Photo credit: BENJO ARWAS

YOUNG ADULT: What is the most exciting part of being involved in new show Chasing Life?  What appealed to you about this script in particular?   

Haley Ramm: So many people are going to be able to relate to this show. The most appealing thing about it to me is how it follows all of these wonderful characters trying to live their lives with all the laughter and heartache that real lives come with. We have a really great ensemble and the writers have created characters with depth that are involved in interesting scenarios.

YA: Describe your character Brenna. Who is she? What about her most resembles you, and what is most different?  

HR: Brenna has dealt with a lot over the last couple of years. Her father passed away, she finds out her sister has cancer, and she doesn’t exactly fit in at school. I can be feisty like Brenna and I didn’t totally fit in at school either. But Brenna is much more impulsive and unreliable than I am. 

YA: You’ve also been involved in some other amazing projects, like Into the Wild and X-Men: The Last Stand. Any interesting tidbits on those?

HR: I had pretty small parts in both of those films, but getting the experience of working with actors of that caliber at a young age really helped me. I was playing younger versions of main characters in both of those projects, and in order to get me to look like the older actors I had to go through physical changes. In Into the Wild they dyed my hair black and I wore two different pairs of contacts in each eye to achieve the right color. In X-Men: The Last Stand my hair was colored bright red and I wore brown contacts. Bottom line? I don’t like contacts and having to carry out a scene when you’re not used to them takes some real patience!

YA: Any fun stories to happen off camera while on set for any of your projects? 

HR: One of my favorite moments was working on the drama Disconnect  (with Jason Bateman). I was talking to the director, Henry Alex Rubin, before a scene. It was a pretty ordinary scene that he didn’t want to just be ordinary. My character had been through a lot at this point and he wanted to convey my frustration and anger towards another high school girl. He asked me “What do you want to do? Slap her or spit in her face?” I just laughed and said definitely spit in her face. So, when the cameras rolled, I spit. And the other actress had no idea it was going to happen. What other job calls for that? 

YA: What has been the best acting or professional advice you’ve received? 

HR: My favorite acting advice came from Eric Close in an episode of my Without a Trace arc. My character was having a breakdown and he told me to not think. Just feel and let go. It’s so simple, but I find myself drawing on that little piece of important advice very often.

YA: Who are you absolutely dying to work with? 

HR: So many people and I can’t even name one name because I believe I’ll jinx it! But, I will say being in a Wes Anderson movie and getting to step into the worlds he creates would be a dream.  

YA: If you could play any role from any film or TV show in history, who would it be and why?   

HR: I wouldn’t want to re-do someone else’s role. There’s a beauty in creating it yourself. I would love to play an Olde English character and I don’t care whether it’s playing royalty, a handmaid or any Shakespearean character. That would be fun and challenging. 

YA: What other pursuits are you involved in, other than acting, if any? 

HR: I would love to open up a vintage store one day. I just bought a canning set so I’m excited about that. I sound like I’m 80, right? 

YA: What would you say is your favorite YA story, book or film? 

HR: It’s not technically Young Adult, but I think To Kill a Mockingbird is the best book and it’s about the only time I’ve seen a movie that was as good as the book. It never gets old to me and the inspiring message still holds up today.