child actors Archives

Sisters Juju and Mila Brener chat about working in the entertainment industry

Published August 9, 2024

By Elena Epstein

Sisters Juju and Mila Brener attended the “Buzzin” premiere at Dances with Films Festival, held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in L.A. PHOTO BY SHIRLY BRENER

We’re excited to introduce you to the dynamic sister duo, Juju and Mila Brener, who recently collaborated on a music video that premiered at the Dances with Films Festival in June. Mila, 19, was the director and Juju, 12, performed in the music video. The sisters, who live in the Hollywood Hills, share some insight on growing up in L.A. and working in the entertainment industry.

Juju is an actress, singer, dancer, and model. Notable roles include Young Sarah Sanderson in Disney’s “Hocus Pocus 2” alongside Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker, as well as the role of Lily in Lionsgate’s “Vanquish” with Morgan Freeman and Ruby Rose. Her music debut with “BUZZIN” landed her on Spotify’s “Best Hits of 2024” playlist. Mila is an actress, director, voiceover artist, dancer, and singer. Her voice has graced hits like Netflix’s “Klaus” and Amazon Prime’s “Pete the Cat.” A seasoned performer, she’s appeared in CBS’s “Mom” and Nickelodeon’s “Shimmer & Shine.”

What advice do you have for young actors in Los Angeles who dream about being in a movie or having a musical debut?

Mila & Juju: Get in a class!!

Juju: Seriously, in order to be really good at anything you have to train in it. So the number one thing is to get into a great acting class, music class, musical theater, dance, etc.  Training is a huge component in this industry you have to really understand what you’re doing and get great at your craft. It’s  a very competitive business and in order to stand out, you have to be really good! Without training you don’t really have the fundamentals.

Behind the scenes with Mila, directing “Buzzin.” PHOTO BY SHIRLY BRENER

Mila: On top of what Juju said I would recommend doing a play, signing up for a music show, finding a short film you can be part of. Maybe even work as a crew on a project to learn a panoramic aspect and experience the other side behind the camera. The more experience you have on a set in front of a camera or behind or on stage or in a recording studio the more you will feel comfortable and confident when the bigger opportunities arise. At some point, the next step is to get an agent or a manager that believes in you. 

What advice do you have for handling rejection, which is a big part of working in the entertainment industry?

Mila: You really got to let things roll off of you. If you come prepared, do the work and crush your auditions, and you know you did the best work you could possibly do, that’s all you can control. The rest is so often up to so many other factors like age, look, credits, producers, and studio preference, etc.  You can only focus on being the best at what you do, coming prepared, putting out quality work. And know that it’s a long trajectory; this business is definitely a marathon, not a sprint.

COVER ART PHOTOGRAPHY BY ABRAHAM JOSEPH PAL

Juju: You have to have other interests other than booking a job. If you’re busy pursuing things you love, if you play sports, travel, have a great social group, and fill your life with interests, hobbies, and artistic endeavors then you will never face rejection. You will just feel it’s part of the journey. If you’re a well-rounded person, you just go on to the next thing.  Of course, sometimes you get so close to certain jobs and you already envision yourself as that character, shooting that role may be in a cool country,  maybe with some amazing actors, and then it doesn’t go your way but instead of sulking in it, move on to the next goal. 

Mila: I agree with Juju. Both she and I come from a place of abundance and we’ve always noticed that the projects that were meant for us happen and vice versa. 

Best life advice you have received so far?

Mila:  “What’s meant to be will always find its way.” 

Juju:  My acting teacher Scott Parkin always tells me to not forget to have fun and never lose being silly and having a sense of humor! 

Mila & Juju: Since we were teeny our mom always told us to wear sunscreen and a hat so our skin wouldn’t get damaged and last a lifetime! We’re grateful we listened.

How did you both become interested in the entertainment field?

Mila: Well, we were born into the entertainment field because our family was already in it, so it was kind of a natural path for us to take. Our mom Shirly Brener is an actor and producer and our dad Bruce Rubenstein was a writer, producer, and manager for many years. It even dates back to our grandmother Smadar Brener who is an iconic Israeli film actress from the 70s and 80s. From an early age, we were very interested in and started acting, dancing, singing, playing instruments, performing etc. It seems that we were born creative and that’s what we’ve always gravitated toward. We also spent so many months on sets with our parents on their projects that it just seemed like the natural place for us to be. We feel super comfortable and happy on set.

Mila Brener used iconic L.A. locations in the “Buzzin” music video starring her sister Juju Brener. PHOTO BY ABRAHAM JOSEPH PAL

Juju: Yes! Exactly what Mila said. We are happiest when we’re creating and surrounded by other talented creative people. We also just really love, movies, TV and music. We love to go to the movies, we love to go to concerts. Like we’re actual fans of different shows, films, actors, and recording artists, so it’s not just what we love to do. We really appreciate and admire when others do it well. 

