Jurassic World Star Isabella Sermon On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
1: Be prepared — learn your lines and you will be ready for any suggestions that the director or other actor might throw at you.
2: Take breaks. Sometimes I find it hard to switch off my “work brain”, so you need to have stratagise in place to help you unwind, whether it is seeing friends, listening to music or going for a run outside.
3: Don’t take it personally if something doesn’t go your way. This is hard to master, but it is very important to try not to be disheartened if, for example, you audition for a role you really want, but it doesn’t go your way. Just remember that when the right part comes along, it will find you.
4: Put your all into everything you do. There is no point in doing something if you aren’t doing it at 100%.
5: Treat everything as a lesson and an opportunity. Learning from mistakes is a great way to learn, and watching others work is another great way to learn.
As a part of my series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Isabella Sermon.
Isabella Sermon is a young British actor known for her role of ‘Maisie Lockwood’ in the recent ‘Jurassic World’ film series.
Isabella first appeared on our screens in 2018 as ‘Maisie Lockwood’ opposite Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard in ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’. In the latest instalment of the hit franchise ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ Isabella’s role as the ‘granddaughter’ of ‘Benjamin Lockwood’ gains further prominence. The film directed by Colin Trevorrow sees the two Jurassic franchise worlds collide, as Isabella stars opposite Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, who all appear together for the very first time. ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ opens in cinemas worldwide on 10th June 2022. Isabella has continued her school studies whilst filming and is currently sitting her exams in the UK.
Thank you so much for doing this with us Isabella ! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Thank you for having me. I grew up in London with my parents and my dog, so it has always been the 4 of us. I was definitely an outdoors kind of child — I loved camping and spending time outside. And I also traveled a lot with my parents, so that has made me very curious now as a young adult.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was about 9, my primary school put on a play of James and the Giant Peach. I remember this so well, because I’d never really considered acting before, and so when my drama teacher cast me as James, I was a little surprised. But then I completely caught the acting bug.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your entertainment career?
When I was in the audition process for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, I almost completely missed the casting agent who came to my school because I was at a music lesson! I am a heavy believer in fate and there being no such thing as a coincidence, so for me, this is proof of that.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Oh, that’s a good question. I remember very well one day when we were filming a scene for Fallen Kingdom and I was very new to the whole filming process, and we (Chris, Bryce and I) were filming a scene in which the Indoraptor drags away a security guard, and it’s quite a jumpscare to watch on screen. I remember we had rehearsed the whole scene without the stunt and the sound effects before filming it, and the plan was to wait about 2 beats so that the camera could see our reactions, and then run through a side door on the set. So, we started rolling the cameras, and everything in the scene was going well, until the guard was dragged away and there was a humongous dinosaur roar, and I just went into reflex mode and bolted straight through the door without thinking. I was so embarrassed at the time, but everyone just found it hilarious. Looking back, it was not half as embarrassing as I thought it was, but I will probably never do anything like it again.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
At the moment, I am studying hard for my GCSE exams, in between press for Jurassic World Dominion — in fact I just had my Spanish one this morning — but watch this space…
Many of our readers will know you from Jurassic World. As you know the Jurassic Park series has become extremely popular. What specifically do you think it is that makes the series so popular?
Obviously the dinosaurs are terrifying, so the fear factor is a huge pull! But the stories and the characters created are timeless — everybody has a favourite — and in Dominion, there are so many elements; action, comedy, romance, fear and excitement — it’s a real rollercoaster.
Are there lessons we can take from the themes of Jurassic World, to contemporary issues like climate change and bio engineering?
I think that whilst we were making the film, everyone was — and still is — very conscious about the state of our world, and the huge possibility that we could permanently damage the world if we don’t take more care of it, because at the end of the day, it is our home. Bio-engineering is a whole different ball game, as these films show us. So I guess one of the many take-aways for me is definitely to take more care when it comes to the environment.
Most young people your age don’t have to balance work and school. Can you tell us how you manage to balance your schoolwork, auditions, and time on set?
I guess because both acting and my education are super important for me as I really care about both, I don’t really mind having to work a bit harder or a bit later with my school work if it means that I get to act.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
For me, I wouldn’t say that there is one particular person that has helped me get to where I am, but more of an army of friends, family and mentors that I have found along the way. I think that without even just one of them, there is no way that I would be where I am today. You guys keep me sane, so if you’re reading this, thank you very much for everything you do
Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s jump to the main part of our interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
Well…
1: Be prepared — learn your lines and you will be ready for any suggestions that the director or other actor might throw at you.
2: Take breaks. Sometimes I find it hard to switch off my “work brain”, so you need to have stratagise in place to help you unwind, whether it is seeing friends, listening to music or going for a run outside.
3: Don’t take it personally if something doesn’t go your way. This is hard to master, but it is very important to try not to be disheartened if, for example, you audition for a role you really want, but it doesn’t go your way. Just remember that when the right part comes along, it will find you.
4: Put your all into everything you do. There is no point in doing something if you aren’t doing it at 100%.
5: Treat everything as a lesson and an opportunity. Learning from mistakes is a great way to learn, and watching others work is another great way to learn.
You are a person of enormous influence. How do you think you can use social media as a platform to be a positive influence to your fans, and for society at large?
I think social media is a great way to interact and stay in contact with others, and I try to use social media in positive and uplifting ways.
If you had the ability to choose to work on any TV show or film, or work alongside any co-star, or with any director, what or who would that be, and why? You never know who might see this article, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I adore Greta Gerwig’s work, especially on projects like Ladybird and Little Women, I love to see the stories of young women written by other women because, for me, that is the most accurate representation of what it is like to be a young woman growing up, so I would love to work with her on a project at some point.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
You can find me on @iamizzysermon on instagram!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
Jurassic World Star Isabella Sermon On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.