Meet the Leeds actress breaking onto the Hollywood screen with leading role in Evan Wood

When she wasn't performing for her family, she was training in singing, dancing and acting at Scala Kids performing arts club in Horsforth.

The Leeds actress, who grew up in Bramhope, has now landed the leading role in new Hollywood film Evan Wood, starring alongside Emmerdale's Michael Parr, Riverdale's Trevor Stines and Breaking Bad's Jere Burns.

It comes six years after Charlotte moved to Los Angeles, following her dreams to break onto the screen.

"I've wanted to be an actress ever since I can remember," the 27-year-old told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

"We would go to a caravan site at the weekend and I would invite everyone into the caravan to show them a performance.

“I absolutely loved Scala, what made it stand out was the fact they go through the audition process with kids.

"It’s very different to drama classes where you stand around and play games, that’s not real life.

“The staff were amazing, a lot of them worked in the industry which I thought was really important.

"And they’re still super supportive to this day."

Charlotte was part of the Leeds Rhinos cheerleading team as a teenager, where she got her first taste of performing in front of big crowds.

She studied Performing Arts in Newcastle and trained with speech and drama coach Nicola Bickler, before helping her to teach classes once qualified.

When an opportunity came up to enroll on a summer programme at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Charlotte packed up her life in Leeds and moved over to the States.

“I was terrified," she said.

"My family were also nervous as I was so young and going to be on my own.

“It took me about three years to really find my place here, but I knew that I wasn’t going to give up easily so I tried to push through.

“I fell in love with LA and the opportunities it offers. There’s such a diverse group of people and everyone is so accepting here.

"And I’m very lucky that my parents have been so supportive; no one in my family has ever been into acting or anything like it.

“They did think I was a bit crazy, but thankfully I’m making them proud and it’s all working out.”

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After completing the summer school, Charlotte put in a hard graft networking at every opportunity she had, landing a "scream queen" role in a horror film.

She was then approached by one of the writers of Evan Wood to work on the script - which led to her biggest opportunity yet.

Charlotte added: “I thought it was put to bed, then they called me and said I’d be perfect for the lead role.

“I was over the moon, I couldn’t believe it. It started so quickly that I didn’t have time to process what was happening.

“Now that the film is getting so much recognition, I’m starting to realise that everyone is going to see my face!"

Charlotte plays a young writer, Rachel Woods, who is desperate for some inspiration.

When she learns of her grandmother’s death she returns home after many years and begins digging into her forgotten life, reconnecting with the family members she left behind - including her younger brother, Evan.

“She’s a very complex character," Charlotte said.

"She has a lot of secrets and she’s very mysterious, very intelligent, but she likes to run away from her fears and obstacles in life, pushing them under the rug.

“In the film, she has to face her past demons and the old life she’s left behind.

"It’s about her finding her way within her family and her own life, and this new person she wants to be."

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Charlotte stars alongside her friend Michael Parr, best known for his role as Ross Barton in Emmerdale, with Riverdale's Trevor Stines cast as her love interest.

Jere Burns, who boasts appearances in a long line of series including X Files and Breaking Bad, takes on the role of Rachel's professor.

"That was like working with royalty," Charlotte added.

"I was so nervous to go on set with him on the first morning, I thought I was going to mess it up and be terrible.

"But he has this aura around him that made me feel so calm and some of my best acting was with him."

Evan Wood has already received recognition at some of the world’s leading film festivals, such as Santa Barbara International Film Festival and Dances With Films, Hollywood.

But living more than 5,000 miles away from Leeds, the pandemic has meant that Charlotte has missed out on sharing her successes with her devoted family.

“It was really difficult for a long time," she said.

"We got into Santa Barbara and premiered the film on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, they were such big moments in my life that I really wanted my family to be there for.

"It was heartbreaking, but my friends facetimed my mum and dad from the Walk of Fame at 5am English time - and hopefully they'll get here one day soon."

Charlotte has had "amazing" support from people in Leeds and hopes that the film will make its way to cinemas in her home city.

And Evan Wood is just the start of what she wants to achieve in her career.

Charlotte added: “I’ve manifested this all my life and that moment on the Walk of Fame, I remembered myself as a little girl dreaming of this moment.

“She’d be in complete awe, but I think she knew this was going to happen.

“I’ve worked so hard and continued to believe that I could achieve it."

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