Karynn Moore’s dream takes her to Hollywood

FORT LUPTON — At the age of 23, Karynn Moore of Fort Lupton already has six years of experience in her chosen field: Actress.
    For the past year or so, she has had a recurring role in an ABC Family comedy-drama, “Jane by Design.” She wanted to be an actress since age 13 “after I had an accident and almost bled to death.”

Karynn Moore

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    But her first venture into Hollywood wasn’t so grand.
    “I did some modeling things,” she said. “It was absolutely horrible. They told me I should do something else.
    “At 13, that hurts,” Moore continued. “I got the bug again in my junior year in (Fort Lupton) high school. Someone asked me what I wanted to do, and I realized it was serious. I started to apply for jobs. I realized I didn’t want to go to college. It wasn’t something I was prepared for.”
    She went back to the same modeling competition.
    “Just because you want to do something doesn’t mean they will welcome you,” Moore said. “I wanted to do this so badly, I prepared for the worst, especially after the first experience. It helped me. I was very focused, much more than I was the first time.”
    After the second round of modeling competitions, she began following up with people. Some wrote back; some had no time for her correspondence. She eventually flew to California.
    “My first thought was, ‘Oh my gosh. What am I doing here?’ Moore said. “But it’s been interesting. Everyone I’ve met has been kind and encouraging. I know I can’t show up with my natural hair or never wearing makeup. It‘s the package.”
    Her first — and so far only — business manager, Bill Kravitz, imparted a sense of patience to his client.
    “It takes time, and I knew it was going to take time,” Moore said. “I just needed to hear it from someone professional. That comforted me. It reminded me to give this time.”
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    Her first role was in the movie “The Devil Within.” She played the part of Casey in a story about a high school party that gets out of control in the Hollywood Hills.
    “It was horrible,” she said. “I can’t even say it was mainstream. But it was a great experience.”
    Her first union job for television was in another ABC Network program, “Huge.”
    “It was a union job,” she laughed. “We have catered food, and we get paid more.”
    She’s had a recurring role in the ABC Family network series “Jane By Design” for almost a year. The program follows Jane Quimby, who was mistaken for an adult to get a chance to have a job alongside a world-famous designer.
Everyone at the office doesn’t know she’s in high school, and Quimby manages to keep it a secret from everyone at her high school except two people.
    One, Billy, had a relationship with Lulu, described in promotional material as an “it girl.” Moore’s character, Harper, is Lulu’s best friend.
    “After every program or movie I do, I write a thank-you card to everyone who helped make the project,” Moore said. “They enjoyed helping me, and I enjoyed working with them.”
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    There’s also the matter of increased self-confidence.
    “Every time I go onto something new, I get better,” she said, even in makeup. I’ a fast learner. Life teaches you patience. Now I’m learning it. It’s going to take time. I’m going to soak it up while I can.
    “I look forward to getting roles that are a little deeper so I can take their thoughts and live them and see how it changes me,” she added.
    Moore knows she had the opportunity to do something special with her life, and she’s making that dream a reality.
    “The timing was perfect, and I thought, ‘why not?’” she said. “I thought I should seize the opportunities, and my parents have been very supportive. By the time I turn 26, I will have been doing this for 10 years. And if anything comes out of it, I will be a better person. It’s going to be a positive influence on my life.”
    But in the meantime …
“Nothing makes me feel the way I do when I’m on the set,” Moore said. “There is no Plan B.”

Contact Steve Smith at ssmith@metrowestnewspapers.com.