This week’s Student Spotlight is freshman Shy’Asia Lyles, a budding actress who is already taking her skills to the next level. 

Lyles says she was inspired to begin acting by seeing behind-the-scenes clips of TV shows. Seeing the dedication and drive that both actors and crew gave to their jobs motivated her to start acting as well.

“I started acting because I enjoyed watching bloopers or behind the scenes of my favorite shows,” Lyles said. “I really like the connection and passion I saw with the crew and everyone, so I thought I would give it a try.”

Even though she is relatively new to the acting world, Lyles has already made a splash in the Chapman Theatre program. She is involved in the theatre classes and is starring as King Triton’s daughter Adella, a crabette, and a princess in the upcoming production of “The Little Mermaid.”

“I first started acting in July, but my very first interest and audition was (November 2020),” Lyles said. “I did theatre last semester, and I’m currently in the play that shows in a couple days.”

In fact, Lyles has been able to take her acting career even further; she recently had the opportunity to star in a short film set to come out in June, which she says was a fun experience.

“I had a really great time for my first time on set with the short film,” Lyles said. “It was very calming that I had a small project for my first job, and the directors were really nice and gave clear instructions that I took well.”

She has also had the opportunity to audition for a larger production, and even though it brought more stress than the short film, she enjoyed getting to see just how much work goes into producing large films.

“My audition for a big producer was very stressful and short-noticed,” Lyles said. “It was fun to do, and I sadly didn’t get the role, but it was fun to film the audition and kind of get a sneak peak at the production.”

Lyles recognizes that she is just getting started as an actress, but she is confident that her career will blossom and she will become a well-known name in the cinematic world.

“Even though I’m not famous yet, I still consider myself an actor because I pay for classes, and I also act in school,” Lyles said. “I really enjoy acting, and I hope I become successful one day with this new hobby.”