What’s it like to work together? Favorite parts? Challenging parts?

Mila: We’re very used to working together because we have been since we were both very young, so it feels very natural to us. It’s actually a lot of fun because we are sisters and we already have that sister bond, which makes it easy to work together. But at the same time, because of that sister bond, there are also some challenging parts because, you know, if you have a sister or siblings in general it’s natural to get into little argument or banter about random things because that’s how it is growing up.  But I feel like it’s easier to work with my sister more than anyone else because we’re so comfortable with each other so we could technically do whatever we want with each other without any hesitation or doubts. Also as a director, I know Juju so well so I know how to pull the right emotions or attitudes from her as an actress or in the music video as a recording artist or dancer. 

Juju: I’m very grateful to have Mila as a sister because she helps me so much with everything. We’re both always there for each other. I wasn’t scared working with Mila as my director, which we’ve done on our award-winning short  “Not My Circus” and on “Buzzin” music video. If I didn’t like something she said, I could say that! I’m happy I got to do that because you can’t on other sets.

Mila: it was also really cool to get to choreograph the dance sequences on “Buzzin” together. Dancing is our passion and our sport. We’ve been training in dance since we were little and it’s something we also do together, going to different dance studios and taking classes with awesome choreographers. It was great to be able to incorporate all the years of training and putting our creative spin as dancers and choreographers. 

Tells us a little about growing up in L.A. What are your favorite places to go together?

Juju: it is really fun to live in L.A. because it is such an iconic city and I feel like it’s really my kind of vibe and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. There are a lot of dance studios here, beaches, activities, and fun hangout spots.

Mila:  Similar to Juju I also love being from L.A. and living here because there are so many different opportunities for different careers that I am pursuing like acting, dancing, music, art, etc.

Along with that, you are also able to experience all different kinds of environments whether it’s the beach, the desert, the snow, the city, or the suburbs you literally have it all here and most of the time there’s pretty good weather, which is a big thing for me because I love sunny, hot weather and it is the majority of the time. Also, there are so many interesting and cool people, because it’s a large city there is a variety which makes it easy to find your social group. For me also at this point in my life, I’m glad that L.A. offers such wonderful educational institutions. There’s a variety of really good universities with beautiful campuses in the city and around. I’m proud to be a “Lion” and start my journey as a sophomore at LMU this fall.

Juju: our favorite places to go together are Six Flags Magic Mountain, food places, and ice cream spots. We always find cool places on TikTok and go search for awesome Boba and coffee shops. Koreatown has such amazing shaved ice and BBQ places. We also like the beach and malls like The Grove, which is one of my favorites. 

Mila:  We also love going to all different kinds of fairs that L.A. has year-round in different areas. It’s so fun to experience the rides and snacks and hang out with different friend groups. We also enjoy going to farmers’ markets on Sundays to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, which is also a popular thing here in L.A. We are both into fashion and makeup and love shopping together, there are so many malls and stores.

How would you describe your sister relationship?

Mila: Yes, we are sisters, but compared to a lot of other sibling relationships, I feel like me and Juju are extremely close and almost have this best friend-like relationship within the sister relationship, so we really like hanging out with each other. We have a lot of fun together! We act as if we’re friends along with being sisters and I think that’s really special because it allows for a pleasant work relationship between us, but at the same time, she is still my little sister. I am still her older sister. I still tell her to get out of my room. I still yell at her to not wear my clothes. We steal each other‘s clothes and makeup all the time, and we get upset at each other for it. She makes me drive her everywhere because I’m her personal Uber driver now. So, yeah, there is still that aspect to our relationship. If you have a sibling, and especially if you have a younger sister, you know exactly what we mean.

Juju:  We really like hanging out together. We have a lot of fun together. We like to drive around in her car and play music and also get sweet treats like Crumbl cookies and frozen yogurt late at night. I always try to get her to hang out with me and my friends, but sometimes she doesn’t want to because we’re a lot younger…

When not working, where will we find you?

Mila: In a dance class, the gym, traveling, going out to cool dining places, amusement parks, watching anime, going on cool adventures with my friends.

Juju: Also in a dance class, going to fun dessert places, swimming. I love pools, and the beach, going to the mall. I also love amusement parks, and hanging out with my friends.

It’s Showtime! Audition tips for kids and what’s playing on Southland stages now

Published November 2, 2023

By Nina Harada

As a kid, I used to whisper my menu order to my dad so he could pass on what I wanted to the waiter. In class, I’d practice what insight I wanted to share about the day’s reading in case the teacher called on me to speak. So when I begged my parents to enroll me in summer theater camp at Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga Canyon, they were surprised.

