Chatting with Rising Star, Jojo Regina
By Ella Edwards
As the new film of the summer, Where the Crawdads Sing, hit theaters a few weeks ago, all eyes are on 11-year-old Jojo Regina, a young actress based in Houston. Jojo plays the younger version of the story's main character, Kya, as she navigates the beauty, heartbreak, and struggles that come with growing up alone, abandoned by her family, in a marsh in North Carolina. As Kya falls in love with the very land that has raised her, her life is turned upside down when she is accused of murder and forced to confront the same town that has ostracized her and trademarked her "The Marsh Girl." The beautifully written film based on the novel by Delia Owens is portrayed perfectly by the cast, Jojo being an instrumental part of the story coming alive.
Jojo's interest in acting was piqued by her father, who is also an actor. "Me and my sister heard him making funny voices, so we wanted to see what it was all about," Jojo explains, "He gave us a scene to do, he taped it and sent it to his agent, and we got signed the next day." Since 2016, Jojo has taken on a variety of projects, from commercial work to even short films.
When Jojo heard about Where the Crawdads Sing, the project sounded like a step in the direction she wanted to go. "It started like any other audition. My dad and I read the sides and fell in love with the script right away because it was just such a beautiful story." Jojo saw parts of herself in young Kya; she loves going outdoors, collecting seashells and feathers, and being with animals and nature, so to prepare for the role, she leaned into the things she loves. Jojo took a different approach when it came to familial drama aspects: "I drew from the sad things in my life and used my imagination to feel what she was going through." Jojo found out she got the role during Thanksgiving, "My parents got the call and yelled, "Jojo! You got it!' and we all started crying. We told all of our family," Jojo smiles, "It was like the best day of my life."
When filming the project, Jojo felt both excited and nervous for the weeks ahead. "I was super excited to get working with all of the amazing people." One of the first costars Jojo met was Daisy Edgar Jones, who leads the film playing the older version of Kya. "We climbed trees, went fishing and hiking, and had a lot of fun." Besides the looming idea of an alligator around every corner and a few lost catches while fishing, Jojo felt constantly inspired by her costars, chock full of picturesque memories from days on set. "It was super hot outside, and I was going on a boat with Garrett, and we went fishing together. He was the best boat buddy. We were on the boat all day, and he was holding my umbrella and always making me laugh."
After filming wrapped, Jojo was overwhelmed with gratitude for the experience. As the film premiered on July 13th, she is already set to play the lead role opposite another actress in an upcoming drama. As Jojo continues her career, this project and this experience will forever stick with her, "I learned I could do anything I put my heart to, anyone can. There is a little Kya seed of hope in all of us," Jojo laughs.
Photos by Amelia Rose
