Ava Ro starred in the Nickelodeon series Erin & Aaron as Erin Park, alongside Jensen Gering as Aaron, and she was part of the soundtrack recording for the show. In Home Sweet Rome, Ava plays Kyla, and across four series of Holly Hobbie, she could be seen playing Claudia, with both shows airing on CBBC in the UK. Further screen projects for Ava include playing Maya in Take Note for Peacock, Ella in Big Top Academy for her first regular screen character, and she reprised her role during the pandemic for Big Top Academy: School’s Out Edition. As a voice actor, Ava’s characters include Kana in Thomas & Friends, Min in Dino Ranch, Remy in the Universal Kids animated series Remy & Boo, and Taylor Turbot in PAW Patrol. Alongside acting and voiceover, Ava is also a music artist, and she was a contestant on Series 14 of America’s Got Talent with her vocal group GFORCE/GEN:ZED. We caught up with Ava about starring as Erin Park in Erin & Aaron on Nickelodeon, being in the cast of Home Sweet Rome as Kyla and voicing Kana in Thomas & Friends.

You starred as Erin Park in the Nickelodeon series Erin & Aaron, how would you describe the character and what was she like to play?

I think I would describe Erin as a confident, sarcastic, and bold teenage girl with a sharp sense of humour. She has a huge passion for music and writing her own songs, and she loves to play her guitar. Being able to play Erin was such an amazing honour and opportunity that I will never forget. She was such a versatile and cool girl to portray, and getting to showcase my acting and music ability through one character was so much fun for me!

How was it filming opposite Jensen Gering as Aaron and the rest of the cast, and what was it like finding out you’d booked the role?

Filming with Jensen, Pyper (Braun), Luca (Diaz), and Celia (Mendez) was honestly the most fun I have ever had on a set. Since we are all younger and have a lot in common, we got along so well and some days it didn’t even feel like a job, we were just some kids having the best time and I feel like that really showed through on the screen. Working with David (S. Jung) and Larisa (Oleynik) was such an amazing experience, and I learned so much from them. Just being able to watch and study such talented actors that have been in the industry for so long was really cool. They are very nice people and I really look up to them. Finding out I booked the lead role for Erin & Aaron was probably the best moment of my life hands down. The audition process was almost four months long, and I knew that 2000 other girls were auditioning for the role, so my hopes weren’t very high. But the night I found out I booked the role was such a surreal and happy moment. I am so grateful for Erin & Aaron.

What was it like recording the show’s soundtrack and what are some of your favourite highlights from working on Erin & Aaron?

I absolutely loved recording the music for the Erin & Aaron soundtrack. We were in the studio a lot since there was always some sort of musical element in every episode. My favourite things that we recorded were definitely the original songs. All of the composers and writers are so incredibly talented, and I got a lot of creative freedom as well to add my own spin on the song while in the recording booth. I think my favourite highlight from working on the show was a performance I had in the final episode for the song Pockets In My Dress. I got to wear this amazing pink dress and had a whole choreographed dance to it, which was so fun to learn as I am also a competitive dancer. I had a blast filming that scene.

What do you enjoy about playing Kyla in Home Sweet Rome and what is it like on set?

Playing Kyla was so fun and different for me as I am not really like my character in real life. I got to be very creative with my character, and honestly it was hard to embody her at first, but I got the hang of it as time went by. Kyla will always have a special place in my heart because she was just so awesome to play. Being able to film in Rome, Italy was such a cool experience. I mean, you can’t really complain when you’re filming in the most beautiful city in the world! I also loved filming with Kensington Tallman, she is one of my best friends ever.

Can you tell us about the show and your character and was there anything that drew you to the series?

Home Sweet Rome is a family show that follows a teenage girl named Lucy played by the amazing Kensington Tallman. The series kind of has a little bit of everything in it, as it explores friendships, challenges teenagers have to face, the Italian culture of course, and music! Kyla is kind of gothic, very spiritual and into tarot cards, and has a very quirky and interesting personality. Kyla loves her best friend Lucy, and she will do anything for her. I think what drew me to Home Sweet Rome the most was the fact that it was filming in Italy! I never had an opportunity to film a series outside of North America before, and that really sparked my interest.

How was it being part of Holly Hobbie across four seasons of the show as Claudia and is there anything you miss most about filming?

Holly Hobbie was such an amazing show to film and be a part of. I was actually first introduced on the show as Claudia in Season 2 when I was 11 years old, and then finished Seasons 3, 4, and 5 when I was 14 in only one summer, so the gap between filming was pretty long, but it just made it even more special being able to see the cast and crew again. Something I miss most from filming was definitely seeing the cast every day. Most of my scenes were with Heather played by Kate Moyer, and Levi played by Marcus Cornwall, and we got along so well. I haven’t seen them in a long time and I miss them so much!

In 2022, you played Maya in Take Note for Peacock, what was it like working on the show?