But I was in third grade, and had just gotten bitten by the theater bug after watching a stage production for the first time, a high school performance of “Little Shop of Horrors.” As the lights dimmed and the curtain went up, I forgot we were actually in the school gym. When these high school actors transported me to Mr. Mushnik’s flower shop, I realized I also wanted to be on that stage one day.

The stage, I sensed, is where I could uncover my voice.

My parents nurtured my new passion and enrolled me in the summer theater camp, where I learned that I loved performing in plays and musicals as much as I enjoyed watching them.

Whether your child is a natural performer, or a soft-spoken introverted kid looking to come out of their shell, here are some ways to help them land the part and, more importantly, let them shine.

Go to the theater with your kids

L.A. mom and curriculum specialist for Green Dot Public Schools Mindy Melgar took her 5-year-old daughter Amelie to see plays regularly before introducing the idea of performing. “She had a lot of interest and curiosity about how actors prepare, costumes and set design,” Melgar says.

“She had seen productions put on by casts of children in K-12, but also adult casts (including Broadway), so she had been exposed to very high production value,” she says. “It was already something we did together as mom and daughter, so it was a very special thing for her to become part of this herself.”

Be your child’s biggest fan

“One of my biggest tips is for parents to truly be their biggest supporter and cheerleader,” says Nic Brannen, vocal instructor at Green Brooms Music Academy in Santa Monica. “There’s critics everywhere — including in their head, most likely — so they need you to be positive every step of the way.”

Putting yourself out there can be a very vulnerable experience — whether that’s for an audition, a performance or even speaking up in class. Rooting for our kids can help boost their confidence to step into the audition room for the first time, or to return after not landing the part.

“Even if they don’t land the audition or the part they want,” Brannen says, “discuss the positives with them once they’re ready to talk about it. In addition to what could they improve on, what were they most proud of.”

Help them prepare

Practicing before the audition or show is what gives kids the space to have fun once they’re in front of the director.

When Melgar’s daughter was nervous about her stage debut, she uploaded practice tracks with only Amelie’s part so they could listen to them in the car every day. “She got there by the second week and ended up having a very beautiful and affirming debut as a little actress,” Melgar says.

Local actor Lana McKissack, who has been performing since her on-screen debut across Antonio Banderas in the 1995 dark comedy “Four Rooms,” shares, “For those who do want to give it a shot, do the work ahead of time, then allow yourself to enjoy the audition experience as a performance opportunity.”

Make sure to have fun

Amidst the nerves and stress of memorizing lines or practicing songs, it’s easy to forget that performing should be fun.

“Remember, they call it ‘play’ for a reason,” says L.A.-based director and arts educator Ani Marderosian.

McKissack echoes this sentiment. “So, play, and view the audition as an opportunity to have fun and let your creativity go wild! While it’s important to do the work and be professional, once you step into the audition room, that’s your chance to be free and have fun. If you get the part, amazing! If not, you still got to do something you love.”

“An Irish Christmas” brings award-winning performers to the Bank of America Performing Arts Center on Dec. 20-21. PHOTO COURTESY KERRY IRISH PRODUCTIONS

She also suggests doing something fun after the audition. “Putting yourself out there can be daunting, especially for kids. It is very common for them to leave the room and start thinking about mistakes they may have made or things they could have done differently. Having a play date or a fun adventure of any kind immediately afterward helps them shift out of that mindset.”

Whether or not our children land their dream role, auditioning and performing can help them gain confidence and grow their appreciation for the arts. After supporting her daughter through the process of trying out, rehearsing and performing, Melgar realized that “few things, maybe nothing else, can do that quite like being a theater kid.”

Southland shows this fall/winter

If you have a theater kid, make a date for one of these shows:

New York City Ballet principal dancer, choreographer, actress, author, curator and designer Tiler Peck presents her new self-directed show “Turn it Out with Tiler Peck and Friends” on Nov. 4 and 5 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The West Coast premiere features four works with their own unique style. $29 and up. scfta.org

“Little Women Ballet” runs Nov. 17-19 at Heritage Square Museum. PHOTO COURTESY LITTLE WOMEN BALLET

The Wallis and For the Record Live presents “Love Actually Live,” a multimedia concert celebration in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 2003 film. From Nov. 22-Dec. 30, audiences can be transported to London through iconic scenes from the movie performed live on stage at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. $69-$139. thewallis.org

Artistplus Productions and Pasadena Civic Ballet presents Little Women Ballet, an original immersive experience at Heritage Square Museum Nov. 17-19. The coming-of-age-story by Louisa May Alcott is reimagined by choreographer Emma Andres into a family-friendly holiday event that takes audiences inside the museum’s classic Victorian homes. $60 and up. littlewomenballet.com

Family-friendly “Dog Man: The Musical” runs Nov. 21 through Jan. 7 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. PHOTO BY JEREMY DANIEL

