An Orillia girl is working toward her dream of being a world-renowned actor and pop star.
Madeleine Cox, 9, began acting three years ago alongside her sister Gemma, 12. It all began when she was approached in an airport by somebody in the industry who said they were "looking for cute little girls" for acting.
Shortly after, Cox landed her first role as Alicia in a Hallmark Christmas movie called 'Tis the Season to be Merry'.
"We sort of just jumped into the first audition and my mom coached me," she recalled. "I was really excited because I was the first person in my family to get a role."
Cox was immediately hooked by the industry when she first stepped foot on the movie set.
"I thought the hair, makeup, and costuming was really cute," she said. "I had three or four lines, and I was really excited."
Cox is now starring as herself in the animated series 'Giselle’s Mashup Adventures'. She's featured in episodes 15 and 16 of Season 2 on CBC Gem.
"It's really cool because they named the character Madeline and they made it look like me," she said. "It was really fun because it was my first cartoon."
Cox's ability to express emotions and use her imagination has made her a natural when it comes to acting.
"Mostly it's pretty easy because you have the guidance of the script," she said.
Cox hopes that she can emulate the career of Disney star Dove Cameron.
"I want to be in shows where I get to sing in roles," she explained. "I want to be a pop star."
Cox also dreams of one day becoming a veterinarian. She believes she can juggle both careers. Currently, she's juggling her social life, family life, school, and her acting career.
"I have to take a bit of time off of school for my roles," she explained. "But I just find good times when I don't have an activity to work on it."
Cox has help keeping up with her school work from tutors and her parents while she's away from the classroom and acting on set.
Cox's stardom has gotten her noticed by her fellow Orillia classmates. Her friends think her career is "really cool."
"They ask me a lot of questions about it," she laughed. "I showed my friends one of the dances I do in a movie, and we were all doing it at recess."
While most of the money Cox has earned from acting has been put into a savings account for when she’s older, she says she's also used some of it to buy some new toys.
On Nov. 23, Cox will star in the premiere of the Lifetime movie, 'Christmas in the Spotlight'.
"There was a really good vibe on set," she said. "It was really fun and cheerful."
You can watch the trailer for the movie inspired by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's romantic relationship, here.
