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Success Story: My Baby’s a Star!

by Shauna Smith Duty

Ever want to know the secrets of successful child models? Desiree’ Russell, former model, is mother to 8-year-old Brandon Tyler Russell, who has appeared in ads for Evenflo, Tonka Trucks, and other big name companies. Desiree’ is a single mother who has spent years developing her son’s career. Brandon is a full time model and actor who lives in Los Angeles part of the year, where he is home schooled and attends auditions and shoots. Another part of the year he attends public school away from LA, where he is involved in basketball and choir and maintains high grades.

Desiree’ noticed traits in Brandon at an early age that led her to the conclusion he may excel in modeling and acting. “He was so photogenic as a baby. At 3 months, he was already holding his head up and making direct eye contact. He was also a very well behaved baby.” These are attributes parents should look for when considering acting career for their child. Desiree’ believes that an older child model and actor must love his work. “They must be outgoing, love people, love being the center of attention, and must really want to do it! If they don’t, the casting directors will see right through them.”

Brandon booked his first audition at 6-months-old for Evenflo. At 4 ˝, he filmed his first acting gig, a commercial with Tonka Trucks. When he was 5-years-old, he booked a print job with Elite magazine—a full-page editorial spread with his name credited. Desiree’ says, “His ‘big’ break was booking a SAG National Kellogs commercial at age 5.” She says at that time, they joined the union.

The Russels have only had one troublesome incident in Brandon’s career. Brandon filmed a commercial that was set to air in southern states, but it was pulled, so he was not paid. However, a friend later saw the commercial air and contacted Desiree’ with the news. Desiree’ contacted the union, and Brandon received his wages.

“You are and advocate for your child,” Desiree’ warns parents. “If someone is taking advantage of Brandon, I don’t worry about burning bridges.”

On the whole, Desiree’ and Brandon enjoy a supportive family, lots of time together, and success in Brandon’s career. Desiree’ does not consider her time and financial investment to be exorbitant. “I started off with snapshots and once he started working, I set that money aside to get professional photos done and printed. Then we worked off those and he has had steady work ever since.”

Parents like Desiree must be available to take their child to auditions and jobs. This means Monday through Friday, from 9am to 7pm. Desiree’ made this commitment early on. “Although it has been a huge time commitment, it has been worth it. Brandon loves it and has put away quite a bit for college. He would not trade it for anything.”

For parents considering getting involved in promoting their child as an actor or model, Desiree’ has this advice: “Be patient and persistent. Above all things, make sure your kid stays a kid! Have fun, and enjoy your time together.”

To visit Brandon online, go to www.brandontylerrussell.com.

12 Comments
Comment Pages: 1 2 3

CAV_Mod	Mon, Apr 03, 2006 10:38am Are you surprised by the commitment that it takes? Do you have a personal success story that you wish to share, if so, email us at members at ratemybabypics.com with a short paragraph about your success.
joannab	Mon, May 14, 2007 11:37am My son was reviewed by MyChildModel.com and they said he would be a perfect model. Have or anyone on here ever heard of them or had any experience with them? Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.
liilgatiita21	Tue, Apr 10, 2007 12:32pm Hi my name is Jenny and i want to put my little one into modelling can You tell me how i can get a agent for him thank's
Patricia03	Mon, Nov 27, 2006 11:51am I really enjoyed your story. I live in michigan and it is so hard to find a good agent. Can you give me any advice? Thanks in advance.
Mom_of_Grace	Mon, Nov 13, 2006 6:19pm Thank you for such a great article. I'm so glad he's allowed to be a kid still because so many kids get too wrapped up in the business that they aren't able to enjoy those years. We'll see if I can get Grace in with an agent. We have a few here, but it's so hard to know in which direction to go. How do you know it's a reputable agent? No, there wouldn't be any up front fees, but that doesn't say much. What about commission? What is the norm? Again, thanks for the article.

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