10.5 Questions with Ava Cantrell
Welcome to 10.5 Questions! We are super excited to share our interview with the talented Ava Cantrell from the feature film Lights Out and Nickelodeon's The Haunted Hathaways. Not only does Ava shine on screen, she can dance, surf, is a straight A student, on both the honor roll and National Honor Society, and lends her time to numerous charities. #WorldChanger
1. We love how philanthropic you are and read about your latest cause, Project Wildsong. Tell us about it and how you're involved.
I met the founder of Project Wildsong at a charity event and felt an immediate connection to the organization, founder, and the wolves. We ended up talking over the next few weeks and meeting a few times before they asked me to be their celebrity ambassador. I feel so honored to be part of their pack.
I met the founder of Project Wildsong at a charity event and felt an immediate connection to the organization, founder, and the wolves. We ended up talking over the next few weeks and meeting a few times before they asked me to be their celebrity ambassador. I feel so honored to be part of their pack.
Project Wildsong strives to invigorate an appreciation for wildlands and wildlife through education, collaboration, and conservation. We introduce people to our Ambassador Animals who represent their wild counterparts and hopefully open their minds to scientific facts, curiosity, and awe.
2. Your spirit animal is the wolf, right? Except for the fact that wolves are absolutely adorable and we want one as a pet...tell us why you're so connected to them.
I absolutely love wolves and have been fascinated with them for a long time. As my spirit animal, wolves have a very strong instinct that they rely on to survive. I am starting to trust my own instinct more as I get older. Wolves have a tight pack that they have a strong bond with. I can relate to that as well. Wolves have an extreme effect on the ecosystem and I have been studying that for a long time. I love learning about their behaviorism.
3. You won Best Actress for your role in Nickelodeon's The Haunted Hathaways and, while that's a comedy, you've also starred in several legit horror films. What's it like to film such freaky movies?
I was frightened at first, to be honest. I was just about seven or eight when I started to play scary characters and when I would see myself in the makeup and costume I would be a little freaked out. The craziest thing is that I've always been the antagonist, never the scream queen. The set pieces can be quite amazing and scary on their own, but it has always been a fun process. The directors and crew that I have worked with have always been professional and humorous and I've always made fast friends with the cast members, even if my character has to kill them.
4. If you could spend 24 hours as a ghost, what would you do? Be honest! We won't tell anyone except everyone we know.
I would be a nosey ghost and listen to people's conversations. I would love to go to NASA and the Pentagon and get all the top secret information and see the cool stuff going on.
I would be a nosey ghost and listen to people's conversations. I would love to go to NASA and the Pentagon and get all the top secret information and see the cool stuff going on.
5. What's the scariest movie you've ever seen and how did it affect you? We still won't let our feet hang over the bed thanks to Poltergeist.
Lights Out! I was in the theater at the première and even though I knew what was coming I was the loudest screamer there. It was my first horror movie that I watched ever. I'm still a huge chicken at scary movies but I'm now a big fan. I have been binge watching The Walking Dead with my dad.
6. You've been a victim of bullying, including being "iced out" which is a type of relational bullying that involves excluding someone from a group of friends with no explanation. What advice can you give kids who are being iced out or excluded?
Icing out is a very cruel form of bullying. I was iced out in middle school and actually left school because of bullying. Friends I had had since I was in kindergarten wouldn't talk with me anymore. For no reason. When a close friend of mine was confronted by her mother as to why she would never speak to me at school, she said: "because Ava is not cool enough." I mean I was in 5th grade. When it gets to the point you are trying to plan where you sit at school for lunch and scared to go to school because you know no one will sit with you, it is just heartbreaking. I think of myself as a younger person going through this and it breaks my heart all over again. It has also made me a lot stronger. I have never tried to be cool by the way, and I think that is one of the "coolest" things about myself. My advice is to let those people icing you out, go. I tried to hang on and make it work. If I had to do it again, I would let it go a lot faster. Those people icing are not worth it, and if they are icing in middle school, those will be the same girls in high school who escalate the bullying to more than icing out.
7. If you could spend one year anywhere in the world, where would it be and with who?
Hands down, I would spend a year on a Hawaiian Island. I love swimming, surfing, the ocean and everything tropical. I like the laid back vibe of Hawaii and would love to live there for a year.
8. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Sushi. I have been eating it ever since I was 9 months old. I love raw fish!
9. If you could stand up in front of an audience of Middle School girls, what would you tell them?
I would tell them to not worry about what other middle school girls think of them. I would tell them that being smart and kind matters. Being popular is overrated and impossible to maintain. I was a popular girl, but it changed so fast. I would tell them not to follow each other but to be unique and creative and then embrace their friends and encourage them to be unique and creative. I would tell them, don't make choices that will embarrass your older self, or lead you down the wrong path. I would tell them to talk to their parents and be open about everything going on because those are the people who will be able to help you, and the people you can trust the most. Lastly, I would tell them to start finding and developing their passions.
10. If you could star in any remake, what would it be and who would you play?
Harry Potter 100% playing Hermione Granger. Best movie ever made.
10.5. (from Lucy, age 4) Would you like to jump on a trampoline?
Yes Lucy, let's jump together!!!!
Be sure to follow our girl Ava on Instagram and check out her new Netflix movie One Under The Sun!
Thank you for promoting such a great message and choosing the right People to share it. Love this article and these heartfelt words and questions!
She sounds so awesome! I love what she said about icing out! I had no idea it had a name but it was rampant when I was in school. I love seeing young celebs using their reach to bring attention to important issues like bullying. It makes other kids who look up to her realize they’re not alone. Bravo Ava!
You are queen! Thanks for the advice! Middle school girls can be SO cruel. Love that you’re speaking out!
This totally helped me Ava!! I’m being iced out by my group of friends :(
I love the 10.5! What a sweetheart! Wolves are totally my spirit animal too. I’d love to get involved with project wildsong. ? I think that’s a fox but there’s no wolf emoji!