Talented teen Ava Morse is an actor and singer/songwriter with some exciting news: she just released her new ‘Loveless’ EP, which was produced by Daniel Martin. ‘Loveless’ EP brings listeners on an emotional journey through the world of romance and all the raw emotions that come with love, loss, and heartbreak.
By Rachel Sokol
On-screen, Ava is the voice of Miriam in Disney Pixar’s, “Turning Red,” and portrayed “Ava” in “Ron’s Gone Wrong,” currently streaming on Disney+. Additionally, she’s appeared in many theatrical productions, films, and TV shows. Now with “musician” added to her diverse and creative resume, Ava’s eager to finally share “Loveless” with her fans—and show the world she can SING.
Ava kindly spoke with American Teen about life beyond high school, her charity work, and her relocation to The Sunshine State.
Tell us about your childhood.
As a kid I was always super outgoing and the center of everything. I loved music, dancing, reading, and writing stories and acting them out for my family in our Illinois living room. My mom always tells me about this moment when we were watching ‘American Idol’ and how I pointed at the TV and said “I wanna do that!” And the fact that I’ve grown up to do just that?! Three-year-old Ava would lose her mind if she saw me today.
What's it like balancing work with school?
I’m not going to lie; it’s insanely difficult. Having worked in the industry since I was 5 and continuing public school full-time you would think that I have mastered that by now, but I still struggle today. I just try my best to continue to take time to care and center myself so I don’t get overwhelmed.
Any college plans?
Not right now, I’m graduating high school a year early so I am done this year and plan on heading out to Los Angeles with my mom to continue my acting and music career full-time. But one day I would love to explore more of the world behind the camera and perhaps get a degree in directing!
Tell us more about Loveless.
To be completely transparent, ‘Loveless’ is a direct shot at all of my ex’s. And my friend's ex’s. I like to make their love life into songs when my own gets too boring. It’s a journey that I’ve gone through in finding myself along the way through a break-up. I came up with the concept of being ‘loveless’ and exploited that through the songs that it's not necessarily a bad thing to be single, because at the end of the day I will always have myself and I can't rely on others for my own happiness.
What's it like doing voiceover work?
Being in the industry you kind of want to have a foot in everything and voiceover was one of those things. I began booking more and more voiceover projects, so I took that, ran with it, and started really taking the time to learn about voiceover and worked with some of the most amazing voice coaches like Lynnanne Zeager who showed me around this new side of television that I hadn't really seen before having only done on-camera. I have found that voiceover and on-camera acting are completely opposite. Voiceover is much less sitting around and waiting to film and you don’t have to worry about blocking or what your face looks like. You have a lot more creative freedom and are able to make your character really unique and I love that.
How does one get into acting and singing professionally?
Just put yourself out there. You're going to be told “no” so many times until you get a ‘yes’ but you cannot let that discourage you. I think that the biggest competition in the industry is yourself, and you cannot let the “no’s” make you lose sight of why you started in the first place.
Are you involved in any charity work?
I’ve had the honor of speaking and performing at rallies against gun violence with March for Our Lives. It’s very important to me, as a student, that my peers and those around the world can learn in a safe environment. I also had the opportunity to visit with children living in poverty and was able to contribute to them as well as watch ‘Turning Red’ with them and bring a little more light into their lives.
Advice do you have for teens who feel bullied and alone?
Others don’t define you. You do. Stay true to yourself and remember that the universe has a plan for you and it’s your job to not let the words of others steer you away from what you are meant to be.
Drop your beauty and skincare routine! What products do you love?
I’m a huge skincare guru. For my face, I'm obsessed with the Youth To The People cleanser. It smells phenomenal and is made with so many natural ingredients my skin always feels super clean after. A kinda weird product that I found randomly and now can't live without is Snail Mucin by Cosrx. It sounds super, super gross but I promise you it is worth it, it cleared my skin up so much. Also, I have tried every lip balm on the face of the earth but the ONLY thing I will now forever put on my lips is Bag Balm. It just beats everything else and you can get a giant tub at Walmart for like 2 dollars. I've had mine for like 4 years. It's amazing.
What's next for you, career-wise?
I have a few projects in the works that I’ve been keeping busy with, but those are super secret so you're going to have to wait. But I can tell you that Loveless is just the beginning…and there are many, many, more where that came from.
Learn more about Ava by visiting: https://linktr.ee/avalorrenmorse
Photo credit: Elijah VanDine