Goucher Student in the House
Alyssa Rittenburg
Issue date: 9/28/05 Section: Features
This season of "House" has a new draw to Goucher students this year. Goucher sophomore, Mackenzie English, is featured on an upcoming November episode of the popular TV drama.
Mackenzie spent six weeks in California this summer, attending several acting workshops hosted by various facilitators (usually about four casting directors or agents or producers.) At one of these workshops, a casting director from "House," along with one from "That's So Raven," a Nickelodeon representative and an MTV representative watched about 20 actors perform short scripts the actors had 30 minutes to work with. Mackenzie performed her scene and gave the casting directors two headshots, and impressed the casting director from "House."
The casting director called Mackenzie's cell phone after the audition workshop and asked her to come to an audition for the role of Katrina the "pretty college girl at a frat party," in an episode called "Daddy's Boy." For the audition, Mackenzie wore "a light blue tight tank top, jeans, little heels, and a blue collared tight dress shirt over it. I did not dress in a skirt and big heels like the three girls who auditioned before me." She drove into Fox studios, through security, (her name was on THE LIST), and past several other sets before getting to the set of "House." She signed in and was called in immediately.
Her scene required her to act like she was at a frat party with her boyfriend and a mutual friend. Forty-five minutes after her audition, the studio called Mackenzie and told her the role was between her and one other girl. After a week of anxious waiting, Mackenzie's agent called her to tell her she'd been booked.
"I asked if she was kidding and she said, 'No, they loved your audition and want you for the part.' I was sooooo excited I jumped up and down and started running around our apartment, screaming and crying."
After a clothing fitting, a "table read" (where all the actors read through the episode's script to get a feel for how the others work) a week's work of anticipation, and hair and makeup, Mackenzie filmed her scene.
"In my scene, we are all drinking and having fun and chilling at this party, and after our drinking contest, the three of us (my 'boyfriend', 'best friend,' and me) all high-five each other and hug and say 'Yeah!' and 'Wooo!' because we just won the drinking contest. The two guys hug and compliment each other and just have these huge smiles on their faces. Our best friend [Carnell] gets a shock in his back and thinks that "Taddy" my boyfriend on the episode, is shocking him with one of those hand shake shocker things. Taddy shows his hands and says, "I got nothing."
Carnell gets shocked again and again and it feels like sharp pains/stabs in his back. He has no idea whose doing it so he starts yelling at the party goers and says, 'Whoever is doing that better cut it out before I.... (gets shocked again, this time falling to his knees) what the hell is going on?'
I say, 'Maybe there's a short somewhere. The floor's covered with beer.'
Taddy says, 'It can't be. The outlets are all GFI (safe), plus he's got rubber soled shoes on.' Carnell falls to the ground now in a grand mal seizure........ I say, 'OH MY GOD!' Taddy says, 'Call 9-1-1!' I look at him and say, 'Do something!' And he says, 'Like what?' And Marcell keeps having this huge seizure on the floor as I dial 9-1-1."
Mackenzie loved the experience altogether, and her costars appreciated her great attitude too. While in hair and makeup, Jesse Spencer walked in and told her how great it was working with enthusiastic people like her.
Mackenzie has also been on Saturday Night Live, Riding in Cars With Boys, and over 75 national commercials. Keep your eyes open for Mackenzie's newest role on "House," Tuesday nights on FOX at 9pm.
Mackenzie spent six weeks in California this summer, attending several acting workshops hosted by various facilitators (usually about four casting directors or agents or producers.) At one of these workshops, a casting director from "House," along with one from "That's So Raven," a Nickelodeon representative and an MTV representative watched about 20 actors perform short scripts the actors had 30 minutes to work with. Mackenzie performed her scene and gave the casting directors two headshots, and impressed the casting director from "House."
The casting director called Mackenzie's cell phone after the audition workshop and asked her to come to an audition for the role of Katrina the "pretty college girl at a frat party," in an episode called "Daddy's Boy." For the audition, Mackenzie wore "a light blue tight tank top, jeans, little heels, and a blue collared tight dress shirt over it. I did not dress in a skirt and big heels like the three girls who auditioned before me." She drove into Fox studios, through security, (her name was on THE LIST), and past several other sets before getting to the set of "House." She signed in and was called in immediately.
Her scene required her to act like she was at a frat party with her boyfriend and a mutual friend. Forty-five minutes after her audition, the studio called Mackenzie and told her the role was between her and one other girl. After a week of anxious waiting, Mackenzie's agent called her to tell her she'd been booked.
"I asked if she was kidding and she said, 'No, they loved your audition and want you for the part.' I was sooooo excited I jumped up and down and started running around our apartment, screaming and crying."
After a clothing fitting, a "table read" (where all the actors read through the episode's script to get a feel for how the others work) a week's work of anticipation, and hair and makeup, Mackenzie filmed her scene.
"In my scene, we are all drinking and having fun and chilling at this party, and after our drinking contest, the three of us (my 'boyfriend', 'best friend,' and me) all high-five each other and hug and say 'Yeah!' and 'Wooo!' because we just won the drinking contest. The two guys hug and compliment each other and just have these huge smiles on their faces. Our best friend [Carnell] gets a shock in his back and thinks that "Taddy" my boyfriend on the episode, is shocking him with one of those hand shake shocker things. Taddy shows his hands and says, "I got nothing."
Carnell gets shocked again and again and it feels like sharp pains/stabs in his back. He has no idea whose doing it so he starts yelling at the party goers and says, 'Whoever is doing that better cut it out before I.... (gets shocked again, this time falling to his knees) what the hell is going on?'
I say, 'Maybe there's a short somewhere. The floor's covered with beer.'
Taddy says, 'It can't be. The outlets are all GFI (safe), plus he's got rubber soled shoes on.' Carnell falls to the ground now in a grand mal seizure........ I say, 'OH MY GOD!' Taddy says, 'Call 9-1-1!' I look at him and say, 'Do something!' And he says, 'Like what?' And Marcell keeps having this huge seizure on the floor as I dial 9-1-1."
Mackenzie loved the experience altogether, and her costars appreciated her great attitude too. While in hair and makeup, Jesse Spencer walked in and told her how great it was working with enthusiastic people like her.
Mackenzie has also been on Saturday Night Live, Riding in Cars With Boys, and over 75 national commercials. Keep your eyes open for Mackenzie's newest role on "House," Tuesday nights on FOX at 9pm.
