Some people discover acting. Coco insists she has always been an actor. “I’ve always been an actor,” she says simply. Her first role came at just four years old in a small play that practically required her participation. “It was kind of mandatory because there weren’t a lot of students and they needed people, but I ended up having so much fun that I just kept doing it.” What started as a childhood obligation quickly became a calling.
Growing up surrounded by filmmakers, with both parents working in the industry, storytelling never felt distant or unrealistic. “Being around that environment has always just made being in this industry seem so fun and possible,” she explains. From staging plays to shooting short films with friends, Coco was building her creative instincts long before she stepped into formal training.
Now 16, she has sharpened her craft through programs like the Margie Haber 12 Week Teen On Camera Acting Intensive, ongoing teen classes, improv training, and scene study. Yet for all her preparation, one of her greatest challenges has been proving herself. “One of the biggest hurdles I’ve had to overcome as a young person is earning people’s trust,” she says. Not just trust in her talent, but in her seriousness. “Film is my life, and I want to create beautiful stories that leave an impact on people.” She is firm in her belief that creativity has no age requirement. “I also don’t believe there is a ‘right’ age to make art.”
Her inspirations reflect that ambition. Coco is drawn to actors who disappear into their work. She names Meryl Streep, Angela Bassett, Sandra Oh, and Kathy Bates as idols, recalling how watching Misery left her stunned by Bates’ total transformation. Recently, she has also been captivated by Margaret Qualley’s performances. After rewatching The Substance and Maid, she says, “She’s absolutely killing it right now… I feel like she’s just one of those actors who can really play anything.”
Long before she was stepping onto sets, Coco was telling stories wherever she could. “I was that kid on the bus scaring everyone with horror stories,” she laughs, admitting she even got into trouble for it. But behind that bold imagination was a quieter struggle. Around 11 or 12, she describes feeling deeply insecure, often trying to filter herself to fit in. Acting and writing became freedom. “It was one of the only places where I felt like I could just go all in, be creative, be emotional, be weird, be whatever I wanted, and not hold back.” That realization was defining. “I remember being like this is definitely what I need to do.”
Her projects frequently mix horror, comedy, and coming of age themes, genres she believes tap directly into emotion. Horror allows her to explore human truths through unsettling symbolism, while comedy softens heavy ideas and invites connection. “Both genres allow audiences to really feel something,” she explains. Even when the worlds she creates are heightened, the emotional core is grounded in real experiences.
That emotional honesty is at the center of her award-winning short Something Old and Something New. The story follows two women from entirely different eras and belief systems who swap bodies and are forced to confront their assumptions about each other’s lives. “To me, the story is about how there isn’t one right way to live,” Coco says. She connects the theme to growing up in a culture fueled by comparison, especially online. “When two characters actually live each other’s lives, they realize it’s never exactly what they imagined.”
Her commitment to perspective shapes all of her work. In an industry that often tries to define young actors quickly, she resists being boxed in. “I stay true to myself… by making films that question labels.” She is drawn to characters who sit outside stereotypes and wants to spotlight people rarely centered on screen. One recent script focuses on a girl who works as a mermaid performer at children’s parties, a concept she finds exciting precisely because it feels unexpected. “I’m most interested in playing people who aren’t ‘typical,’ characters who are a little unexpected, a little strange.”
Taking on directing with her short Out Cold pushed her even further. Although she admits the behind-the-scenes process felt daunting at first, it transformed her perspective. “A lot of the things that feel the scariest are kind of like skydiving you have to jump out of the plane and go for it.” Stepping into that role proved to her that the limits she imagined were often self-imposed.
Balancing acting in the upcoming feature Or Else while developing her own projects, she sees all aspects of filmmaking as interconnected. Writing has taught her how structure shapes meaning. Directing has shown her how visual choices guide emotion. Acting, however, remains her deepest love. “There’s just nothing like stepping into someone else’s shoes,” she says. “Being able to experience a story through a character and bring their emotions and opinions to life is something I have so much love for.”
When asked what she would tell other young creatives worried about starting too soon, her answer is refreshingly honest. “It’s okay to make shitty projects.” She believes growth comes from experimentation and risk, not perfection. “If something feels authentic to you and you love it, take the risk of it being horrible and just make it.”
At 16, Coco is not asking for permission, and she is not waiting to grow into her voice. She is already using it boldly, telling stories that challenge assumptions and champion perspective. And if her passion is any indication, this is only the beginning.
