Q&A with Disney Starlet Phoebe-Rae Taylor!

Fresh off her starring role in Disney+ original movie Out of My Mind, Phoebe-Rae Taylor has had a monumental start to her acting career. Phoebe-Rae is one of the latest actresses to star in a Disney+ original production, this time centered on the realties of living with Cerebral Palsy. Phoebe-Ray, the Essex, UK-born starlet, has had this condition since birth. After getting scouted through her modeling agency, the 15-year-old rising star makes her mark in the acting world, while making history at the same time. With her lived experiences and charming acting skills, she was the perfect casting for this leading role, and we’re happy to get the opportunity to talk with her. Check out our chat below with Phoebe-Rae to learn all about the actress, her life, how she became the newest star for Disney+, and her voice for the Cerebral Palsy community. Read on to find out more about her in this exclusive interview, only at Young Hollywood!

YH: You were formally introduced to the acting world after being spotted through a modeling firm. What was it like for you to transition from a modeling career to an acting role?

PRT: Before acting, I had only booked two modeling jobs, so when the enquiry for the film came in, I didn't hold out much hope, as there hadn't been much success with getting regular modelling jobs. As the audition process progressed, I started to get more excited about the possibility of getting the role. Especially when I learned that it was going to be shot on the other side of the Atlantic and that Disney was involved! Fortunately, I got the part, and my world was opened up to the possibility of not just taking on the role of Melody but potentially other roles in the future. It's fair to say that getting the part in Out Of My Mind ignited a love inside me for acting and a passion that I’d like to pursue as I grow up.

YH: How has it been for you to work on this movie while being enrolled in school simultaneously? How have your friends and family reacted to seeing you on the big screen?

PRT: I was having a fairly tough time at school prior to shooting the film and struggled with confidence. I sort of shrunk into the background in most school situations. So the movie couldn't have come at a better time. It gave me some time away from the day-to-day school challenges and broadened my horizons by visiting another country and experiencing other ways of life. Upon returning, I felt much more confident and comfortable in myself, so it's been a real positive experience for me and helped me greatly. When I came back from filming, classmates who never paid attention to me in school all of a sudden wanted to speak to me and ask about the movie. 

My friends and family have all made a big fuss about me being in the film, and it's still surreal for us all to see me on the Disney+ app on our TV when we’re at home! Everyone has been so supportive and positive about the film, so I'm hugely grateful for the opportunity and everything that has come with it.

YH: Your participation in this role was initially delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What were some of the feelings you experienced having your first acting gig delayed at such a crucial time?

PRT: I hadn't been offered the role before COVID hit, so when the world went into lockdown, I just assumed that the opportunity had passed and my one shot at this was lost. I thought that, if the film did get picked back up again, I might be too old to play the role, so I sort of came to terms with the reality that it just wasn't meant to be. When the producers reached back out and asked if I’d like to re-audition, I was super excited but also frustrated that we effectively had to go back to square one (almost like a game of Snakes and Ladders). Regardless, the re-audition process was great and I got to form a really good bond with the director, Amber Sealey. By the time we met on set, I felt like we already knew each other for ages!

YH: How similar do you find yourself and your character in this movie? How different are the two of you?

PRT: The obvious difference is that I am not non-verbal. Apart from that, we have so many similarities in that we are just everyday girls who want to be seen for who we are and experience all the same things as our friends and other kids our age.

YH: This is your first acting role, and you have already been nominated for a Critics Choice Award! How does it feel to have such a monumental start at such a young age?

PRT: I'm still in shock and can’t quite believe that the nomination has been made. To be in a category with Academy Award winners and such talented actresses is such an honor. I can honestly say that I don't see how things get better than that!

YH: What were some of your favorite moments working on set?

PRT: My favorite moment working on set was just working with such amazing and talented individuals. They were nicest, most friendly and accommodating people I’ve ever met. Nothing was too much trouble and it felt like they saw me for who I am rather than my wheelchair. It was truly the best experience of my life and I just hope I get to do more of it.

YH: Are there any dream roles or movie genres you would love to star in?

PRT: I’d love to work on a romantic comedy, as people always tell me I’ve got quite a good sense of humor and good comic timing. Ultimately, I’d like to do a film where the focus of my character isn't on a disability. I’d love to play a role where I'm just a girl who does what any other girl would do: fall in love, get a job, maybe even play the “villain” rather than the girl in the wheelchair. I’d like to play a character who just happens to be in a wheelchair rather than let that fact define the character.

YH: This film is set in 2002. Since then, the landscape of how people with disabilities are treated has shifted dramatically. How has it been to see yourself becoming a new face in the world of disability representation?

PRT: I have to say I find it quite intimidating that people would see me as some sort of figurehead or inspiring individual to others. I’m still just your average 16-year-old girl, but if other people see me and it inspires them, then that is amazing! I know I would have loved to have seen a girl with Cerebral Palsy on television when I was growing up, as it would have helped me to understand myself better and given me hope for what I could achieve. If even one person takes something positive from this, then that would be an achievement that I'm very proud of.

YH: Do you think Out of My Mind can introduce people to the world of Cerebral Palsy and help eliminate any misconceptions people may have about this condition?

PRT: One of the main drivers behind the film is to break down disability stereotypes and help people open their minds and see others in a different light, so I can only hope that this is the case. I think the film does a good job of helping to eliminate any misconceptions, and I’ve had nothing but positive feedback both in-person and online from viewers. Hopefully it can be just one contribution in changing the way people have looked at CP historically.

YH: What are some hobbies or interests you have off-screen? What things do you do to de-stress or relax after a long day of acting or schooling?

PRT: I love nothing more than socialising with my friends, chatting, shopping, and doing all the typical things you’d expect from a teenage girl. We don’t do anything special, but I'm lucky enough to have some really close friends and a very close-knit family, so just spending time with them helps me to relax.

YH: Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

PRT: In ten years, I can only tell you where I hope I’ll be, but I’d love to still be acting and have a successful career having worked with more amazing artists and maybe even the chance to collaborate again with some of the team involved with Out of My Mind. There are two follow-up books to Out of My Mind, so who knows! Maybe this could just be the start of the Melody franchise and she can become a more widely known character like Batman or Spiderman! I’d like to possibly move to the States and meet some of my heroes like Billie Eilish, Jennifer Aniston [who plays Melody's inner voice in Out of My Mind], and others. Oh, and I’d like to have a pet Husky!

Stream Out of My Mind now on Disney+!