In A Star For Rose, I play Marcy, a small-town Oregon girl, who ends up living out of her car while hoping to realize her fantasy of making it on a reality TV show. When Dan showed me the original story outline for the film, it immediately resonated with me. While in school, I took part in a social studies project on the homeless which included going out and meeting some of these people. Hearing their stories of what happened to them and what it is really like to live on the streets was a revelation.

It's easy to dismiss them and label them as "losers" or victims of drug addiction or somehow not like us. But the truth is many of us are only a lost job or a breakdown in our support network away from our "normal" lives.

Marcy's strong spirit and determination to pursue her dreams despite circumstances also has a personal meaning for me. As a young artist having jobs on the road, I've also ended up living out of my car for short periods of time.

While preparing to get into the character of Marcy, I went to the Midnight Mission in downtown LA dressed as a homeless person. It was an intense experience. I didn't realize the scope of the homeless population in Los Angeles and how down and out some of these people truly are. I hope our film can touch people and help inspire the public to become more involved in helping the plight of the homeless.

Tara Walker