Haley must have been in quite a hurry to
start living because her entrance into this world came 5 weeks
early. At 3 she started dancing in local studios and
by the time she was 7 she was choreographing her own freestyle
dances at school talent shows. Her love of center stage led
to enrollment in acting classes and, at the recommendation
of a teacher, her parents began looking for an agent. Almost
immediately, she signed an agency contract and at 7 years
old she began auditioning for commercials and independent
films in and around Texas.
Haley loves to break down a character and,
whether it was for a commercial or film role, her sharp acting
skills and ease in front of casting directors got her noticed.
National commercials and print work for Hasbro and Dell Computers
were booked right away followed by roles in short films and
independent features like the thriller "Seventy-8" that premiered
at the Hollywood Film Festival. Acting was a blast for Haley
and her family was extremely supportive. Because Texas has
a small commercial and film industry, the auditions were far
and few between and barely caused a ripple in the family's
schedule. Between bookings and auditions Haley had time to
perform with a local dance group and attend acting classes
and workshops. Always close to Max, her older brother, she
spent much of her spare time at his hockey games.
By the time she turned 11 it was apparent
that she needed to be in a larger market. Haley urged her
family to let her try and make it in Los Angeles. Unbelievably,
at such a young age, she knew that acting was the career she
wanted. The decision to divide the family between Texas and
the West Coast was difficult for her parents. It would mean
leaving her dad and Max behind and embarking on an unknown
path with her mom. Up until this time, her fledgling acting
career had not upset the family dynamic. This was going to
be a huge change. Encouraged by her local agents and her long
time acting coach, and after many long discussions, the family
made the commitment to let her try L.A.
After finding a manager and spending just
6 weeks in L.A. she booked small guest roles on C.S.I. and
Yes, Dear. Those television roles were followed by two national
commercials. Then she booked what was to be her feature film
debut in "Rumor Has It." The Rob Reiner directed film went
through script rewrites and her role as "the young Jennifer
Aniston" was cut to merely still shots. Adopting a "that's
show business" attitude, Haley was undaunted. The following
month she booked the role of Brittany Loud in the Jodie Foster
thriller, "Flightplan." Haley spent an educational 10 weeks
working with Jodie and other talented actors such as Erika
Christensen, Peter Sarsgard, Kate Beahan and Sean Bean. Director
Robert Schwentke taught her much about the film business.
Just a few short months after completing "Flightplan" she
booked the role of Kelly Beardsley, Dennis Quaid's daughter,
in the comedy "Yours, Mine and Ours." It was another great
opportunity to work with phenomenal actors. Dennis, Renee
Russo and Jerry O'Connell proved to be great role models with
strong work ethics.
Haley continues to work in L.A. and has made
many great friends since arriving. Her Texas roots are never
far behind, though. She's been known to hit the Country and
Western button on the car radio when she needs a taste of
home!
