Hi, I’m Sophie O.!
I’m 14 years old and I like acting and filmmaking. Doing these things may seem daunting for someone with albinism, but sometimes my albinism makes it easier and better.
Starting last summer, I’ve had the great experience of working on sets for various TV shows and movies as an extra. I worked on Fox’s “Gotham” and a few movies that are coming out next spring, so make sure to check out “Wonderstruck” and “Going In Style” to find the girl in the background with the light hair and glasses (shameless plug). It’s hard sometimes sitting around for hours waiting for them to get the right shot when all you have to do in the scene is walk from point A to point B, but in the end, it’s all worth it when I find myself on screen. And it is really easy to find myself. Thanks to my albinism, I totally stand out because of my hair. It makes it really easy to find myself in big group scenes.
I’ve also participated in many theater productions over the past few years. Most people get nervous when going onstage because they get stage fright. I can’t even see anyone in the audience, so this definitely helps me be less nervous. Between the massive amount of people and the (sometimes too) bright stage lights, I couldn’t see the audience even if I wanted to.
Of course, my albinism can make it harder to do some things. Sometimes, when working on films, you’ll be at point A but can’t see where point B is, so you just kinda have to guess. Usually it works out. And sometimes the stage lights are a little too bright, but it’s better than being nervous from staring at the audience’s reactions throughout the whole show. The good things that come out of these experiences far outweigh the bad. In the end, even if it doesn’t seem like it, there are more #albinoblessings than #albinoproblems. So if there’s something you’ve been wanting to do but were too nervous to take that step because of your albinism, I think you should just go for it. Along the way you may even realize how in some ways, your albinism enhanced the experience.