Seventeen year old Kunal Sharma from Andover, MA moved to CA last Sept 2004 to pursue his passion for acting. By his sheer grit and determination he has managed to grab some lucrative assignments.

Kunal has been selected to be a co-star in Disney’s hit series ‘Phil of the Future’. As of October 2004, the show Phil of the Future was #1 in its slot among teens and kids, with roughly four million viewers total per episode. I spoke to the star and his parents in his Burbank apartment where they had just returned after shooting for ‘Phil of the Future’.  He was very excited about the assignments that have come his way. “I am so pleased to be part of  Disney’s ‘Phil of the Future’. It is an amazing experience to work at Disney. Everyone here strives for perfection. The directors are absolutely wonderful. They motivate us to work hard to get everything done right.  Ricky Ulman (Phil) and others in the show are a pleasure to work with” says Kunal. 

He has also landed a lead role in a new comedy series to be produced by a major network. He is very pleased with this very lucrative assignment. “I have received a 6-yr contract. Due to the contractual obligations I cannot disclose too much information about the show. Auditions for this show were held in London, Vancouver, Toronto, NY and LA.  I was called in Toronto for a final screen test. It was a great learning experience. I got an opportunity to with work with seasoned actors who have work in movies such as Bend it Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice, Bombay Dreams, etc. The shooting for the show is scheduled to start in the third week of March,” says Kunal.

The road to this assignment was not easy. He knew that to get to Hollywood he must move to California. So last year, his family decided to make the move.  How did they decide to take such a bold step?  “Moving to LA was not an easy decision to make, but I was determined to pursue my passion of acting whole heartedly. It’s a cut throat place and there is a multitude of talent. There are a lot of factors besides talent that play a part including having the “right look” for a part, suiting a role and having the right chemistry with your costars. However, I was very optimistic and confident.  During my earlier visit the response from the industry had been amazing. I got a lot of positive feedback from casting directors, my acting coaches and others from the industry. So I decided to take the step.  I am very fortunate to have a family that supports me wholeheartedly and they agreed to make the move,” says Kunal.

Many have tried their luck in Hollywood and not all have succeeded. What made Kunal succeed when others have failed?  Dad Naresh Sharma attributes this to his hard work and confidence. “Kunal was very focused from the beginning, he knew the direction he wanted to take and he was very confident about his abilities. There were times where despite his hard work, the role was given to someone else. However, he didn’t let the rejection deviate him from his objective. On a few occasions I even asked him if he wanted to give up and come back to Massachusetts. He absolutely refused assuring me that he was not a loser. He said despite rejections he would keep moving ahead and keep a positive attitude. I believe it is this type of attitude that has helped him succeed.”

So how does it feel to be a star? What thoughts are going through his mind?
“Right now, it is just the beginning; I have a long way to go. I feel pleased that within such a short time span I have received some great assignments.”

What about school for this eleventh grader? “He cannot attend regular school because of his shooting schedules. But the studios have a school on their premises to cater to the needs of the actors. Whenever there is no shooting going on, teachers work with students so that schooling in not interrupted,” says his mother Uma.

What advice do they have for other aspiring actors? “If someone has a passion for acting and they have talent they should pursue it. They need to find a good agent and a manager in either NY or LA. They should be prepared to work very hard and be able to deal with cut throat competition. Rejection is also something one should learn to deal with. If you succeed, doing a show is a lot of fun!” says Kunal.

Lokvani wishes the budding star, Kunal the very best of luck.

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