After appearing on some of the biggest TV shows, (‘Pretty Little Liars’, ‘Faking It’, ‘K.C. Undercover’, and ‘Scream Queens’ just to name a few), Kara Royster has her sights set on the big screen with her new Fox Digital Studio’s film ‘Mono’. We spoke to the talented starlet about her new film, make-up artistry and world domination.
HHB: Hi Kara, last year was a big year for you; Pretty Little Liars, K.C. Undercover and Faking It, what was it like to be on some of the most popular shows around?
KR: It was absolutely incredible, it was like a dream come true. I am so thankful to be a part of shows with such dedicated fans and getting to work with some of the greatest talent right now. It never felt like going to work, I never had such a huge smile on my face as I did going to set at 6:00AM.
Were you a big fan of the shows beforehand?
I was a huge Pretty Little Liars fan, I don’t think I ever missed a single episode. I had heard of K.C. Undercover before it came out, while I was filming Liv and Maddie, and dropped some hints to the casting director that I really wanted to be a part of the show and get the chance to work with Zendaya. Working on the pilot of Faking It, I knew that Carter Covington had created a hit show. I feel so honored to have been part of the pilot to the last season of the show.
You’re starring in the upcoming film ‘Mono’, can you tell us a bit about the film?
The movie is a coming of age story which deals with the different social cliques of Highland Park High School. When mono hits the popular students of the school, a group of social outcasts plot to take their place. The movie features a combination of social media stars and traditional actors. In this movie I play Christina Madison, the queen bee, mean girl of the group.
The characters are big Vine and digital stars, are you big social media user?
I am certainly not on the level as the digital stars of this movie, however I do love connecting, interacting, and sharing my day with people on social media.
Have you ever had mono in real life?
I must say that I have very fortunately never had Mono in real life. After seeing the effects of it in the movie, I feel very lucky to not have experienced that.
What was it like going from filming for TV to a feature film?
It was a very easy transition and I had fun in the experience. I was actually filming both Pretty Little Liars and Mono at the same time, so it was interesting to see the differences. I love film now because it is very satisfying to have a completed project. When filming a movie, it is a bit confusing because it is filmed out of order so you have to keep track of what has come before the scene you’re shooting. On the first day of Mono I had a scene where I almost beat up JP (Sarah De La Isla), so we had to get comfortable with each other very quickly because it went from “Hi, my name is..” to my fist in her face haha.
Which do you prefer?
I may have a small preference for TV because it is what I know best. I like that in television, the characters get to develop and change over many seasons, that the quality has become very high, and that viewers become really invested since they spend so much time with the characters. I actually absolutely love them both, and would ideally like to go between the two of them in the future.
As well as being an On-The-Rise star you are a talented make-up artist. How did you get into that?
I’ve always loved playing with makeup and would sneak into my mom’s cosmetic bag when I was a little girl. Later, while attending Arts High School, I became the head makeup artist for the Theatre department. My grandparents gave me a professional kit as a graduation gift and I used that to start working on videos and photoshoots.
Do you ever do your own make-up on set?
I rarely do it on set because I have been fortunate enough to be on shows with amazing makeup artists. For example on KC Undercover, I could always be found chatting in the makeup room with the fabulous Erin B. Guth and learning some tricks of the trade.
You do a lot of philanthropic work, how important is that to you?
I actually aspire to do more philanthropic work that I am doing at the moment. I do attend some charity events and hope to continue to attend even more.
What advice would you give young aspiring actors?
I suggest starting with small steps, like creating your own content, doing performances with your friends, taking acting and improv classes and not being afraid to take risks and just getting out there.
What is next for you?
World Domination! HAHA! Just kidding, there are a few things which I can’t speak about at the moment.
I will be back on this season of Pretty Little Liars and will have another movie, Before You Say I Do, coming out soon on PIXL. And of course continuing to go out on auditions.
Any other comments?
I would like to take this time to thank my fans and tell them how much I appreciate their support and how nice they been have in being able to separate me the person from the characters that I play.
Get Social with Kara
https://www.instagram.com/kararoyster
https://twitter.com/kararoyster
By Holly Licuanan
Main Image by Samantha Annis
