Arizona teen screenwriter and actress Ellie Mae Smith earns major recognitions
SURPRISE, Ariz. - A Surprise, Arizona teen is in the spotlight for her work as a young actress, following in the footsteps of many bright stars before her.
What we know:
When school gets out, 15-year-old Ellie Mae Smith can be found staring at a screen. Not scrolling, but studying.
"I think with old movies, they're very entertaining to watch but it's different. I use those more so for my guidelines for theatres," Smith said.
She is also looking to the old films, to improve her own filmwriting.
"Those are my two passions: acting and writing. You can't have Ellie without acting and writing," she said.
Ellie's Accomplishments:
And it turns out she's pretty good at it too.
"This is my 2024 Young Artist Academy Award and this is my 2026 one that I just won two months ago for a film called ‘Sleepers’ for Best Supporting Performance in a streaming film," Smith said.
Big picture view:
She is following in the footsteps of stars before her, like Jennifer Lawrence and Johnny Depp, who were also recognized early on in their career by the Young Artist Academy.
"When I won, I remember my legs felt like jelly, and suddenly the human act of breathing became very, very difficult. It was such an honor, and then you just look out at all those people, and I'm so grateful. I couldn't do it without my parents, all the connections I made in the industry. It feels like hard work is finally getting recognized," she said.
Dig deeper:
Ellie Mae is also nominated for an "Arizoni" theatre award for her performance in the youth production of "Little Women." The triumphs haven't come without trials.
"Auditioning is one of the hardest things of the craft just because of how many ‘No’s' you get before you get a yes. But I try to take it with gratitude. It's just another opportunity to do what I love in front of people," Smith said.
Ellie Mae has written her own productions and has performed in over 15 plays and 25 feature films, all before getting her driver's license. And she's just getting started.
Her Message to Others:
"Dream big. You can do it. Don't let your age discourage you. You're never too young to start," she said.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Ellie Mae Smith, an actress and screenwriter.