Interviewed by Audrey Larson.
Twin actresses, Chelsea Summer and Brooke Star Noriega, filmed guest starring roles on the recent episode "Under Pressure" (Season 5, episode 12) of the Emmy award-winning comedy "Modern Family". We had the honor of interviewing Chelsea and Brooke about their experience filming Modern Family, getting to meet other cast members, and how their acting career began. Read on for the full scoop!
Twin actresses, Chelsea Summer and Brooke Star Noriega, filmed guest starring roles on the recent episode "Under Pressure" (Season 5, episode 12) of the Emmy award-winning comedy "Modern Family". We had the honor of interviewing Chelsea and Brooke about their experience filming Modern Family, getting to meet other cast members, and how their acting career began. Read on for the full scoop!
Brooke & Chelsea Noriega Tell us about yourselves:
Chelsea: Brooke and I are 14 and live in the Antelope Valley. It’s about an hour northeast of Los Angeles, California and is considered the high desert. We both attend Desert Sands Charter School, which is an independent study program that allows us the flexibility of filming during the school year. Our similar hobbies include music, (we both play piano and guitar), archery and bike riding.
Brooke: And our independent hobbies are dancing and baseball for me,
Chelsea: And gymnastics for me.
Brooke: Oh and we both just picked up learning to ride the penny (skate) board which is fun, and we both ride rip-stick (skate) boards!
When did you start acting? What got you started?
Chelsea: Both of us got our start in musical theater when we were 7 years old. Our older sister Brittni was auditioning for a local community theater production of “Disney Musical Spectacular”, so we auditioned too and got in as “Newsies”. We both caught the acting bug and that began six straight years of performing in theatrical shows, both musical and dramatic. I like acting because it allows you to pretend you're someone else for a little while,
Brooke: And I like it because its fun and I get to make people laugh!
How does being twins help advantage or disadvantage you in the acting industry? Do you ever have to compete against each other for a particular part?
Chelsea: Our Mom has always told us we were blessed to have two market opportunities in the industry.
Brooke: Yeah, one as twins,
Chelsea: And the other as individuals. Sometimes we audition for the same role, but we try and support one another with ideas, like, different ways to deliver the same lines.
Brooke: But we are “teammates”, so we root for each other no matter who books the role. I can’t think of any disadvantages, unless the Casting Director were to like both of us but could only choose one, and didn’t because maybe he/she thought it would be too hard for either of us to lose out getting the role, but honestly, we would probably never know if that ever happened.
Chelsea: Brooke and I are 14 and live in the Antelope Valley. It’s about an hour northeast of Los Angeles, California and is considered the high desert. We both attend Desert Sands Charter School, which is an independent study program that allows us the flexibility of filming during the school year. Our similar hobbies include music, (we both play piano and guitar), archery and bike riding.
Brooke: And our independent hobbies are dancing and baseball for me,
Chelsea: And gymnastics for me.
Brooke: Oh and we both just picked up learning to ride the penny (skate) board which is fun, and we both ride rip-stick (skate) boards!
When did you start acting? What got you started?
Chelsea: Both of us got our start in musical theater when we were 7 years old. Our older sister Brittni was auditioning for a local community theater production of “Disney Musical Spectacular”, so we auditioned too and got in as “Newsies”. We both caught the acting bug and that began six straight years of performing in theatrical shows, both musical and dramatic. I like acting because it allows you to pretend you're someone else for a little while,
Brooke: And I like it because its fun and I get to make people laugh!
How does being twins help advantage or disadvantage you in the acting industry? Do you ever have to compete against each other for a particular part?
Chelsea: Our Mom has always told us we were blessed to have two market opportunities in the industry.
Brooke: Yeah, one as twins,
Chelsea: And the other as individuals. Sometimes we audition for the same role, but we try and support one another with ideas, like, different ways to deliver the same lines.
Brooke: But we are “teammates”, so we root for each other no matter who books the role. I can’t think of any disadvantages, unless the Casting Director were to like both of us but could only choose one, and didn’t because maybe he/she thought it would be too hard for either of us to lose out getting the role, but honestly, we would probably never know if that ever happened.
But we are teammates, so we root for each other no matter who books the role.
Chelsea & Brooke at the Twentieth Century Fox Studio lot
In costume (on set) Tell us about getting to work on the show “Modern Family”. What was the auditioning process like?
Chelsea: Omg! Filming on Modern Family was sooooo much fun!! We met some really nice sets of twins that day [of the audition]! Some we are still friends with. Our Mom coached us on line delivery and having different vocal emphasis choices when delivering the lines, and then when we met with the Casting Director,
Brooke: Who was really nice to us,
Chelsea: And he helped us make the best choices. When we left, we wished all the other twins the best on their audition.
Brooke: We felt like whoever got the roles, we would “know” them and be happy for them. Of course….secretly, we hoped we would book the job! Haha!
Chelsea: After the first audition, the Casting Director narrowed down the selection of twin sets to four, out of approximately 12-15 “first call” twin sets, to now go on to the “Producers Session”.
Brooke: That means to meet with the Producer, Writer and Director of the show. As a matter of fact, this was our first time going to a “Producers Session”, so we didn’t know what to expect,
Chelsea: And thankfully, we were ultimately chosen for the roles of Piper (myself) & Zoe (Brooke)
Brooke: It was a very happy day getting the call that we booked the job from our Agent!
Chelsea: Omg! Filming on Modern Family was sooooo much fun!! We met some really nice sets of twins that day [of the audition]! Some we are still friends with. Our Mom coached us on line delivery and having different vocal emphasis choices when delivering the lines, and then when we met with the Casting Director,
Brooke: Who was really nice to us,
Chelsea: And he helped us make the best choices. When we left, we wished all the other twins the best on their audition.
Brooke: We felt like whoever got the roles, we would “know” them and be happy for them. Of course….secretly, we hoped we would book the job! Haha!
Chelsea: After the first audition, the Casting Director narrowed down the selection of twin sets to four, out of approximately 12-15 “first call” twin sets, to now go on to the “Producers Session”.
Brooke: That means to meet with the Producer, Writer and Director of the show. As a matter of fact, this was our first time going to a “Producers Session”, so we didn’t know what to expect,
Chelsea: And thankfully, we were ultimately chosen for the roles of Piper (myself) & Zoe (Brooke)
Brooke: It was a very happy day getting the call that we booked the job from our Agent!
It was a very happy day getting the call that we booked the job from our Agent!
Chelsea & Brooke with Rico Rodriguez ("Manny" on Modern Family), and guest star Jesse Eisenberg.
What was it like working with the cast of Modern Family? How long did it take to film the episode? What would you say is the biggest difference from filming a movie and filming a TV show?
Brooke: We only worked with the two boys on the show,
Chelsea: Rico Rodriguez & Nolan Gould, and they were both very nice.
BRooke: We did get to meet and take pictures with Eric Stonestreet!
Chelsea: He was so funny! He asked us all kinds of questions, and for some reason, we kept answering them EXACTLY the same at the EXACT same time! It was so funny!
Brooke: Right? We NEVER do that! He asked our Mom if we always do that, and she laughed and said, “NEVER”! Haha!! It was great to meet him!
Chelsea: We filmed for two days, one day on location at a school, and one day at the 20th Century Fox studio lot. As for the differences between filming television and feature films, from the experiences on both that we’ve had, I’d say, features take longer to film, more takes, and television shows move along pretty quickly because they have shorter time frames to work with to get the scenes done.
What was the coolest or your favorite part about it?
Chelsea: Definitely enjoyed the added attention, like having our hair & make up done and the feeling of importance to the show.
Brooke: Our trailer was awesome and the crew took our “orders” for lunch and served us IN our trailer!
Chelsea: Seeing Sophia Vergara & Eric Stonestreet in person was pretty cool too!
Brooke: We only worked with the two boys on the show,
Chelsea: Rico Rodriguez & Nolan Gould, and they were both very nice.
BRooke: We did get to meet and take pictures with Eric Stonestreet!
Chelsea: He was so funny! He asked us all kinds of questions, and for some reason, we kept answering them EXACTLY the same at the EXACT same time! It was so funny!
Brooke: Right? We NEVER do that! He asked our Mom if we always do that, and she laughed and said, “NEVER”! Haha!! It was great to meet him!
Chelsea: We filmed for two days, one day on location at a school, and one day at the 20th Century Fox studio lot. As for the differences between filming television and feature films, from the experiences on both that we’ve had, I’d say, features take longer to film, more takes, and television shows move along pretty quickly because they have shorter time frames to work with to get the scenes done.
What was the coolest or your favorite part about it?
Chelsea: Definitely enjoyed the added attention, like having our hair & make up done and the feeling of importance to the show.
Brooke: Our trailer was awesome and the crew took our “orders” for lunch and served us IN our trailer!
Chelsea: Seeing Sophia Vergara & Eric Stonestreet in person was pretty cool too!
...It was a very memorable day, and a boost to our acting career. We couldn't believe that here we were, filming as guest stars together, on an Emmy award-winning show!
Chelsea in her Modern Family trailer (on set)
The twins with Eric Stonestreet ("Cam") Any funny/best moments on set?
Brooke: Speaking about Sophia & funny moments, well….Chelsea and I heard something going on outside our trailer, and they were taking Sophia to set on a cool large golf cart vehicle,
Chelsea: Yeah, we were trying to check her out in stealth through the mini blinds in our trailer!"
Brooke: So Mom says, “What are you girls looking at?”, and we said, “Sofia Vergara is right outside our trailer”! Mind you this was our first day on set, and Mom says, “here, let me pull up the blinds so you can see her better!”, and both Chelsea and I go, “NO!” and try pulling the blinds back down. We were so embarrassed. Well, Sofia heard all the noise and looked up and saw us, and started chuckling.
Chelsea: I’m sure she thought we were crazy!
Brooke: And they rushed her off to set, so we never got the chance to meet her and take a picture with her.
Chelsea: But we did get to meet the other co-star on our episode (Modern Family, episode: “Under Pressure”), Jesse Eisenberg! He was very nice and took a picture with us and Rico.
Brooke: Chelsea was beaming in that photo, she loves Jesse as an Actor!
Anything else to add about your experience filming “Modern Family”?
Chelsea: Just that it was a very memorable day, and a boost to our acting career. We couldn’t believe that here we were, filming as Guest Stars together, on an Emmy winning show! How awesome is that?
Brooke: Oh, and another cool fact was that one of our good friends was booked as background on the set, and he and his Mom, who is our Mom’s good friend, got to enjoy the day & experience with us! That added to our fun!
Enjoy the journey... And most of all, remember to be a kid and have fun!
Chelsea & Brooke with James Bagdonas, Director of their episode "Under Pressure"
Chelsea & Brooke on the set of Modern Family Tell us about some other acting experience you've had:
Chelsea: Well, mainly it has been theater, television, film, commercial work, and live vocal performances with our sister, Brittni. Oh and we have made some fun music video’s with Brittni, who loves to film and direct them herself.
Brooke: Also, last year, we filmed as leads in a mini (1 minute) short film called “A Better Place” by Javi Productions, for La Sierra University, and directed by Javi Joseph that won the Caddie Short Film Festival. That was really exciting! We had a big poster billboard on the 91 Freeway in Los Angeles for a week because our film won!
Chelsea: Yes, that was cool. And our sister Brittni was the voiceover narrator and make-up artist on the film, so it was fun working on set with her too.
Any upcoming projects/roles you can talk about?
Chelsea: Brooke and I just created our own You Tube channel called “Cover Girls” and we plan to do some fun comedy skits and also share some of our music we write. Hopefully people will want to subscribe and follow us on You Tube very soon!.
Brooke: Plus we are going to be going into a local recording studio this summer to start laying down some of our own tracks and vocals, so that will be really cool!
What advice would you give to young actors who want to pursue their passion?
Chelsea: I would tell them to enjoy the journey, learn to submit it (meaning the audition) and forget it, you know; do your best, and then don’t think about it again unless you get the call from your Agent and he/she tells you that you booked it! And most of all, remember to be a kid and have fun!
Brooke: Adding to what Chelsea just said, I would say, practice your craft everyday, whether it be singing, dancing, acting, or any skills you want to pursue, and become excellent at it. That is what will set you apart when auditioning for the roles you want. Oh, and don’t give up!
Chelsea: Thanks for wanting to interview us Audrey, this was fun!
Brooke: It sure was! Thanks Audrey!
Thank you Chelsea and Brooke for your time! You can follow the twins on their Facebook fan page and individual Instagram pages, “Chelsea Noriega” and “Brooke Noriega”. You can also watch Chelsea and Brooke's episode of Modern Family ("Under Pressure") for a limited time on ABC Family's website (here).
Chelsea: Well, mainly it has been theater, television, film, commercial work, and live vocal performances with our sister, Brittni. Oh and we have made some fun music video’s with Brittni, who loves to film and direct them herself.
Brooke: Also, last year, we filmed as leads in a mini (1 minute) short film called “A Better Place” by Javi Productions, for La Sierra University, and directed by Javi Joseph that won the Caddie Short Film Festival. That was really exciting! We had a big poster billboard on the 91 Freeway in Los Angeles for a week because our film won!
Chelsea: Yes, that was cool. And our sister Brittni was the voiceover narrator and make-up artist on the film, so it was fun working on set with her too.
Any upcoming projects/roles you can talk about?
Chelsea: Brooke and I just created our own You Tube channel called “Cover Girls” and we plan to do some fun comedy skits and also share some of our music we write. Hopefully people will want to subscribe and follow us on You Tube very soon!.
Brooke: Plus we are going to be going into a local recording studio this summer to start laying down some of our own tracks and vocals, so that will be really cool!
What advice would you give to young actors who want to pursue their passion?
Chelsea: I would tell them to enjoy the journey, learn to submit it (meaning the audition) and forget it, you know; do your best, and then don’t think about it again unless you get the call from your Agent and he/she tells you that you booked it! And most of all, remember to be a kid and have fun!
Brooke: Adding to what Chelsea just said, I would say, practice your craft everyday, whether it be singing, dancing, acting, or any skills you want to pursue, and become excellent at it. That is what will set you apart when auditioning for the roles you want. Oh, and don’t give up!
Chelsea: Thanks for wanting to interview us Audrey, this was fun!
Brooke: It sure was! Thanks Audrey!
Thank you Chelsea and Brooke for your time! You can follow the twins on their Facebook fan page and individual Instagram pages, “Chelsea Noriega” and “Brooke Noriega”. You can also watch Chelsea and Brooke's episode of Modern Family ("Under Pressure") for a limited time on ABC Family's website (here).
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