Today we’d like to introduce you to Livi Birch.
Livi, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My parents are English and moved to the States about 16 years ago for my Dad’s work. My brothers and I were all born in Atlanta so I actually have dual citizenship, which is super cool. I grew up living just off the main street in Little Five Points and we would use all the walking paths to go to all the play parks and would refuel at King of Pops and Flying Biscuits (the best and biggest muffins ever). I went to a local church preschool and tried ballet (lasted only one session), gymnastics but I was not a fan of the beam and then ended up doing a hiphop camp and my teacher said to my Mom ‘forget gymnastics; this is her thing.’
When we moved across town, I changed schools and got to play the farmer’s wife in the Farmer and his Wife nursery rhyme. I was five and loved it but I loved music too and started asking my Mom if I could have guitar lessons. She said no. I didn’t give up and when I turned six, we borrowed a friend’s guitar and I started weekly lessons. I was hooked. The first song I learned was Set it All Free from the movie Sing and I played it to a packed local bar as part of a different kind of recital! I remember I had a really bad cold and I was a little nervous but when I started playing with the band, I was just super happy. I think that’s when I, and my parents, started to think I liked performing.
Then when I was seven, my friend wanted me to do a musical theatre camp with them and I LOVED it. I stayed there for just over a year and was so excited because they were doing a production of Cinderella. Of course, I really wanted to be Cinderella but I was the Town Crier. So I wrote a song called ‘So Say Hey,’ which is about how you don’t always get what you want in life. After I performed that song at a concert, people were coming up to my parents and asking them, “who’s she with?” “who’s her agent?” My mom took some headshots and we sent out my resume to some Atlanta agents and were super lucky when Jacob Lawson and Corey Lawson at Privilege Talent took a gamble on me.
It’s really been a whirlwind ever since. In the last 18 months or so I have been lucky enough to work on four movies, Farmer and the Belle, Saving Santa Land (young Belle), Tulsa (Tulsa) released with Regal Movies nationwide on 21st August, Audience Choice Award at The International Christian Film Festival, His Killer Fan (young Ariana) and Redeeming Love (Sarah Stafford) due to be released in theatres in Spring 2021. It has been a big learning curve for me but I love being on set and being challenged with different characters.
Filming Tulsa we were based in Augusta for a month so I really got to know the entire cast and crew and appreciate how hard everyone works. I definitely made some friends for life and picked up loads of tips. Redeeming Love was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa and we were there for a month too. That was a totally incredible experience on and offset. I love working with new actors and directors as everyone has different advice and techniques so I am always learning. DJ Caruso, the director for Redeeming Love, taught me to always make sure I talk to directors about scenes, how I feel and any ideas I may have on a scene. That was pretty cool as I was only ten! My mother was played by Nina Dobrev and she was super fun and also taught me a trick for more emotional scenes.
I was on The Resident, although I was cut (another learning experience) and you can catch me very briefly in episode 8 of Lovecraft Country (Misha Green/JJ Abrams). You can find me in several @Shiftdrinks Comedy sketches and they even wrote a script for me. It’s always crazy on set with that crew! I filmed a dream TV show just before shut down and I’m keeping everything crossed that a pilot I booked prior to shut down is still going ahead. I have one project which is due to shoot in September and I can’t wait to get back on set.
Has it been a smooth road?
Yes I think it has really. I mean you can’t complain for being too busy can you?! Of course, I have had to learn to ‘do your best and forget the rest’ which was super hard at first when you have no feedback, or when you come close but miss out. However, even when I missed out on roles I really wanted things worked out for the best as I then booked a job which was even better for me. I mean if I had been cast as Cinderella I bet I wouldn’t be writing this now! We always say everything happens for a reason and try to go with the flow. What will be will be!
Juggling school and learning to work with a set tutor, and my Mom, at first was just so different but now, especially having done virtual learning due to Covid, I really enjoy it and find I focus more by myself and I chat with my friends all the time so we stay connected.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am proud of all the projects I have been lucky enough to work on. However, I think recording my original song, Tulsa’s song, which I wrote for Tulsa, with Mamajan (Jan Smith Studios) and releasing it on iTunes, along with having my song, LA, licensed by His Killer Fan, have to be top of my list. To see something you created by yourself in your bedroom end up on iTunes and in a movie at age eleven sounds unreal and I did it?! Crazy right!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes, Atlanta is amazing for actors. I think it is the third largest market after LA and New York. I have quite a few (grown up) actor friends who moved here from those cities and love it and are really busy. I feel lucky that I live in town so for the most part I don’t have to travel for auditions and/or callbacks. I’ve filmed two TV shows and one movie right on my doorstep which is pretty awesome.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 14043744104
- Email: joannabirch@me.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livibofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livi.birch.35
- Yelp: https://youtu.be/f_zY2KWIx5A
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/livi-birch/1528097988
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