OMEN
03-01-2009, 03:00 PM
Five years after she walked the Oscars' red carpet as a wide-eyed 13-year-old, Keisha Castle-Hughes is back in Hollywood to take charge of her acting career.
The LA Times has reported that Castle-Hughes, now 18, has returned to the epicentre of the international film industry to take part in a series of meetings and auditions designed to jump-start her acting career.
She may be eyeing a permanent move there, the paper said.
Castle-Hughes' last visit to the city was in 2004, as the youngest lead actress Oscar nominee for her role as Pai, the young Maori girl who fights her grandfather and tradition to fulfil her destiny in Whale Rider.
Then, she was caught up in endless parties, award shows, press appearances and the accompanying beauty rituals, she told The Times.
"I felt like I was Charlie and I won the golden ticket," she said.
"I got manicures every three days. I'd never had my nails done in my life. I had my eyebrows plucked, which was a horrible experience."
A teenage pregnancy later, she has swapped the limos for a rental car and is staying with fiance Brad Hull and two-year-old daughter Felicity-Amore in a mid-range hotel.
She has the same agent, but her publicity is classic Kiwi DIY, fielding calls from journalists herself.
Despite its fickle reputation, Hollywood has not forgotten Castle-Hughes.
"Whale Rider had an amazing impact emotionally and people remember it," the actress said.
A permanent move to Los Angeles could be on the cards, she said. "I'd love to stay in New Zealand and work from there, but it's really difficult to commute 12 hours with a two-year-old."
Castle-Hughes' latest New Zealand film, an adaptation of Elizabeth Knox's The Vintner's Luck, is due for release later this year.
The Dominion Post
The LA Times has reported that Castle-Hughes, now 18, has returned to the epicentre of the international film industry to take part in a series of meetings and auditions designed to jump-start her acting career.
She may be eyeing a permanent move there, the paper said.
Castle-Hughes' last visit to the city was in 2004, as the youngest lead actress Oscar nominee for her role as Pai, the young Maori girl who fights her grandfather and tradition to fulfil her destiny in Whale Rider.
Then, she was caught up in endless parties, award shows, press appearances and the accompanying beauty rituals, she told The Times.
"I felt like I was Charlie and I won the golden ticket," she said.
"I got manicures every three days. I'd never had my nails done in my life. I had my eyebrows plucked, which was a horrible experience."
A teenage pregnancy later, she has swapped the limos for a rental car and is staying with fiance Brad Hull and two-year-old daughter Felicity-Amore in a mid-range hotel.
She has the same agent, but her publicity is classic Kiwi DIY, fielding calls from journalists herself.
Despite its fickle reputation, Hollywood has not forgotten Castle-Hughes.
"Whale Rider had an amazing impact emotionally and people remember it," the actress said.
A permanent move to Los Angeles could be on the cards, she said. "I'd love to stay in New Zealand and work from there, but it's really difficult to commute 12 hours with a two-year-old."
Castle-Hughes' latest New Zealand film, an adaptation of Elizabeth Knox's The Vintner's Luck, is due for release later this year.
The Dominion Post