Actress Josie Loren – best known for playing Kaylie Cruz in ABC Family’s Make It or Break It is a super athlete. The 26-year-old recently opened up to Celebrity Teen Scoop on her involvement with the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, her career, and what Hollywood star she would love to work with.
CTS: Tell us about your role as a celebrity competitor in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon presented by Equinox. How did you get involved? What’s your training regimen like? Do you regularly compete in triathlons?
JL: As a celeb competitor, I lend my support by being an active participant in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon presented by Equinox. I was approached with this opportunity last year by my publicist, and thought it was an amazing way to support the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) in their mission to help with pediatric cancer research. This will now be my third triathlon and I couldn’t be happier to be doing it for CHLA. I’ve visited many times and it’s such an incredible institution. They do so much for our city that I am honored I get a chance to do something for them. As for my training regimen, I’m doing the bike portion of the course, so I’ve upped my training on my lower body by going to Barry’s Bootcamp on butt/leg day and attending Soul Cycle classes.
CTS: Are you participating in the full triathlon or a relay?
JL: I’m doing the relay with my roommate and her boyfriend. I’ll be doing the bike ride!
CTS: In the past 6 years, you’ve done a lot of TV acting and had several parts in movies. Do you prefer one over the other? Is there one role that has made a real difference to your career or you’re especially proud of?
JL: I don’t really have a preference between television and film. As long as it’s great writing, I don’t care what the medium is. I will say though that I enjoy being on a television set where you get to be around the same people for years because it truly becomes like a family. I love going to work with my best friends. I’m especially proud of my role as Kaylie Cruz in Make It Or Break It. She battled anorexia for 2 season, and I was able to witness the impact my character’s story had on so many people. It was an honor to be a positive influence on my fans.
CTS: Who in Hollywood would you like the opportunity to work with and why?
JL: I would love to work with Charlize Theron. Not only is she an exceptional actress, but she is an activist that has made an incredible difference in South Africa and the United States. She’s a brilliant woman, who I admire very much. As my father would say, she’s the full package.
CTS: How did you get your start in acting? Do you have any advice for young actors getting their start in showbiz?
JL: I started acting on the stage at the age of 5. I would do these monologue competitions in my school, and I loved them. My principal recognized my talent, and recommended I go to an arts school for theatre, which I started in 5th grade. I did only theatre until I moved to LA when I was 18. For those young actors who are looking to get into acting, I fully recommend starting off on the stage. It teaches you things that acting in front of the camera does not. People think that you need to have an agent to start acting, and that is simply not true. I didn’t have an agent until I was 18. Read plays, get involved in your school’s shows, and your community theatre. There’s so much out there that you can do!
CTS: You played an aspiring Olympic gymnast on the show ‘Make It Or Break It’. What are some of your favorite memories from the show? Are you still in touch with the rest of the cast? Why do you think it was so popular?
JL: Some of my favorite memories on the show were the episodes where we shot the big competitions, like Worlds. It felt so realistic. All of us would just cry because we were so overwhelmed with emotions that I imagine one would feel if they were really representing their country in a world renowned competition. It was such a spectacle to be a part of! We would have to pinch ourselves and say, “wait! This is fake! We’re just actors!” Yes, I’m still in touch with some of the cast. Cassie Scerbo is one of my best friends, and Rosa Blasi is like a second mom to me out here in LA. I think the series was so popular because it was the only show on television that included the drama people love to watch as well as the gymnastics that viewers can only really enjoy during the Olympics. It was a killer combo! Plus, it’s one of the only shows out there that portrays young women as strong, confident, and empowering individuals. In a way, I felt as if MIOBI gave girls their power back. We need more shows like it.
CTS: We heard you were heavily into competitive cheerleading with the Top Gun All Stars. What did you learn from your time as a competitive cheerleader?
JL: I learned what it was to be a part of a team, to work as a team, to win and lose as a team. If one person was struggling with something whether it was a tumbling pass or a dance, we came together and helped in whatever we could. I learned that hard work pays off. Top Gun is no joke, and they make you put in the hours, but I’m so grateful to them for teaching the benefits of a solid work ethic. You reap what you sow. I learned that when I cheered for Top Gun.
CTS: How did you manage attending UCLA full-time studying Mass Communications while also acting full-time? That’s a heavy load!
JL: Being a full time student and actor was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I look back on those years and don’t know how I got through them to be honest. Time management was vital. Every moment of my day was planned for. Of course, I would make time to have some fun every now and then, but I could never be reckless with my time. It was precious. I’m a perfectionist, and never allowed for one thing to suffer because of the other. My parents always told me to stop fixating on getting straight A’s, but I just couldn’t let it go. I had to do both and do them excellently, or I wouldn’t do it at all.
CTS: We read you recently launched your own blog. Please share your inspiration behind it.
JL: I took a break from the blog this year because of some personal issues, but will probably be resuming it in the future.
CTS: We noticed you love to tweet about your nephews. It seems you’re a very family-oriented person. Do you get to see them much? Tell us about them.
JL: I’m Cuban, so family is ALWAYS number 1 in my life. You can take anything and everything away from me and I can still be happy, but you can’t take away my family. I go home every 2-3 months or so. I’m one of 4 siblings, and my older sister has 2 boys and a girl. The oldest, Adrian, is 7, the middle, Bianca, is 5, and then there’s Dominic who is 5 months. They are the light of my life. It’s very important to me to be a part of their lives as they grow up even though I live on the other side of the country. We FaceTime, talk on the phone, and I’m constantly going to visit them. I know people might think I’m saying this because I’m biased, but I really do have the best niece and nephews in the WORLD!
CTS: What’s up next for you?
JL: Well, it’s episodic season, so I’m back to the audition grind! We’ll see what this next year has in store for me, but I’m very excited about the possibilities and opportunities ahead of me!
