We recently connected with Tara Battani and have shared our conversation below.

Tara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I have to blame wanting to become an actress on three things: Amelia Bedelia, the movie ANNIE, and Hayley Mills. When I was around four years old, my Mom was a Christian singer, and I went on tour with her. She also had me perform songs with her on stage. At the time I was obsessed with Amelia Bedelia books, the maid who was absent minded and always doing things wrong. Whenever she got in trouble, she would say “I’m at my wit’s end!” So one day on stage, my Mom asked me, “Tara, what does Jesus mean to you?” Not used to talking on stage, I looked at her strangely and said the only thing that came to my mind: “I don’t know! I’m at my wit’s end!” The crowd roared. I have never, to this day, heard laughter like that. It hurt my ears! But I remembered thinking, “Oh. I kind of like this.”

Around the same time, I saw the movie ANNIE and it mesmerized me. I made my family take me back to the theatre to see it around ten times! I loved the young kids dancing, singing and acting and knew it was something I also wanted to do. A few years later, I did a professional production of ANNIE and played Molly at age seven. It was love at first play for me. I loved it all: the rehearsal process, the costumes, the lights, performing five nights a week. It was heaven. One of my favorite sounds of all time is standing in the wings and listening to the audience rustling and talking before a show. It’s pure adrenaline.

The first actress who made an impression on me as a performer was Hayley Mills. We had the Disney channel, and I suddenly became obsessed with this darling little blonde girl who was so endearing, so natural, and so charismatic. I watched her movies constantly, so much so that my Dad would come home and say “Are we watching Hayley again? Is Hayley on TV?” in his best British accent. I loved her and still do. I wanted to be her. So that’s when I started really understanding my love of performing. Hayley led to me discovering Audrey Hepburn and Natalie Wood films as I got older, two actresses who also have influenced me in every way.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started out doing plays. Theatre is the best discipline and training in the world. There are no do-overs/reshoots until the next night you’re performing! You are in the moment. You can throw a theatre actor in a movie and they can be adjusted, but throw a movie actor in a play and if they don’t have that training, they’re stuck. I also performed in a TV show for kids called “Kidz Klub” which was based Austin, Texas, where I was raised.Throughout high school and college I did constant plays, commercials, and short films and then I moved to Los Angeles after college and continued to book work. I was honored to receive multiple nominations and awards for my stage work both in Austin and Los Angeles.

I have been super blessed to play some of the greatest female roles written for the stage, including several dream roles. I played Louise in GYPSY (which was a dream role of mine because my favorite actress, Natalie Wood, played that role!) Kirsten in DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, Annie Sullivan in THE MIRACLE WORKER, Alma in SUMMER AND SMOKE, and Lee in MARVIN’S ROOM, just to name a few. I’m also proud of the woman I’ve become. When I first moved to LA, I was a Texas girl as green as the grass! But I’ve learned so very much being here; from learning the business side of acting, to understanding what my values are, that friendships evolve and that’s okay, how to be a good wife to my husband, and who to truly trust. In a sense, I’ve grown up. I’ve made some mistakes, of course. And truly, my dreams have changed, but for the better. I still want to act as much as possible, but I want to do the right projects and for the right reasons.

I think the best qualities for an actor to possess are humility, professionalism, and kindness. You can be the best actor on the planet, but if you’re a pain, no one will want to want to work with you. You are being hired for a professional job, and no one wants to deal with the ego that comes with it. Be over prepared, humble, and learn everything you can with every job, stage, and set you’re on!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I just got cast in a Christian movie called DISGRACE, which is written by Pamela Wallace, who wrote the wonderful Harrison Ford movie WITNESS and won the Oscar for it! Harrison Ford is one of my all time favorite actors, and Peter Weir, who directed WTNESS, is one of my favorite filmmakers! So I’m nerding out about it and thrilled and honored beyond measure to be cast. And the story is absolutely dark and really goes to the core of some really complex issues including infidelity and sexual addiction.

These are the kind of stories I want to be a part of telling. Movies and plays that ask the dark questions. That make you think. That lead to conversations and changes. When I did DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, which is about alcoholism, we had people in AA meetings come and talk to us afterwards about their sober journeys and how the play reminded them to keep on that track. One guy came to every single performance of the play – saying he had to see it over and over because it was so real and reminded him so much of his life. It was ministry.

I’m a believer, so to me the core of everything I want to accomplish is to bring glory to God. That needs to be with my work as well and my personal life. There is ministry in everything if we look hard enough – whether we are teachers or doctors or astronauts! So if I can continue to act and bring glory to my Maker with these kind of stories, I am all in!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I think a hard lesson in this industry is to not equate value with how you look and what you do for a living. I remember being on a commercial audition once and sitting in the lobby waiting. The lobby also was the waiting room for a big LA modeling agency, so there were also these beautiful girls sitting there with us, waiting. I remember the model agency door opened and a woman called someone’s name. The girl next to me said, “That’s me!” The woman walked over to her, looked her up and down, and in front of the entire waiting room loudly said, “No thank you. You’re not pretty enough.’”

I was horrified. The girl thanked her and picked up her belongings and left, with all of us watching. I wanted to run after her and comfort her for being so horribly belittled in front of a room of strangers, but I couldn’t move. I wish I had. I wish I had run after her and said, “She’s wrong. Do not let this stop you. That was wrong of her to do to you in front of everyone. That’s on her. Not you.” Now some may say, hey, that’s the business. I understand that. But this agency woman belittled this model in front of us as an act of power. Any decent person would have brought her back into the office. It made me sick.

I learned as I age that we cannot rely on our faces or our bodies for any kind of validation. Our bodies change. Our faces wrinkle. If that’s all you’re counting on to feel good about yourself, you are going to be let down. Big time. I love the quote that Marmee says in LITTLE WOMEN to Meg. She says, “If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that’s all you are. Times erodes all such beauty, but what it cannot diminish is the wonderful workings of your mind: Your humor, your kindness, and your moral courage.” I have a four year old daughter, and I am hoping to instill this insight in her as she ages as well.

I also had to unlearn the shame of sometimes just not booking any work. You have to take other jobs to keep the bills paid. And there’s no shame in that. You’re in the waiting room. And you’d better keep busy refining your character in the meantime. You don’t need to make excuses to anyone. True friends won’t make you feel bad. They will cheer you on and help you any way they can. Everyone has to climb the mountain. And even those who get to the top of the mountain have to stay there! We are all in the same boat.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TaraBattani.net
• Instagram: @tarabatbowles
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaraBattani

Image Credits
Michelle Blake Tricia Battani Ganita Koonopakarn Fresh Look Photos