Shirley Temple 21 century: is it easy to be a star in the United States, when you just 12

This girl in America is known as the second Shirley Temple. Vasilisa Seneko was born in the USA, her father is American, and her mother is a Russian ballerina. It was she who first saw her daughter’s resemblance to the legendary actress and created her “Shirley-like” image, with which she became famous. During her 12 years, Vasilisa managed to perform on the Walk of Stars in Hollywood, at the world famous Apollo Theater in New York, play a leading role in an Off-Broadway production and even take part in the show “Best of All!”, hosted by Maxim Galkin on Channel One. But the young actress is not going to stop there - and is now already preparing for casting for a role in a Hollywood film and on the show “America's Got Talent”.

Vasilisa Seneko with Maxim Galkin. Photo from the archive of Vasilisa Seneko

12-year-old Vasilisa, who was born in the United States, chirps in Russian vigorously and without an accent. I am surprised to ask my mother how she managed to keep the language for her daughter.

- I always spoke to her in Russian, and in the summer we often go to Russia - and we go to the outback, we communicate with people, people there are more real...

- Oh, I remember, there was such a river there - and I was there from the bungee uhhh! “And I swam with ducks and fish,” Vasilisa interrupts her mother, laughing loudly. - And then there was still mud there - and I emerged from under it and sang “I am a merman, I am a merman!”

Photo from the archive of Vasilisa Seneko

With three years on stage

Vasilisa always sings. Julia, herself a former ballet dancer, saw her daughter’s talent immediately. She remembers: they staged the first number when the girl was only three years old. “It was a dance. Of course, what can be done in three years? But she danced very nicely. It was clear that she had an ear for it, that she felt good on stage - this is the most important thing. And I decided to develop this. Vasilisa is my third child, but the elders, no matter how much I tried to bring them to the stage, resisted. Daughter Taisiya graduated from Boston University with a degree in Psychology. Son Georgy is studying in Florida and is a future pilot. And I really wanted some kind of continuation of my own, after all, at one time I graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, devoted many years to the professional stage, worked with children, and I really wanted one of my children to come to this magical world."

Photo from the archive of Vasilisa Seneko

The search for an image began. At first, Vasilisa danced Russian dances, and at the age of 5 she went to a modeling agency - but there the lively and active girl was bored. And then one day, while watching old American films, they saw Shirley Temple - and the family’s life turned upside down.

“As I remember now, it was the film “Curly Top” - I looked at Shirley, then at Vasilisa, then at Shirley - and, my God, it’s the same face!” says Julia with rapture. Vasilisa nods in response, shaking her curls. Mom understood: here it is, the image created for Vasya. They put one number, then another. As a result, all this resulted in an hour-long program.

The approach to the image was serious - for example, all dresses for Vasilisa were made to order. And for one number they even had to make a life-size puppet to match the height of Vasilisa, with whom she was dancing. As a result, I assembled a decent retro wardrobe and props. “In one of the clips, she actually changes costumes 6 times!” - says mom. But it was worth it.

Hollywood's "Top Girl"

Shirley Temple is an American actress, the youngest Oscar winner. Born April 23, 1928 in Santa Monica, California, USA. She began acting at the age of three, and at six she was already signed to a contract by the Fox Film Corporation - and in the same year she received an Oscar for the main role in the film Bright Eyes (1934). During the Great Depression, the talented girl became the main earner for the film studio. By 1940, Temple had appeared in 43 films. However, as Shirley grew up, her career began to decline and she eventually left the cinema and devoted herself to public activities, was the US representative to the UN, US ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and served as chief of protocol for the administration. President Gerald Ford. On February 11, 2014, Shirley Temple died at the age of 86.

“Shirley Temple, I saw you on TV!”

“We started thinking about where we could show it. And they decided to do a good deed - they began visiting nursing homes. Because Shirley is their story, this is their childhood, youth. They simply kissed Vasilisa’s hands!” says Julia. Vasya picks up: “Oh, yes, I remember before the concert we were in one of them and I was passing through the hall and my grandmother stopped me and said: “Oh, Shirley Temple, I saw you on TV!” Thank you very much, you bring me so much joy! That was great".

In the House of Veterans of the scene after the concert. Photo from the archive of Vasilisa Seneko

Shirley-Vasilisa was in great demand. In total - 37 charity concerts. Almost every month, my daughter and mother traveled around America: they performed in California, New Jersey, and New York. In parallel with this, they did not forget about the big stage - the girl sang on the Walk of Stars in Hollywood, played in the theater "Apollo" and in the Off-Broadway production, now and again she took part in different programs, and not only in the USA, but also in Russia, for example, in “Best of All” by Maxim Galkin. In addition, Vasilisa studied and continues to study theater and cinema in New York and Hollywood at the Institute of Theater and Cinema (The Lee Strasberg Theater & Film Institute).