Take Note was one of those shows where it felt like I was just hanging out and singing with some friends. It really didn’t feel like a job because I was just having the best time! There were also many covers and original songs that we were able to perform every episode which was so exciting for me. Maya was a very different character to play as she’s the mean girl sidekick to Ivy played by the extremely talented Melissa Kadas, but later on in the season she starts to become her own person and her true self really shines through. I definitely made lifelong friends and some great memories that summer.

Do you have any stand-out memories from your time as Ella in Big Top Academy that you can share and how was it having her as your first screen regular character?

Big Top Academy will always have a very special place in my heart as it was my first TV series that I had ever worked on. Playing Ella Piccolo at 10 years old was such a great learning experience for me as an actor, and I am so grateful for the show and everything it’s done for me. Since almost all nine of us in the group cast were not from Montreal, Quebec where it was being filmed, we all lived in the same apartment building! It was like living with your best friends for a whole year, and the memories that we made were seriously unforgettable. One that specifically stands out to me was when I was celebrating my 11th birthday there, and the whole cast and crew threw me a huge surprise party. I felt so special and loved that night.

What was it like reprising your role for Big Top Academy: School’s Out Edition during the pandemic?

I think it’s safe to say that the COVID pandemic was tough for everyone, and because of the virus, all film productions shut down, and auditions stopped coming in for a while. As I was very impatient sitting at home, I was just dying to get back on a set and do what I loved. So once I got the news that Big Top Academy: School’s Out Edition was in the works, I was on top of the world. We all filmed in our own homes with audio and video equipment that production sent to all of the cast, and I think it was such a cute reboot of the show and gave kids a little extra positivity during that time.

As a voiceover artist, you voice Kana in Thomas & Friends, how is it getting into character and being involved with a well-known children’s franchise?

Voicing Kana is actually very easy because believe it or not, me and Kana are kind of similar even though she’s a train. She has a very upbeat and positive voice, so I usually just talk in my regular voice and up the pitch. It’s very cool to be involved in such a well-known children’s franchise that even my parents watched as kids!

What is Min like to voice in Dino Ranch and how has it been developing the character over the years?

I have been voicing Min for so long that talking like her is almost like flicking a switch! I have been a part of Dino Ranch for four years now which is pretty unbelievable to even think about, and Min is such a kind and thoughtful character who is so caring towards her family and the dinosaurs she takes care of. I have loved playing Min over the years and the whole production is so nice.

What do you remember most from voicing Remy in the Universal Kids animated series Remy & Boo in 2020?

Remy was actually my first-ever voiceover experience and it was so fun. What I remember most is definitely getting to experience animation from behind the scenes for the very first time. Remy is such a cute character and also mixed Asian just like me. I loved being able to voice a character that represents kids just like me.

How was it recording for the hugely-popular series PAW Patrol as Taylor Turbot?

PAW Patrol is such a great show and Taylor was such a fun character to voice. She loves dinosaurs and knows everything about them. The most fun thing was trying to figure out all of Taylor’s tongue twister lines and the big dinosaur names. I definitely got to learn a few things about dinosaurs.

How did you find the experience as a contestant on Series 14 of America’s Got Talent with your vocal group GFORCE/GEN:ZED and what are some of your highlights from being a member of the group?

AGT… all I can say is WOW! The most amazing experience. This is definitely a part of my childhood I will never forget. Actually, AGT is so important to me because it was the beginning of my music career and what got me into loving music! The experience was definitely a whirlwind and very high stakes (especially with a live audience) but it made me learn how to stay calm under immense pressure. The biggest highlight of being a member of the girl group was definitely making friends for life. To this day Holly Gorski and I are still very, very close and I cherish our friendship. I’m so glad we got to experience all of that together and it will be a core memory for life.

Where does your love of acting and music come from and how did you get into both?

Neither of my parents are actors or musicians so I’m definitely the odd one out in my family, but I really think my passion for acting and music came from my love of dance. A lot of people kept telling my parents that I had really great charisma and stage presence while dancing, so they should put me in acting. So I found an agent named Francesca Nicassio who is basically my second mom now, and it kind of just went on from there! I found this great passion for acting, singing, playing instruments, and performing, and I honestly couldn’t see myself doing anything else.

Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch and music artists to listen to?

My personal favourite TV shows to watch are definitely Stranger Things, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Cobra Kai. I’m also obsessed with sitcoms like Modern Family, Community, and Superstore. I think my top three music artists right now are Frank Ocean, SZA, and Olivia Rodrigo. I just love their lyricism and overall vibe I get while listening to their songs.

How do you like to spend your time away from your career?

Outside of my career, I’m honestly just a regular teenager. I’m in the 11th grade and go to a public high school, and I love to spend time with my friends and family. I am also a competitive dancer and have some competitions coming up so I spend a lot of time at my studio as well. In my free time, I’m really getting into writing my own music, and it really just gives me an outlet to be creative and express myself.

What are you hoping 2024 brings for you and do you have any projects coming up that you can tell us about?

I’m hoping 2024 gives me new opportunities and experiences, and starting to focus a lot of time on things that inspire me and bring me joy. I’m definitely going to continue and evolve in my career as an actor and musician.

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