You may see Gavin White, 11, walking around the halls of Vista. He may even be in your physics class or on your track team. But outside of his normal academic and social life, White is a serious actor, having made appearances in multiple shows and movies with more on the way.

Starting his career off young, White’s mom put him into acting as a kid, and he’s been working ever since. As an eighth grader, White was introduced to the New Mexico and LA markets and found success in securing an agent. Since then, his career has skyrocketed.

White has a few projects under his belt, anticipating involving himself in more. “Reachers,” “14 Cameras,” and “First Ladies” are just some of the works he can be spotted in. One of White’s favorite projects was “First Ladies,” despite the challenges that came with it.

“[“First Ladies”] was scary because it was some big actors and directors that know what they want, and they’re gonna get it,” White said. “And if you don’t meet it, they’ll tell you, and they’ll be pretty harsh about it.”

It’s often said the acting industry can be a tough one to be involved in, and White feels the effects in full force. Specifically, rejection. 

“You get a lot of rejection, you kind of have to develop a thick skin about it,” White said. “People will tell you, I don’t like him at all. Or I don’t like this about him, or can you fix this about him? It’s something that you can’t really fix.”

When asked how he prepares for his roles, White cites authenticity as key.

“I think it’s really good to add a little bit of yourself into each character. So it feels natural, it flows. You realize what the character wants, who they are. And then you just put a little bit of yourself into that.

Overall, White is just like any other teenage boy. To him, acting is just fun. And although he has plans to expand his career into directing and writing, for now, White is just in high school. 

“It’s fun and doesn’t really change my life that much, but it’s just a hobby,” White said, “I’m just a normal kid who likes doing something.”