California natives Bianca and Chiara D’Ambrosio are sixteen-year-old-twins and successful actors. They’ve been gracing screens since they were young, sometimes together and sometimes separately. They’ve even been nominated for Emmy awards! Bianca will soon be featured in the Sundance film Call Jane, while Chiara recently wrapped up filming Bandit, an action thriller. Both sisters recently starred in the Sci Fi film I Am Mortal and the horror flicks Slapface and Witchboard. We were excited to chat with them for this issue!
Tell us about your first acting memory.
Bianca: I vividly remember the first time being on a set. I was three-years-old and I played Summer Newman on “The Young and the Restless.” I will never forget walking from our dressing room to set. My first day was the Halloween episode and remember being so excited with all the decorations. I was also in awe that there was practically a house inside of this huge soundstage.
Chiara: I remember going on a set for the first time on the “Young and the Restless”. We were in our dressing room and Josh and Michelle, who portrayed our parents, played Disney cards with us during our breaks. It was so much fun.
What advice do you have for kids and teens who want to act professionally?
Bianca: Never quit, because then you never know what could’ve happened. One of my favorite quotes is, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”.
Chiara: It might be easy at times to give up once you feel rejected, but over time you will learn to handle the outcomes. If you know that you put your best foot forward, that is all that matters.
How do you handle rejection--any advice on boosting confidence?
Bianca: My advice is to not determine your worth based on the ‘no’.
Chiara: Just keep working on your craft and know that your hard work will pay off.
Do you two audition together for most roles?
Bianca: It depends! Chiara and I audition for twin roles together, but for individual roles, we do not audition together. Sometimes only one of us gets the audition.
Chiara: It depends on the role! If we go in for a twin role, then yes, we do an audition. But if it is for one person, we audition separately.
Are you horror movie buffs?
Bianca: Yes! I love horror films. I am so grateful to be a part of them and they are so much fun to work on.
Chiara: Yes, I loved watching horror movies or shows! After filming “Slapface”, I fell more in love with the genre than ever before. Now, I watch horror movies with my family every week.
What advice do you have for teens who feel lonely or even bullied?
Bianca: Always know that there are people that are there for you and care about you.
Chiara: Know that someone is always there for you, no matter what. Whether it’s a friend, family member, guardian, teacher, or resources online, there will always be someone there for you.
What professional roles have resonated with you the most, and why?
Bianca: I am so grateful for every opportunity and every role I get the chance to play will always be with me. If I had to choose one, I would say playing Frankie Sanders on “yA” and “The Bay” has resonated with me the most. There are so many layers to Frankie that were both fun and challenging to tackle. Playing Frankie was an incredible acting challenge.
Chiara: I feel that every role will always resonate with me. I will say that playing Regan Sanders on “The Bay’ and on the spin-off “yA” is the most like me. Playing Regan has taught me things about self-love and confidence like never before, so she will always have a special place in my heart.
Did you ever keep any "souvenirs" from the set of a movie or show?
Bianca: I mainly keep our call sheets from the set. But, there have been a few occasions where production will give us the outfits we wore in the project.
Chiara: I keep the call sheets from every project I have been a part of. I honestly can’t remember if I had kept any other souvenirs from a movie or show!
Tell us about some upcoming projects!
Bianca: Last year, I had the opportunity to be a part of Call Jane starring Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, and Chris Messina. Call Jane follows the story of a woman before Roe V. Wade who is unable to obtain an abortion and finds an underground group of women who are willing to help her, and becomes inspired to help others. I played Erin, Kate Mara’s daughter in the film. Call Jane just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival as well as the Berlin International Film Festival is expected to premiere this year.
Chiara: I filmed an action film called Bandit with Josh Duhamel and Mel Gibson. I play Mel’s daughter, Jill, who is a sassy teenager who always wanted to protect her family. My sister and I filmed a movie called “High Heat” which is another action-comedy film that is going to be released later this year, and hopefully the first season of “yA” will be released soon.
Any plans to attend college someday?
Bianca: Yes! Education has always been important to Chiara, our family, and me. We are excited to further our education and are currently awaiting our admission decisions.
Chiara: Education has always played a huge role in my life. I believe that knowledge is power, and so continuing my education at a university has always been a dream of mine. I finished my applications in the fall, so I hope in the next month that I know where I’ll go.