“I started modeling at 15 years old and getting my picture in local newspapers. My mother encouraged it - she had been an actress, a part of some small touring plays. And her mother, my Grandmother, wrote religious plays that she put on in local theaters/neighborhood clubs, and she had me act in them at a young age. She also filmed and directed the entire family and I (and any available relatives) in biblical shorts. Because of this, I think the idea of acting was sort of put into my head.”