Shauna Case Talks SAVE and Incredible Crew – Exclusive Interview

BSCkids was recently lucky enough to get the chance to speak with actress Shauna Case. She spoke with us about her work with the organization SAVE, her Cartoon Network series “Incredible Crew,” and her music career.

Shauna, beginning her career at age 12, has become an incredibly multifaceted actress who is also a singer and dancer. She has starred in several commercials and top-rated television shows such as American Horror Story and was cast in the ensemble of Cartoon Network’s Incredible Crew, a half-hour live-action sketch comedy show created by Nick Cannon. However, she doesn’t stop at just acting. Shauna has worked with Grammy-nominated and Billboard Award-winning producer Eddie Galan on her debut EP. The first single, and video, is an autobiographic pop-country track called “Some Kind of Fairytale.” It tells the story of a young girl who left her small town home to travel to the big city and chase her dreams. Shauna’s EP is slated for release in June 2013. Recently, Shauna became the celebrity ambassador for SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education), a cause which is very close to her heart. Her goal in her career and in her philanthropic work is to inspire other young people to be strong, work hard, and to know that their dreams are in reach.

BSCkids: Shauna Case

Tell us about SAVE and why you chose to work with the organization.

SAVE stands for Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. It is a national suicide prevention organization. Their goal is to educate people about suicide prevention and to lift the stigma attached to mental illness. I chose to work with this organization because it hits very close to home for me. I live with a family member who battles depression and has suicidal thoughts every day. I’ve gotten through a lot of hard and scary times, and I wanted to work with an organization that can provide the tools to help understand what you and your loved ones are going through and that with education, things will get better. SAVE is a wonderful resource.

Why do you think it is important to spread awareness about suicide and depression?

I think it’s important because there are so many people living in pain, battling depression, or who live with someone dealing with this disease. No one deserves to live a life in pain, sadness and with a desire to end their life.  If more people were aware of the warning signs of suicide and knew more about providing support for their loved ones and friends, suicide can be prevented.

What kind of work will you be doing in partner with SAVE?

I’m really excited to be lending my image to SAVE’s brochures, and appearing in a few outreach videos, including their updated school presentation. I will also be lending my voice to their national radio campaign in several PSAs.

When did you first begin acting?

Aside from a few musicals and local theatre in Pennsylvania, I really started acting at the age of 12 when I first moved to California. I knew that I wanted to try to be a serious actor when we got here, and when I took my first acting class, I was hooked and decided I wanted to pursue it professionally.

You are also a recording artist, who inspires your sound?

I love Taylor Swift because she evokes emotion in her music and tells a story with each song. Also, I love Selena Gomez because her music is really fun and makes you want to dance. Lately, I cannot stop singing her new song “Come and Get It!” It’s so catchy!

Are there any musicians or singers you would love to work with in the future?

I think it would be awesome to work with Rascal Flatts and do a duet or something!

Do you prefer music or acting more?

I could never choose. I’m so in love with both music and acting that I could never prefer one over the other. I try to do a little of each every day. I love them both equally!

How did you get chosen to be part of the Incredible Crew and how is it working with Nick Cannon?

I originally auditioned for Cartoon Network in a general talent search. Then, I got called back to audition for Incredible Crew. We had to perform three characters, so I did a country girl auditioning for a record label to show of my singing skills, a Jersey girl with the accent, and then this totally materialistic girl.  A few months later, I found out that I had the job! Nick Cannon is so humble and cool. My family watches him on America’s Got Talent, so it was like a dream to get to work with him!

Do you have a lot of input on the scenes and sketches?

Yes! The director and writers were open to our ideas for sketches, hidden camera pranks or music videos! Once we filmed it by the book, they would let us play around with our characters for a few takes. Sometimes when filming I would say a line or do a funny gesture that wasn’t in the script and they would love it and keep it in the sketch!  It’s really great working with a crew that respects you so much that they you give input on the scene!

Growing up did you pull pranks on your family and is that something you still do or do you save it all for the show?

I was always pulling pranks on my family and doing different characters with funny accents everywhere I was. In my group of friends, I’m definitely the one always cracking jokes, making funny faces and being silly for a good laugh. I could never just save it for the show; my everyday life is filled with goofy characters and accents!

Do you get nervous pulling off some of the hidden camera work? 

Definitely! It felt like I was waiting in line to ride a big rollercoaster for the first time! I always got a big rush before performing every prank but that was what made it so exciting!

What has been the hardest one to pull off and why? 

The hardest prank to pull off was definitely Heavy Metal Acoustic. It was where I pretended to be an aspiring country singer coming from Nashville to sing for people and get discovered. I had my guitar and a microphone hooked up to a big amp in the middle of a busy shopping venue. I said into the microphone, “Hey Ya’ll, I’m going to sing a song for you guys so gather around!” I had this huge crowd of people come over. I starting singing and then broke out into a scary heavy metal rock-star scream. It was really hard because I had to go right back to singing normally and my voice started cracking from screaming so loud! I was singing into an amp so everyone in the park heard me! It was definitely hard to keep pretending I was serious and keep a straight face!

What has been the messiest scene you have had to do?

The messiest scene I had to do was Slo-Mo Girl. In the sketch, I run into a spider web, get drenched with goo and get covered in flour! Although, it wasn’t a very comfortable scene to film, it was great to let loose, have fun and not care what my hair or make up looked like for once. After filming the sketch, I was so drenched in goo that I had to take a shower in the set bathroom before going home!

Incredible Crew is one of my kids’ favorite shows and they have cracked up over and over again at Running Errands with My Mom skit, what is your favorite scene?

My favorite scene in Running Errands with My Mom is the end scene where Lil Sis, Petey and his mom is dancing in front of the car. I love it because the mom does the worm. It’s hilarious seeing a grown woman attempt to do the worm on the hard concrete. The sketch was so fun to film and I’m so happy we’re getting such a great response from it!

Any word on a second season of the show?  What other project are you currently working on?

We’re still waiting to hear the fate of the show. Right now I’m preparing to record a song with another great artist for an album honoring the Michael J. Fox charity. The song is produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dann Huff. I’m very honored to be given such amazing opportunities.

How do you find time for school work, your friends between all of your acting and singing!?

Actually, I just passed the CHSPE test, which means that I’ve finished high school early. Graduating high school has allowed me to have more time to focus on my music and acting more. As for friends, most of my family and friends still live in Pennsylvania. I try to visit them twice a year, and I’m always staying in touch with them by Skype and the Internet all the time!