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MEET THE TEACHERS
Lauren Lazell, Founder and Director of the Young Actor's House, grew up in the Los Angeles area which offered her an abundance of opportunities to experience many facets of the entertainment industry such as film making, television shows, theatrical stage productions and local ensemble groups. She became a well-rounded performer as she performed in countless films, plays and productions.
In her college years, Lauren studied musical theatre at The Boston Conservatory, but discovered that she should enhance her theatrical experience. So, she transferred to the renowned New York University's Tisch School of the Arts to pursue acting through the Atlantic Theatre Company studio and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre.
Upon her return to Los Angeles, Lauren pursued acting while actively seeking a career in the casting industry. Her career plans flourished as she began as a casting assistant to Suzanne Goddard-Smythe on Paramount's hit TV show "Girlfriends." Lauren worked with Suzanne to assist in CW's "Girlfriends" as well as casting such pilots as CBS' "Rules of Engagement," ABC's "Carpoolers," and CW's "The Game." Her gift in spotting talent led to her advancement in the Los Angeles casting office for HBO's hit 7 part mini-series "Generation Kill," at the side of casting director Alexa Fogel. Next, Lauren got involved in casting numerous critically acclaimed feature films such as "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" with Josh Hutcherson, John C. Reilly and Salma Hayek, "Management" with Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn, "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist" with Michael Cera and Kat Denning, as well as "Five Dollars a Day" with Christopher Walken, Sharon Stone and Allesandro Nivola.
Because of her solid reputation and accolades in the industry, Lauren was invited to teach many master classes and workshops in Los Angeles at such studios as the prestigious Beverly Hills Playhouse, The Actor's Key, Actorsite, Actors Source, and Rossi-Snyder Theatre Lab, to name a few.
After marrying her husband CJ, Lauren followed family to McKinney, where she now resides. She has two beautiful daughters, Olivia Rose and Charlotte Grace. Lauren teaches acting classes through her school, Young Actor's House, and privately coaches students for upcoming film, TV or stage auditions. She also tapes actors for auditions in her state of the art studio.
Lauren is honored to bring her expertise of stage, film and the Hollywood entertainment industry to help shape actors of the greater North Dallas region!
For Lauren's full casting resume, please visit http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2030309/
Lilla Crawford is currently recurring on HBO Max's Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. She also recently wrapped a guest star on CBS' drama series Bull. Lilla was a series regular on Netflix’s The Who Was? Show; starred in the recent ABC pilot, Relatively Normal; and voiced the lead role of Sunny in Nickelodeon’s animated series, Sunny Day. Lilla made her feature film debut as Little Red in Disney’s film adaptation of Into the Woods opposite Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp. She made her Broadway debut as Debbie in Billy Elliott and then was cast from a nationwide search of over 5,000 young performers in the title role of the 35th anniversary revival of Annie directed by James Lapine. Television credits include Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS), Blue Bloods (CBS), and Forever (ABC). Lilla recently graduated from New York University with a B.A. in Film and TV Production at the Tisch School for the Arts.
Lauren 'LoLo' Baker is an actor, dancer, content creator, and writer of British and South American descent. Originally from Los Angeles, Lauren worked as a child actor from 2004-2008 on commercials, T.V. pilots, and shows on Nickelodeon. When her family moved from California to Dallas in 2009, she continued her acting training, but spent more time intensely studying to become a professional ballerina. Her commitment to ballet and live performance led her to participate in competitive theater in high school and, in turn, inspired her decision to go back to acting professionally. Upon turning 18, Lauren moved to New York City to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts but then moved back to Los Angeles one year later to study at the California Institute of the Arts. She graduated with a BFA in acting, but she also studied playwriting, film history, and experimental animation.
Since graduating from CalArts, Lauren has had the incredible privilege of being able to work as a professional actor and writer. She’s produced original plays that have toured in various cities worldwide, worked as a show writer for Disney, and frequently writes for studios to develop press releases for upcoming projects. Lauren has also done voiceover work for movies and T.V. shows (such as Lionsgate’s “The Unbreakable Boy” 2022). She continues to work as an actor and voice actor in both New York and LA. Between projects, Lauren fell into working as an audition coach in Los Angeles at various self-tape studios, which inspired a new-found love for teaching.
Lauren believes that working with other artists from various ages, backgrounds, and stages of training is one of the best parts of this journey, which is why she loves to teach! When she’s not running around with a script or writing a press release, she enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and pets. Travel is another one of her favorite things (especially when traveling for work)! Lauren also spends time recipe testing for her YouTube show: “Lolo In The Kitchen” (a silly cooking channel featuring Lolo and her kitchen).
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Emily Huffines has been training at Young Actor’s House for close to 10 years now. She attended Belmont University in Nashville, TN, and received a BFA in Motion Pictures with an emphasis in screenwriting. Emily loves both the in front of and behind the camera aspects of the industry. From acting in several commercials and short films to writing and directing her own, she has gained a vast knowledge and understanding of the entertainment industry. She has a passion for working with child actors and has even directed a few kids who have gone on to star in a Netflix movie and a show on BET. Emily is excited to work and mentor the next generation of actors and hopes to work in children’s programming in some capacity in the future.
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