“Oh, you mean that girl who looks like Zoey Deschanel?” Is the typical response to an inquiry of sophomore Deanna Gowland. But she is anything but The New Girl to the world of theater arts.

Since her entrance as a three year old in her grandparents’ local theater version of The Music Man, she has sung, danced and acted her way through three years of membership on The Junior Cuisine Cooking Show.

“The first season I was just a correspondent, doing field work, the second season I was part of the main cast and in every episode and now I’m kind of a main person so I’ve even done vocals for the show and am in theme song,” Gowland said.

The show, which airs in Illinois, parts of Indiana and Wisconsin, is the first of its kind. It focuses on healthful eating and kitchen safety for kids ages six to 15.

Her father is a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), so he constantly checks the websites of casting agencies. When he happened upon the casting call, it was an excuse to visit his brother, a Naval officer stationed in Chicago, whom he had not seen in over four years.

“I’ve never actually taken an acting class,” Gowland said. “It just runs in my family.”

Gowland’s maternal grandparents—her mother acts and works as a grip (backstage theater hand)—are famous directors in the local theater community, directing numerous shows in the DC-Metro area, many of which Gowland herself has had parts in.

“My family supports me 100 percent,” Gowland said. “They don’t care that my focus is on extracurriculars more than school because I’m a good student.”

Family clearly plays a key role in Gowland’s life, and the support of hers has carried her through her various experiences. The summer after her eighth grade year, 2011, her mother rented an un-airconditioned apartment in Chicago for two months during the filming of the second season of the show.

“I wouldn’t say [their involvement] holds me back. I mean they’re willing to take me to auditions, it’s just the expenses that are the only thing that affects their support,” Gowland said.

Finances did not prevent her from travelling to Chicago yet again this past summer for a major announcement about Junior Cuisine.

“Right now the producers are marketing to Hong Kong and Europe. Plus Disney and Nickelodeon are looking at it, “ Gowland said. “I think it’s going to get really big because kids liketo cook but their parents are always stopping them because of safety [concerns].”

Junior Cuisine is currently on hold, but Gowland believes that if a major network does end up picking up the show, it will be a huge hit. Any publicity stunts will be funded by the company.

“Fans coming to see me and get merchandise signed—the idea of personal appearances is surreal,” Gowland said. “…I’ve never even been to Hollywood, [let alone] out of the country.”

“I’m not in an arts school because most of them are in D.C. or too far away. I’m planning on doing theater academy here, though,” Gowland said.

She fully intends to pursue a career in acting, specifically a degree in musical theater.

“Shenandoah University has an amazing conservatory I want to attend,” Gowland said. “But I’d really love to do Broadway and movie acting at some point too.”

Although still an underclassman, Gowland is already involved in every aspect of theater available to her.

“I’m in chorus, on the dance team, in the theatre program and I dance outside of school regularly as well as do theatre outside,” Gowland said. “I don’t think it’s too much to juggle; I stillhave time to watch TV.”

Gowland specifies that she makes sure to complete everything listed on her room calendar before relaxing.

For those interested, there are snippets of the first season on Youtube.

“I’m not in those since I wasn’t technically part of the cast yet,” Gowland said. “And the second season is worth more before it’s aired, so it’s still under wraps.”

The closest Gowland has come to fame was getting to act alongside Russell Crowe (Gladiator, Robin Hood) as an extra in State of Play (Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren) at age 10.

“The director chose two kids to do a scene with Russell and I was one of them. I was all like, ‘ok, let’s do this,’” Gowland said. “But on the inside I was going, ‘OMG! It’s Russell freaking Crowe!”’

When asked what her most memorable role is, however, Gowland chooses not the SAG-salary small part, but calls it a tie between two much lesser roles.

“My favorite roles have been Mayzie in the Holmes MS production of The Seussical and as one of the Doo-Wop girls in AHS’s Little Shop [of Horrors] last year,” Gowland said.

With Tom Hank’s versatility and Elle Fanning’s early debut as her inspirations, the Gowland has high hopes for the future.

As for advice for fellow thespians, Gowland suggests creating a personalized background for a character, so that the role becomes more than simply parroting lines.

“Just keep at it. You might get rejected sometimes, but then again you might get that one big break,” Gowland said.