Talia Akiva went over to a friend’s house for a play date, but this was no ordinary play date. Nine year old Akiva’s filming for a new commercial was canceled that day but the actors still get paid for the work they would have completed. So while at her play date, Akiva was paid for hanging around with her friend. “This is the most lucrative play date you will ever have,” said Rachel Akiva, Talia’s mother.
Akiva first got the acting bug around age four. She started by participating in the summer programs held by Young People’s Theater, and was hooked. Now a third grader at Eberwhite Elementary School, Akiva has acted in nine shows, all musicals except for one.
With most of her experience in musical theater, Akiva’s musical talents began at a young age as well. She started singing for her own enjoyment at home. Later, Akiva joined the Youth Choir at Temple Beth Emeth. Along with the choir, Akiva takes voice lessons at the Children Music Academy.
Rachel Akiva claims her daughter’s musical success cannot be traced back to her. She credits her husband for any talent that may have been passed on. Tom Akiva has a background in theater, singing, and guitar.
However, Rachel Akiva is essential to her daughter’s preparation for her roles. Her biggest role to date was Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. The production was done through Ann Arbor Civic Theater. To practice for her lead role, Akiva called on both her parents for help. “When you’re home I go over lines, and my mom and dad like do the other people and I think I kind of get a feel of what I am,” said Akiva.
Despite the numerous shows under Akiva’s belt, the film industry would offer roles Akiva was just not cut out for. In one movie Akiva auditioned for, she held a plastic knife to “basically threaten the air” as she portrayed a ‘tough girl.’ Based on Akiva’s charming smile and sweet demeanor, Akiva and her mom are assuming things didn’t work out.
Although Akiva couldn’t fit into the tough girl role, she did find her niche as the daughter of George Clooney in the movie Ides of March. Akiva had the opportunity to audition for the film after finding an agent.
Akiva landed her agent through a fellow actor while in the production of The Sound of Music. Akiva and her mom have found that if you are going to be involved in the movie industry that you should have an agent. Rachel
“Everyone is coming up to me and saying ‘Oh my gosh you’re in a movie!’ and my friends are all really excited.”
Akiva had doubts in the beginning about signing an agent but decided to follow through with it. The first audition that Akiva’s agent got for her, she landed the role.
Akiva’s main role in the movie was to play George Clooney’s daughter. She was in multiple scenes with him but did not have any lines. “One time I had to sit and play Tic Tac Toe. That was fun. And one [scene] was standing at a podium,” said Akiva. She had the opportunity to play Tic Tac Toe with Evan Rachel Wood and Jennifer Ehle. Akiva can also proudly boast that she won the game.
So far the movie has not changed Akiva’s life drastically but there are minor changes to the people that she encounters on a daily basis. “Everyone is coming up to me and saying ‘Oh my gosh you’re in a movie!’ and my friends are really excited,” said Akiva. However, Akiva does not view the extra attention she is receiving as negative.
Because Akiva likes acting so much she has really enjoyed the filming process. Many different aspects of filming a movie were exciting for her but there was one in particular. “[I really like] meeting all new people and making new friends,” said Akiva. A couple of these new friends include stars such as George Clooney, Evan Rachel Wood, and Ryan Gosling.
Out of the actors on set, George Clooney, was the favorite of Akiva. Clooney was also liked by Rachel Akiva, “George runs around the whole time singing in Italian, it’s hilarious,” said Rachel Akiva. At one point on the set while filming George called out Akiva in front of over 1300 extras at the Power Center. “There’s a scene where he’s on the podium giving a speech and she’s off to the side. [After] they finish filming, he goes ‘And this is my daughter!’, and she runs out and everybody starts cheering. It was really fun,” said Rachel Akiva.
The fun did not stop there for Akiva. While on set she had her own trailer and could ask for whatever she would like and an assistant would fetch it for her. “One time I asked for popcorn,” said Akiva. Akiva was fed anything she desired for breakfast when she asked. Rachel Akiva also had her fun with the personal services. “My mom was jokingly saying ‘Oh my phone is dead’ and they went and got her a charger,” said Akiva.
Filming the movie was a very fun experience for Akiva, but there were times she was nervous. Akiva has her own trick to get rid of the jitters. “I play games with my mom.” Akiva and her mom would also film little movies and sing songs to help calm Akiva’s nerves and to pass the time.
Although Akiva had a role in the movie she will not be able to attend the Hollywood Premiere. Rachel Akiva explained further, “If you get a line, then you get to join Screen Actors Guild and make a whole lot of money. You get residuals and it’s this whole deal and you get invited to the premiere in Hollywood.” But because Akiva did not have a line she cannot participate in the Hollywood Premiere. She will attend the premiere in Michigan.
The Motion Picture Association of America has not yet rated the film but the rating will not influence Rachel Akiva’s decision on whether or not Akiva will be able to see it. She is predicting that the rating will either be PG-13 or R. Rachel Akiva believes it would be cruel not to let her daughter see the movie she participated in.
In her next job, Akiva came across a familiar face from the Clooney movie set. The daughter of the stand in for George Clooney is appearing with Akiva in an impressive position. They both will be appearing in a national Chrysler commercial directed by Samuel Bayer. He is responsible for directing and shooting the Super Bowl Chrysler commercial.
Akiva’s agent instructed her on what to do for her audition. “Well, I had to sit on these chairs and pretend we were going to the zoo,” she said. After her agent sent along her tape, the Akiva family viewed the chances of getting the role as “a total long-shot” due to hundreds of other children auditioning from around the state. However, after receiving a callback, Akiva was booked.
After an abrupt entrance into the world of film and television, Akiva is happy to to be back to a more regular routine. “I had to miss a lot of school and I missed going back to my normal life. But I think I kind of felt relieved when I was back,” said Akiva.
In the future, Rachel Akiva is nervous that her daughter’s ambition to act may be stifled, as it is getting harder to find acting jobs in Michigan. “It’s pretty slow right now with the stupid Snyder and the Michigan movie thing…if he doesn’t kill her dream,” she said.
Gov. Rick Snyder recently decreased the film budget for the state and 2012 fiscal year to 25 million dollars, compared to the 2009-10 year in which the film industry spent around 100 million dollars. Groups such as the Michigan Film Office which began in 1979 are trying to keep the movie-making industry afloat in Michigan by donating some money to films. Their goal is to attract and assist production companies.
Despite the uncertainty, Akiva has a dream to be involved in acting. “I want to be on Broadway!” she said. Akiva is already beginning to attain her dreams, with an IMBD account set up by her mother and agent, allowing others to view her success as it occurs.
As Akiva continues along her stage-lit path, her mother stands by, enduring the bumps along the way. With her daughter’s movie experience wrapping up, a conversation with Clooney gave Rachel Akiva some ideas of how to smooth the path. “I was asking him [to] give me some tips here because I don’t know what the heck I’m doing. And he said you know as long as she is having a good time and it’s not about anybody but her then it works really well.”
There is one guideline the Akivas seem determined to follow. “As soon as it is not fun, we’re done.”
