Local child actress a star on the rise

Advertisement

She's not shy around strangers. She memorizes lines with ease, and she loves to be in front of a camera.

No wonder Ella Rae Zanders, 5, was selected to appear in a national TV commercial for Little Debbie Snack Cakes.

"Whenever I see it on TV, I usually get excited and my tummy gets butterflies," she said.

Ella is a student at Kim Flowers' John Robert Powers, a talent school at 3010 W. Charleston Blvd., and began taking lessons there at the age of 3.

Her mother, DeAnna Kirk, works there as agent relations director. They live in North Las Vegas.

At age 2, Ella appeared in her first TV spot, a commercial for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Her scene had one line -- "Ooh" -- and required her to smear mud on another child's face.

Though new to the business, Ella's resume of acting, modeling and singing includes work for such companies as Clash Jeans, University Medical Center and numerous local fashion shows. She also was in a PBS Sprout commercial and a Marshall Fields Department Store seasonal commercial.

The Little Debbie spot was shot in Pasadena, Calif., in May 2005. The commercial depicts a granddaughter (Ella) hosting a tea party for her grandfather. It required various camera shots and about six hours on the set.

"She would make her way to the makeup trailer after each (camera angle shoot)," Kirk said. "She'd say, 'More makeup, more makeup.' "

At one point in the commercial, Ella takes a bite of a Little Debbie cake. But she didn't actually eat it. As soon as the director yelled, "Cut," the prop man had her spit it out. Her mother estimated Ella had to bite into 40 of the dessert cakes.

Flowers said Ella is "a phenomenal kid. She has a very marketable look and a personality that's more developed than other kids her age. She's light years ahead of most children her age."

She's also at ease with her talent, which includes belting out a song. At a restaurant with singing waiters, Ella asked the piano man if she could sing for the patrons. She launched into a song from "The Little Mermaid," to the delight of the diners.

Ella is managed by Diverse Talent Group and the Morgan Agency of Los Angeles and travels from Las Vegas to her auditions with her mom. But Kirk said she's far from being a stage mother.

"I want Ella to enjoy herself at the auditions," Kirk said. "We will continue to develop her talents as long as she continues to have fun and has time to enjoy being 5 years old."

For now, Ella enjoys playing with her dog, singing karaoke with friends and spotting Little Debbie displays in the grocery store where she says to the boxes, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"