on the west coast, Egbe has crossed paths with famous young people like Taylor Lautner from the “Twilight” movie series and David Henrie of Disney Channel?s television series “Wizards of Waverly Place.”She has also become friendly with Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and actor Mateo Arias from the Nickelodeon television series “Kickin? It.”Egbe said that she has found other actors her age to be “down to earth and inviting.”?We are all in an occupation that is based on rejection, but they are so nice and just really inviting, I was not expecting everyone to be so cool,” she said.She also pointed out the similarities between the bullying she faced in school and the constant scrutiny that young stars face in the media.?People just attack them for no reason, and imagine millions of people doing that. They are attacking them for their family,” she said. “But I?ve learned that sometimes you have to remove yourself from all the negativity and just keep on it.”Right now, Egbe is just happy being happy. She said that she is living in the moment and is enjoying her career.?I hope I can win an Oscar one day,” she joked. “I have told my managers that I want a role with more substance and meaning. Maybe one day I can be thanking the Academy!”Kristin Bornstein may be reached at [email protected].