Actress, 9, says role was fun - December 9, 2003

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43 °F 5 Day Forecast Saturday, December 13, 2003   Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery   SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries   Life   Opinion - Politics   AP News   Weather   Classified   Archives   Site Map   EXTRA   Newspaper in Education   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad  eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities   Entertainment   Publications   Recreation   Calendar   CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit   Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 9, 2003 Hoover Elementary School fourth-grader Meghan McCandless starred in the movie �Indigo,� which was filmed in the Rogue Valley and is scheduled for release next year. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Actress, 9, says role was fun Medford fourth-grader played a leading part in a locally made movie that won honors at the Santa Fe Film Festival By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Ask Medford’s Meghan McCandless, age 9, who her favorite movie star is, and she’s quick to answer. "Me." The Hoover Elementary School fourth-grader was still getting over her surprise of being chosen to play a lead role in the independent film, "Indigo", when she learned that the film won the Audience Choice Award at the Fourth Annual Santa Fe Film Festival this weekend. Meghan attended the festival with her parents and spent her weekend signing autographs. "It was rather remarkable to see her face on the silver screen," said her mother, Cameron McCandless, regional manager of the SMART reader program. Advertisement "Indigo," a film about children with exceptional sensitivities and psychic abilities, was co-written by James Twyman and Neale Donald Walsch (Walsch also stars in the film). It was directed by Stephen Simon, who has worked on about 25 films, including "Somewhere In Time" and "What Dreams May Come." All three men are Ashland residents, and the movie was filmed in the Rogue Valley in August. Meghan said people will recognize local sights in the film, including the Ashland Springs Hotel and a Shakespeare theater in Ashland, as well as Bear Creek Park in Medford. Meghan plays 10-year-old Grace, an "Indigo" child, who, along with her grandfather (Walsch), are on the run from kidnappers in the film. Meghan said it was a fun job. "I wasn’t really acting. Grace was a lot like me," she said. But her mother said starring in such a role has had an effect on her daughter. "In a way it’s enlarged her world," she said, adding that she went from being a tarantula in a school play to being a main character in a film scheduled for release next fall. Meghan’s father, Stephen McCandless, executive director of the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater in Medford, wouldn’t say whether he believes "Indigo" children exist. "We’re actually a Christian family," he said. "But we’re a performing arts family," adding that they’re open-minded about letting people tell their stories in their own way. Meghan said that it nice to get paid for her acting, but she also struck an additional deal. If anyone "cursed" on the set, they had to give her a dollar. Her potty-mouthed co-workers forked over a hundred bucks, she said. The family is taking the whole thing in stride. Should their phone start ringing off the hook from directors, they won’t drop everything and move to Hollywood, according to Meghan’s parents, who have bit parts in the film. "We have Meghan’s best interests at heart and would not grab for the brass ring," said Cameron McCandless. She said they "want what is best" for both Meghan and her 13-year-old sister, Cailey. "This is a strong family unit and we want to keep both girls balanced," she said. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News  | Sports  | Business  | Obituaries  | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives  |  Site Map   E Southern Oregon  | Classified   Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE!   ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times