McKenzie Westmore is an actress who is best known for her role as Sheridan Crane Lopez-Fitzgerald on the “Passions” soap opera. She appeared in a recurrent role from 1999 to 2008 in a nine year run. McKenzie is also a singer, among her other talents. While most people think of her as Sheridan, the actress has appeared in many other roles throughout her career. Here are five things that you didn’t know about her.
1. Robert De Niro gave her a start in acting
De Niro was at the home of McKenzie’s parents because her father was a makeup artist and the two were working together. When the veteran actor saw McKenzie, just 3 years old at the time, he asked her dad if she could appear in a film with him in the role of his daughter. He gave his blessing and she made her film debut in the 1980 movie “Raging Bull.” The film won an Oscar.
2. She is trained in opera
When McKenzie was just ten years old, her parents enrolled her in opera training. She did make a few appearances including “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Dido and Aneas” and “The Sound of Music.” She was on her way to becoming a multi-talented entertainer at the age of ten with both acting and opera credits in her portfolio.
3. She was a shy child
Westmore had a difficult time when she was younger. She was shy around people and somewhat reserved. Her parents thought that it would be helpful to enroll her in acting classes. As it turned out, they were right. You wouldn’t know now that McKenzie had any trouble making friends at all. In fact, her company is sought after by a big following of fans.
4. She went on to be a child actress in other roles
There aren’t that many actors who can say that Robert De Niro gave them their start in the business at age three, but Westmore can. At the age of ten, she appeared in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” She also continued through her adolescent and teen years to appear in “Star Trek: Insurrection” in 1998, “Weird Science” in 1994, and “Star Trek Voyager” in 1995. Her biggest break came after auditioning for the part of Gwen Hotchkiss on the soap opera “Passions” in 1999. She didn’t get the part because the producers felt that she would make a better Sheridan Crane, and the rest is history.
5. She’s had a lot of formal training
McKenzie was born to two famous parents. Her mother, Miriam Westmore understood that there is some stiff competition in the entertainment business. She herself was a model for Edith Head, costumer designer. She ensured that McKenzie would need to have formal training in order to be taken seriously as an actress. She enrolled her daughter in acting classes before the girl even reached puberty. McKenzie has received formal opera training as well as additional education at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute as well as the Uta Hagen Master Class. Her father worked with some of the big names in acting due to his profession as a make up artist. Westmore had the full support of her parents, who helped ot prepare her for a career in entertainment.