Shirley, a talented girl, celebrated her 90th birthday on American TV; in particular, she participated in projects with the Edward Morgan ballet troupe. Edward Morgan himself, after working with Vasilisa, gave her a postcard with the inscription “The best girl actress I have ever met.”

Vasilisa also gave a solo concert at the House of Stage Veterans in St. Petersburg, took part in the program “Persona Grata” on the NTV-America channel, and performed at the Broadway Comedy Club, and stories about Vasilisa were included in the book of the famous Dutch short story writer Pia de Jong (“Pia’s Amerika”), after the publication of which Vasya became known not only in America and Russia, but also in Europe. It’s even difficult to count all the projects.

To get to know Shirley better, Vasya and his mother even went to her homeland, Santa Monica. The house where Shirley Temple was born remains there. “When we were at her grave, I walked up and felt as if her spirit blessed me: go ahead and become an actress! And then we were on the Avenue of Stars and found Shirley’s star there - and next to her there was an empty one! And I said: oh, this is my star! Look, this is for me!” - says Vasya.

Vasilisa Seneko near the star Shirley Temple at the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. Photo from the archive of Vasilisa Seneko

Is there life after Shirley

The image was so successful that it quickly made Vasilisa a local star. She even played on Off-Broadway as Shirley Temple. But the girl grew up and it became more and more clear that it was time to look for something of her own. This is now the most difficult choice for Vasilisa and her mother.

“You see, she has wonderful vocal abilities, she even sang at Opera America.” But I’m not sure that she should be made into an opera diva; it seems to me that in her case we need to develop acting skills in combination with vocals,” says Julia.

Vasilisa surrounded by her family. In the center is a portrait of mother Julia performed by her eldest daughter Taisiya. Photo from the archive of Vasilisa Seneko

Now they have found a new vocal teacher - one of the stars of the Metropolitan. “Because such talented children should learn from great teachers - after all, only they will be able to appreciate the talent, without breaking either their psyche or their voice.

Minus pizza plus tennis

But mother and daughter still can’t decide what the girl should focus on. Now Vasilisa is preparing for “America's got talent”.

“I really like being an actress, but I also like singing and being on stage! My biggest dream is to act in a movie!” they say Vasilisa and reveals a secret: she may soon have such a chance. In Hollywood they are going to film a fairy tale in which a stellar galaxy of actors will play. One of the main roles will be a 13-year-old girl. Vasya exactly fits the image - but the producers set strict conditions for her before the casting - to lose weight over the summer.

Aria of the Olympia Doll from the Opera "The Tales of Hoffmann". Photo from the archive of Vasilisa Seneko

Now, for the sake of art, Vasya has to go to tennis three times a week and give up his favorite pizza. “I run, swim, do hoops, jump rope,” Vasilisa lists, “I’m ready to do anything to get into a fairy tale!”

The family not only dreams about Hollywood - the house in Princeton, where Vasilisa and her parents now live, has long been put up for sale, and as soon as they manage to finish things here, the Senecos are ready to move closer to the dream industry.

Photo from the archive of Vasilisa Seneko

Hollywood, a shelter for dogs and human envy

Vasilisa and mom are sure that if you live where world cinema is made, you will certainly be able to build a career in this field. Vasya willingly tells how he sees himself in 15 years: “Well, I definitely live in Hollywood and star in some interesting film. I also take photographs - this is still my hobby. I also want to open a shelter for homeless dogs! We have a dog, Daisy - when it rains, I often look outside and feel sorry for homeless dogs. And I also feel sorry for people who don’t have a home! We had projects where we fed the homeless on the streets of New York - at Easter and Christmas. I remember I gave a hat to one of the homeless, and he said: no one has ever congratulated me like that! Now I have nothing more expensive than this hat! And he cried, and I hugged and kissed him - I will remember this for the rest of my life!”

The mother only adds to her daughter’s dreams: a good family, because without a family, nothing else is important. Julia herself, although she looks tired, is full of determination. The truth is admitted: being the mother of a star is not easy. Not at all because of tours and new numbers - because of human envy. He says that the more his daughter becomes recognizable, the more often they encounter outright hostility. Since then, Julia has acquired a lawyer to protect her daughter in case of attacks.

And although Vasilisa’s mother is sure that her place is in Hollywood, the main thing for her is not her daughter’s “stardom”. “I want her to be a kind, merciful, fair person. I see that she has a huge loving heart - she will never pass by someone crying. I think that's the most important thing."

However, with such an attitude as the Shirley Temple of the 21st century, you can believe that Hollywood will submit to her. And even your innermost dreams will come true: to play with Tom Hanks, see Mr. Bean live and finally communicate with Nick Vujicic, from whom Vasilisa learns not to lose her fighting spirit.

Vasya and his mother continue to look for an image for the young actress and are ready to work with new musicians, producers and teachers - therefore they are completely open to cooperation.

Photo from the archive of Vasilisa Seneko

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