Ciara Wilson is dynamic, talented, and ready to show her talent to the world.

The 17-year-old actress and dancer is best known for her role as Vicki Fuego on Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark, a performance for which Ciara won a Young Entertainer Award in 2017.  She’s also guest-starred in ABC’s Speechless and Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger, and danced in music videos for Fifth Harmony, Chris Brown, Gucci Mane, and Usher.

When she’s not on camera, you can find Ciara dancing – she’s found herself with over 100K followers on her dancin_seabear Instagram account.

Everly Mag talked to Ciara all about dancing, acting, social media, friendship, and more!

Everly Mag: How did you get your start in the industry?

Ciara: Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to be a performer.  I started dancing at the age of four, then singing and acting came shortly after.  I did radio voiceovers and commercials in Portland, Oregon (where I’m originally from), and then I came out to LA and started auditioning for bigger projects.

My first job in LA was a role on Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger, which was an incredible experience. At the start of my career, I definitely had a lot of nervous energy, but after being in the industry for a couple years, I have learned the ropes. Now, I go into auditions filled with excitement knowing what to expect.

Everly Mag: What has been your favorite acting role so far?

Ciara: My favorite role and project to work on so far was my role as Vicki “Hot Head” Fuego in Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark!  My character was a tough MMA fighter who has a feud with the two main characters in the show (which ends in an epic scene in a wrestling ring). It was so much fun embodying this strong character and spending time with the cast of Bizaardvark. It was one of the best on-set experiences I’ve ever had and the end result of the episode came out hilarious!

Everly Mag: What’s your favorite thing about acting?

Ciara: Being able to become so many different characters.  I love creating lives for these characters and getting into their mindset.  It’s also important to relate my work as an actor into my personal life, and use real experiences to pull emotion.  I love being able to work through my own problems, as well as the character’s problems in a scene.

Everly Mag: What’s the most difficult thing about acting?

Ciara: The amount of rejection [actors] face.  We all know we only book a small percentage of the auditions we go out for and a lot of the time it comes down to the right look, height, or age.

That is why the key to success in this business is using that rejection as fuel for your passion. Using it to motivate you to work harder and achieve your goals. Because once you have that mindset, there are no limits and once you finally book that big part it’s all worth it.

Everly Mag: What’s your favorite thing about social media?  What has your experience on social media been like and how do you hope to use your platform?

Ciara: I think Instagram is an INCREDIBLE platform for teenagers in this day and age. Right now, teenagers are passionate about what they believe in and want to shout it out to the world. Instagram gives us a platform to speak up and show others what’s going on in our heads. Whether it be an impactful dance concept video, a funny self made comedy sketch, or a self designed feminism t-shirt, we have the ability to put our ideas out there and impact people’s lives.

As an actress with a social media following, I am able to reach a large audience when promoting a new project I am involved in. I also love spreading awareness about important charities and shedding light on friends who are doing amazing things in the entertainment industry. As a teenager, I also love using my Instagram as a platform to show my quirky, fun, and lighthearted personality. You’ll find lots of photos captioned with jokes or puns on my account, hopefully to give someone a little chuckle as they scroll through their daily feed. I am a big supporter of social media and I think the opportunities it presents continues to grow!

Everly Mag: How can teens make social media a better place?

Ciara: Positivity! If we use our platforms and ability to reach others in seconds in a positive way, we can really utilize everything great about social media. We can lift others up and spread small acts of kindness! Commenting something positive on someone’s photo or giving encouragement to someone in need can make social media a better place.

Everly Mag: What do you do to stay positive and confident?

Ciara: I live by this golden rule: don’t say anything to yourself that you would be offended if somebody else said it to you. Whether it be after a bad audition or if I’m just having an off day, I continue to lift myself up and keep positive thoughts in my head. Everyone struggles with confidence!

Being a teenager while also in a judgmental industry can take a toll on your self confidence. However, it’s all about mindset. It doesn’t matter what you go through, it matters how you handle it! If you are lifting yourself up throughout the day with positive messages, you can conquer anything. Use the golden rule again: always tell yourself things you would be really flattered to hear from another person.

Everly Mag: What are your interests outside of acting?

Ciara: Outside of acting, I’m a professional dancer! I started out in competition dance nine years ago doing all styles (jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop.) Now, dance goes hand in hand with acting, as there are many roles that require you to do both!

My dream role would be to combine both my dance and acting skills in a TV show or movie. Dance is something I hold very close to my heart and want to continue doing forever.

Everly Mag: How do you describe your personality?

Ciara: Passionate, ambitious, positive, goofy, and open-hearted.  I love making new friends!

Everly Mag: What do you look for in a friend?

Ciara: In a friend, I look for someone who I can have laugh and have fun with as well as being able to have real, deep conversations. I look for someone who can be by my side in any situation! My best friend and I love to go out to fun places to eat, but we also love just sitting at home and talking. She is someone who always makes me laugh no matter what we do. A girl’s night at home can be the most fun out of anything with good company.

Everly Mag: Describe your personal style.

Ciara: My personal style changes every day! I love to experiment with fashion. Whatever makes me feel happy and confident that day- I wear it! I don’t box myself into a certain category.

Everly Mag: What’s your advice for teens who are struggling to find their confidence?

Ciara: It’s okay to not know who you are yet.  We are still figuring things out every day.  Especially with style and fashion, wear whatever makes you happy- not what you think others will be impressed with you wearing. There is nothing that can boost your confidence like wearing something you truly love and feel great in!

Everly Mag: What are your goals for the future of your career?

Ciara: To share what I do with as many people as possible.  Comedy is my strong suit, so I would love to have my own sitcom or network comedy. My lifelong dream has also been to someday be a part of the cast of Saturday Night Live.

In the future, I want to use my platform to show young girls that it’s okay to be goofy and funny and to push more girls to get into sketch comedy and improv. Overall, my goal is [that] when people hear my name, I want them to know who I truly am and what I stand for.

Everly Mag: Tell us 3 fun facts about you!

Ciara: I love magic!  I’m going to the famous Magic Castle and I have a few tricks up my sleeve myself!  I’m Filipino, plus English, German, and Russian.  [Third], my favorite song is All Star by Smash Mouth and I play it before every audition!

Find Ciara Wilson on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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If you enjoyed this article, you might also like reading:

• Real Teens Talk: Social Media
• Interview: Bianca and Chiara D’Ambrosio
• Interview: Dancer and Singer Tate McRae

Feature Image Credit: PDX Photographer