Palisades Actors Hit Big Time

Actor Is Discovered at Kay n Daves

Riley Kershaw, a fifth grader at Palisades Elementary, was discovered for the leading role in the short film ‘Pee Shy’ while dining at his favorite local restaurant, Kay ‘n’ Dave’s. Riley, who has bright red hair and a charismatic personality, was still in costume as Conrad Birdie, whom he was playing in ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ for the Brat Pack Players production last summer, directed by Nancy Cassaro Fracchiolla. He noticed that a couple of women were staring at him. Finally one of the women approached him and asked if he had done any acting. He said yes, and they asked if he could come to audition for their movie. Director Deb Hagan and producer Leslie Evers decided to cast him as the lead boy, Bobby, in ‘Pee Shy.’ The film premiered January 11 at the American Film Institute and is just starting the festival circuit. The movie is a clever story by Kathy Hepinstall about how a scout gets revenge on a sadistic troop leader. Riley splits his time with mother Paige Kamin and step-dad Doug Kamin in the Palisades and with his father Chris Kershaw in the Hollywood area. ‘The experience was really great,’ said Riley. ‘I got to do some things I’d never thought I’d get to do until I was at least 20 or 30. I thought I’d be much older before I got to do movies like that.’ Riley celebrated his 11th birthday during the four-day shoot last July. ‘I didn’t know there would be so many kids and my chances would be so slim,’ he said. ‘I felt really great getting my part.’ Riley wants to pursue a career in acting after college. ‘I’m sure I’ll have to get some other job, settle for something else for a little while.’ His first acting job was at 2 years old for The Broadway Department Stores television commercial jumping up and down on mattresses. He sang his first solo at The Gardner School in Hollywood at age 5 before moving to the Palisades. He has studied acting with Jay McAdams, since kindergarten in the afterschool STAR program and performed two seasons with Kids on Stage in ‘West Side Story’ and ‘My Fair Lady.’ Riley will be appearing in TP Kids’ ‘Seussical,’ opening this weekend. ‘To anyone who wants to be an actor or actress, just be yourself and do the best that you can. Just go for it all the way even if you don’t get the part,’ said Riley, who is also interested in poetry and drums. Young Actor Has Lead Role in Sundance Short Film Young actor Chad Ceccola, 13, has a starring role in ‘Eating,’ a short film that was screened at the Sundance Film Festival. An eighth grader at Paul Revere, Chad has been acting since age 5 and has been studying most recently with Taylor Sheridan. In the film, Chad plays Young Dave, featured prominently in flashback sequences, when Dave, an obese man in his 30s, remembers the traumatic event that triggered his struggle with food. Chad plays Dave as a thin 12-year-old, who turns to food for comfort after a troubling incident. ‘It was really fun. It was a great experience,’ said Chad. ‘The cast and crew were great to joke around with.’ What he likes about acting is ‘being someone I’m not for a day, a minute or an hour and not really having to change my whole life.’ Chad attended the Sundance Festival along with his mother Catherine, also an actress. ‘It was the best vacation I ever had,’ said Chad, who was asked to stand up after the screening. Chad also studies Italian after school as his father Vince is Italian. ‘Schoolwork comes first,’ says the 13-year-old, who has appeared in plays around Los Angeles and in the independent films ‘Insanity’ and ‘Joan of Arc.’ He is continuing to audition for parts. ‘I’m having a lot of fun with it and I just want to be doing it for a long time.’ ‘Eating,’ directed by Rebecca Cutter, was one of 82 short films selected from 3,887 submissions to Sundance.