Center Theatre Group presents “Dog Man: The Musical,” based on the best-selling book series by Dav Pilkey. The 90-minute family-friendly musical adventure follows Dog Man, who has the head of a dog and the body of a policeman, as he fights crime, chews on furniture and tries his best to be a good boy. Runs Nov. 21-Jan. 7 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Recommended for ages 6-10. $35 and up. centertheatregroup.org

A Noise Within presents “A Christmas Carol” Dec. 1-24, its festive stage adaption of the Charles Dickens’ novel. The annual tradition features whimsical costumes, original music and merriment for all. Recommended for ages 5 and up. $5 and up. anoisewithin.org

The songwriting team behind “Dear Evan Hansen” and “La La Land” brings “A Christmas Story: The Musical” to the Ahmanson Theatre Dec. 5-31. This Tony Award-winning, feel-good comedy musical based on the classic 1983 movie will have the whole family smiling. $40-$169. centertheatregroup.org

“Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” performs Dec. 6-17 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. PHOTO BY JEREMY DANIEL

The Broadway hit “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” will delight both kids and adults alike Dec. 6-17 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The touring production features classic songs such as “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch” and eye-popping sets and costumes inspired by Dr. Seuss’ original illustrations. For ages 5 and up. $45 and up. broadwayinhollywood.com

Kerry Irish Productions’ “An Irish Christmas” returns to the Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks Dec. 20-21 with an award-winning cast of dancers, musicians and singers performing Irish dances and classic carols such as “Silent Night” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” $50-$70. bapacthousandoaks.com

Nina Harada is a mom, artist and Digital Editor of L.A. Parent.

Abby Ryder Fortson on Acting, Adolescence

Published September 5, 2023

By Cassandra Lane

Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon, Amari Price as Janie Loomis, Elle Graham as Nancy Wheeler, and Katherine Kupferer as Gretchen Potter in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. PHOTO CREDIT DANA HAWLEY

While we’re busy figuring out school supplies each fall, another kind of back-to-school issue is top of mind for our kids: What to wear the first day of school?

And if this preoccupation with outerwear seems frivolous to you (how quickly we forget!), kids and teens understand a truism we’d like to pretend is no longer true: People are always judging you by your cover. On the school grounds, the right look might land you in the in crowd (or evoke envy) and the wrong look can keep you on the outside looking in — until you find your tribe.

This universal adolescent angst has been captured in stories the world over, and one of the most renowned arbiters of the genre is Judy Blume. When Lionsgate brought Blume’s beloved middle-grade novel, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” to the big screen earlier this year, I wrote about it in a column. Now that Abby Ryder Fortson, who plays 11-year-old Margaret in the film, is gracing this month’s cover, I’m delighted to share more of my conversation with her here.

Tell us a little bit about you — where and how you were raised, siblings, hobbies.

I’m L.A.-born and -raised. I have one little brother. Both of my parents are actors; my brother is as well. When I was little, my parents would take me to all of their auditions, and I would sit on the producer’s couch. One day, I kind of just said to them, “When can I do this? This is so fun. I want to do this now. When can I get an audition?”

Abby Ryder Fortson. PHOTO COURTESY LIONSGATE

I booked my first commercial and I shot it on my fourth birthday, so I always say that my birthday is my acting anniversary as well.

Both of my parents are my coaches, and they’ve worked with me on every single thing I’ve ever done.

What is your why behind wanting to act?

I love bringing characters to life, honestly. I love being able to read a script and know instantly, “Oh, this is how that character would say something.” And I love working on every little thing, from how they roll down their socks to the biggest thing, like how their emotions are in a specific scene.

I would love to continue acting, but I would also love to direct a project of my own one day. I write as well. I would love to write and direct and branch out into other areas of filmmaking.

What did you think about the book version of “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret?”

I read it as soon as I got the audition. And I remember turning to my parents and saying, “How did someone write down this experience? This is the experience. How did Judy Blume write this down?” It was so beautiful and so honest. [She wrote it] so long ago, when there was such a taboo talking about things about puberty and growing up — and body changing and periods and all that.

The book and the film bring back so many memories from sixth grade — and sixth grade, for a lot of us, was tough. What did you most relate to when reading the book and making the movie?

Honestly, I related to Margaret quite a lot because I was going through the exact same stuff that she was at the exact same time that she was! I’m figuring myself out. I’m awkward, I’m messy, I’m weird.

I think I most related to her journey of finding herself, because that’s something that I’m still doing every single day. I think that’s a thing that most of us are still doing, no matter if you’re 80 or 8.

I think Margaret’s relationship with her friends is certainly complicated, because she moved and she’s thrust into a world of all this new stuff that she’s still figuring out. And with her parents, I think she really loves them. They’re always supporting her, but as any teenager knows, your parents are always the last people you want to take advice from.