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Emily Alyn Lind Interview: Busy Young Actress Stars in ABC's 'Revenge'

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Emily Alyn Lind

It’s not every day one gets to experience a gifted young actress who can easily segue from TV to film and back again to primetime television. The day that Emily Alyn Lind wrapped the $20 million dollar feature Still I Rise as Maggie Gyllenhall’s daughter, she was flown from the Pittsburgh set back to Hollywood to star as “young” Emily Van Camp in ABC’s new fall drama Revenge, which made its series premiere September 21.

The nine-year-old was a serious contender for an Emmy nomination for her role as a cancer patient in the 2010 film November Christmas presented through Hallmark Hall of Fame. Other TV appearances include Criminal Minds, Flashpoint, Medium, Eastwick, Days of Our Lives, and as “Emma” on the ABC daytime drama All My Children.

"I play Amanda who’s Emily Van Camp’s character Emily when she’s growing up. It’s kind of confusing because I’m Emily and Emily is Emily and her character is named Emily so it’s really confusing on set (laughs)."

Lind is the daughter of assistant director John Lind and actress Barbara Alyn Woods (One Tree Hill, The Gates, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Striptease).

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Emily, how are you today?

Emily Alyn Lind: Good, how are you?

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Doing well. I’m a fan of your work on All My Children.

Emily Alyn Lind: Thank you.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Did you form any friendships there with the other young actors?

Emily Alyn Lind

Emily Alyn Lind (Integrated PR)

Emily Alyn Lind: Yeah, I did, with young JR. We went to school together so every free time we had we would play together.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Who was the nicest adult?

Emily Alyn Lind: Definitely Cameron and Rebecca who plays Greenlee. They were almost like my mom and dad really. I just loved them so much.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Do you ever have trouble remembering your lines?

Emily Alyn Lind: No way! I’m really into it so I don’t think so, no.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): I enjoyed you also in Hallmark’s November Christmas. You portrayed a little girl who was very sick. Was that a difficult role?

Emily Alyn Lind: Not really because I really studied it and got into that character. I think that’s my favorite character I’ve ever played because I just loved her so much.

Actually the really great thing that came out of doing November Christmas was I learned about an organization called Make-A-Wish. I started collecting money for them on set and now every movie I do I collect money for them. I call it my Love Fund.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): That is such a great thing to do. How old are you, Emily?

Emily Alyn Lind: I’m nine years old.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): When is your birthday?

Emily Alyn Lind: May 6.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): You and your mom share a middle name.

Emily Alyn Lind: Yes, my dad is just John Lind, but my mom is Barbara Alyn Woods. My other sisters are Natalie Alyn Lind and Allie Alyn Lind and I’m Emily Alyn Lind.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): I know your mom from One Tree Hill. Did you catch the acting bug from her?

Emily Alyn Lind: Yes, that’s really how I started. I would go on set with my mom and watch her do her thing and think, “Oh, I want to do that so much.” So I just started doing it and it has been an ongoing thing for me.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Does she offer acting advice?

Emily Alyn Lind: Oh yeah. She’s my acting coach. She reads scripts with me and goes over them with me.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): How old were you when you first started acting?

Emily Alyn Lind: I was four years old, the same age as my younger sister Allie.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Are you the oldest?

Emily Alyn Lind: No, Natalie is eleven.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): You and Natalie both guest starred on Criminal Minds. Was that fun to do?

Emily Alyn Lind: That one was a little challenging, but I liked it and really got along with the cast. That made it easier.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): That is probably a show your parents won’t let you watch.

Emily Alyn Lind: Well, my sister Natalie watches it and I watch it a little bit, too.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Are there any television shows your parents won’t let you watch?

Emily Alyn Lind: A couple, but I know it’s acting. You know what I mean.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Sure. Tell me about your character in Revenge.

Emily Alyn Lind: I play Amanda who’s Emily Van Camp’s character Emily when she’s growing up. It’s kind of confusing because I’m Emily and Emily is Emily and her character is named Emily so it’s really confusing on set (laughs).

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): I’ll bet it is. How many episodes have been filmed so far?

Emily Alyn Lind: I did the pilot and two episodes.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): You’re having a good time?

Emily Alyn Lind: Oh yes. Emily is so great and I really like the cast. I’m just so excited I got that role because I wonder what my character is going to do next and I like the script too!

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Congratulations also for being cast in J. Edgar.

Emily Alyn Lind: Thank you. In J. Edgar I play Shirley Temple. It was like the dream job, you know, working with Leonardo and Judi Dench and Clint Eastwood who is just so cool.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Would you describe Clint Eastwood as cool?

Emily Alyn Lind: He’s so cool. He’s laid back. That set was so laid back. We did two takes and then he said, “Goodnight Emily.”

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): What are your favorite television shows?

Emily Alyn Lind: I would say that one of my favorite shows is Modern Family and I like some of the Disney shows. I like The Middle and Dancing with the Stars and American Idol. I watch those with my mom. I audition for a lot of shows and then I want to watch them to see how the actors do it. I’m not that much into TV, but I do like it.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): What is your favorite movie?

Emily Alyn Lind: We definitely go to a lot of movies. The last movie I saw that was really good was Super 8. I really like Elle Fanning. Spielberg movies are really cool.

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): What’s your favorite thing to do as a family?

Emily Alyn Lind: I’m usually the writer and we make movies together. My older sister is usually the director and my little sister likes to star in the movie. My dog, Georgie, always has a little part … and my mom and dad too. It’s really fun.

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