Today we’d like to introduce you to Hendrix Yancey.
Hi Hendrix, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When I was about five years old, a friend of my mom’s said to her, “You should really meet my sister, Holly, I think you’d really get along!” She sort of match-made my mom and Holly as friends and the minute Holly (who turned out to be a casting director in LA) met me she jokingly told my mom to “GET THAT CHILD INTO ACTING OR GIVE ME THAT CHILD.” So funny… my mom jokes that she should have just given her the child! So Holly put us in contact with a prestigious acting studio – Gray Studios LA – and I started classes via Zoom (because I live in Arkansas). After a few months, they asked me to be a part of a student showcase, so I did! Shanelle (the owner) told all of the performers (and their parents) that it was just great exposure and not to get too hopeful for an agent or manager to come out of it. BUT crazy story, the showcase ended around 9:30 or 10 pm and I got my first call at midnight that night and my parents stopped counting at 30 by 10 am the next morning! We ended up signing with my amazing manager, Susie Mains, and then later that week Osbrink Agency. I’ve been repped by them for the last six years – best decision ever. Six weeks after signing with Susie and Osbrink I booked my first series regular role on television.
It’s been a lot of hard work and A LOT OF NOs (all actors will tell you that), but totally worth it. I’ve had a lot of awesome bookings (including Stranger Things), a lot of awesome experiences (I went to the Golden Globes as part of a nominated series at the age of seven) and a lot of close calls to great roles, This year I booked my very first series regular LEAD and it’s been the most exciting and rewarding experience to date – I play Young Jan Broberg in A Friend Of The Family.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Just like anything, there are definitely ups and downs. I think it’s important to enjoy the journey. Getting told you’re not right for a part always hurts a little (especially if it’s one that you really really want), but you get used to it and I think it makes you stronger. I just focus more on the next audition and try to learn from it. But it’s not always about your performance, it could be your looks or your height or they want to go with someone who is just a little different than you. It has taught me not to be hard on myself and just do the very best that I can. AND, good news, if they like your performance but you’re not right for the role they will remember you for something else … so it’s never a waste!
I LOVE being on set so much, but when you book a big role you can be away from home for months and months. I would say the very hardest part is being away from family and friends. It is always worth it when you get to do what you love, but it definitely never gets easier.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an actress and up until recently, I would say that I’m most known for my role as 013 in Stranger Things season 4. More recently, I’m known for my role as Jan Broberg in A Friend Of A Family on Peacock. I’m definitely most proud of my work on A Friend Of The Family because it took me a really long time (six months of filming) and it was based off of a REAL person, so I had to base all of my actions and emotions off of the real Jan Broberg. It was really important for me to get it right because I wanted to do Miss Jan justice and show what she went through – I want to bring awareness to what happened to her and do my part to make sure it doesn’t happen to any other little kids.
I’m an 11-year-old actress that spends a lot of my time in different states filming super exciting projects, but when I’m not on set, I’m outside climbing trees with my cats (we live on 10 acres in Arkansas), going to public school and being a totally normal kid. It’s almost like I’m not even on television or in movies and I love it that way.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t book something because it means the PERFECT role is right around the corner. And as crazy as that sounds, it really is true. I had a lot of REALLY close calls the year before I booked a lead role in A Friend Of The Family; my mom and I actually added it up and I think I went to 15 Director’s Sessions and even screen-tested for ABC in about 6 or 7 months, and it was emotionally exhausting and really discouraging, but my manager kept telling me, “the PERFECT role is right around the corner and you’re getting closer and closer to booking it.” And she was right.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hendrixyancey.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hendrixyancey
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/hendrixyancey
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/hendrixyancey
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/hendrixkateyancey
- Other: www.imdb.me/hendrixyancey
Image Credits
Image 1 & 2: Photo by Cathryn Farnsworth Image 3: Still from A Friend Of The Family Image 4: Photo by Lilly K Photography Image 5: Hendrix Yancey as 013 in Stranger Things Season 4 Image 6: NY Premiere of A Friend Of The Family Image 7: Colin Hanks, Hendrix Yancey, Lio Tipton, Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy Image 8: Hendrix with Ross and Matt Duffer on the set of Stranger Things Image 9: Hendrix at the Golden Globes 2020 Image 10: Mckenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey
