Tell us your story in a teacup (or nutshell) 

I have six brothers, two sisters and I am the second from the youngest in my family.  The reason I am an actress now is because of my big sister, Leah, and my mom, for whom I have immense respect.

For as long as I can remember, after any time I would watch movies, I’d catch myself repeating the lines and seeing how I would say them, but I didn't even know what acting was, I wouldn't consciously think about it. When Leah started pursuing acting, my mom worked very hard to help her. 

She would drive her six hours to Los Angeles, and then six hours back home to Turlock, just for an audition. When my sister started booking more and more roles, driving back and forth became very hard on our family, so we moved everyone to Burbank. Once the Hollywood sign was practically in our backyard, some of my brothers and I started begging my mom to let us audition for my sister’s talent agency. Finally she did, and the agency signed us!

How is it to be nearly the youngest in a family with eight siblings?

Honestly, it’s wonderful; it’s one of the things of which I am most proud. All of my siblings bring out different sides of me, they're all a huge part of my life and I couldn’t do any of this without them. 

When did you start acting? 

I started acting almost three years ago, at first just auditioning for television commercials, and I actually got several of them. Later, my agent submitted me for a leading role in a serious film, which I came very close to booking, after that, they started sending me out for theatrical projects too. 

What inspired you to become an actress?

Do you know how some musicians can touch your soul through their music with a song?  Well I think a good actor can do that through their performance with a story. I wanted to be able to do that, to make people feel different ranges of emotion, through my performance.  I hope to one day be an actress who can help people to connect with and actually feel the emotion of my character.  

You are so young and busy. How do you manage your time?

Well I love being busy, and I always try to stay active, so I think busy is good!  When I’m working on the set of a movie, I literally have a team of people managing my time.  Because there are strict rules limiting the amount of time a child actor can work, and so many hours of every work day have to be spent in school, and at lunch and set aside for rest, they manage my time very carefully, sometimes down to the exact minute!

You possess such a strong sense of maturity as a young actress especially in portraying your different roles. How do you get into character? What’s your process? 

It’s so strange, it’s not like I really have to get into character, as soon as the director says, “action”, I just become that person.  Sometimes I even get so lost in a character during a performance, that I forget what happened and what I did during a take. 

Tell us about your role as Heidi in So B. it? 

Heidi is very strong willed and independent, and she thinks she can do everything on her own.  I don’t want to spoil the story, but Heidi travels from Nevada to New York and she realizes that life outside of the apartment with her mother and Bernie, is very different. 

Tells us about your character Nicole from Nine Lives?

My character Nicole is a little bit of a snob, she is rich and spoiled and she thinks she can treat everyone like they're beneath her.  It was fun to play Nicole because she is so unlike me.  

Who is your acting hero? 

There are many people I look up to as actors, but my two favorite actresses right now are Vera Farmiga, and Tatiana Maslany. 

Name an actor that you wanna meet.

I would love to meet either Vera, or Tatiana.

Actor crush.

I have several crushes. Aaron Taylor Johnson, Tom Hardy, Johnny Depp, and Tom Hiddleston.

What’s your favorite aspect of being an actor?

My favorite part of being an actress is that I don’t have to be Talitha everyday, I get to become so many different people, and it’s truly incredible. 

Tell us about a really memorable experience in your acting career so far.

I am currently working on a movie with Nicolas Cage in Atlanta, which feels unreal.  When I met him at the table read, it was as if he had just walked off the screen.   

Dream Role.

I would like to play a leading role in a horror film, to be able to play someone who is from medieval times, and someone who gets to ride a horse.  So I guess my dream role would be to star in a horror movie which takes place in medieval times where I ride a horse. 

What’s on your music playlist right now?

Youth by daughter

Pity Party by Melanie Martinez

Small Bump by Ed Sheeran

Alive by Sia

How It Ends by DeVotchaKa

Book that you’re currently reading

The book I’m reading right now is called Foxcraft, written by Inbali Iserles, I just started reading it, and it is very good so far.

Tell us a secret.

I can’t sleep without the breeze of a fan on my face, so when I need to travel for my career, I have a small portable fan that I take with me, which I put on the bed next to my head.

Last movie you saw

The last movie I saw was The Jungle Book, which was very entertaining and extremely well done.

If you’re going to have your own book, what title would it be?

How To Cook Rice, by Talitha Bateman

If you will be given the chance and opportunity to help a specific charity, what would it be and why?

I don’t know the name of a specific charity that does this, but I would like to help a charity that benefits foster children and tries to find them permanent loving homes.  

Photography by Irvin Rivera
Styling by Adrian De Ausen
Grooming Bethany Garita
Photo Asst Phil Limprasertwong

Catch Talitha in ANABELLE CREATION in theaters August 11, 2017!