China McClain got her start as an actress with Tyler Perry after appearing in his film Daddy’s Little Girls and his TV series “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.”
McClain eventually caught the eye of Disney producers and was cast as the lead in the TV series “A.N.T. Farm.” The show became a hit for Disney and allowed McClain to show her talents as an actress and singer.
On Aug. 15, McClain will star in her latest film “How to Build a Better Boy.” McClain recently spoke with rolling out about her new Disney movie.
What should your fans know about your new film, ‘How to Build a Better Boy?’
The film is about two girls who are very smart and geeky. They love school, they love science and math. They feel like all the boys at their high school are not good enough for them, so they decide to get on the computer and create a better boy. We create a better boy and he ends up coming to our school, but we don’t know how it happened. So we try to figure out how he came to life. It is a very interesting movie and families can sit down together and enjoy it. I’m very excited for it to come out.
As a successful young actress, how do you balance your time as a 16-year-old teenager with your career?
My parents make sure that my sisters and I have fun and that we don’t just work. We do things like go out and skate or go to the movies. When it comes to school, that is definitely a lot more challenging. You have to go to work and travel for performances and films. My parents have kept school first. They have been very clear about that from the very beginning. I keep my school first and try to balance everything else — stay having fun but also staying on top of my studies and do what I love to do which is perform, act and sing.
If you could say one thing to all the young girls out there that dream of becoming an actresses or a singer, what would you tell them?
I would tell them if acting and singing is really something you want to do, then that will carry you all the way through, good times and through the bad times. Don’t take no for an answer and listen to your parents. If I hadn’t listened to my parents I don’t know where I would be right now. Listen to your parents and if it’s something you want to do, go for it. It will happen for you if you really believe that it will.
The Disney Channel Original Movie “How to Build a Better Boy” premieres Friday, August 15 (8:00 p.m. ET/PT) on Disney Channel.
