Bradenton Tween Heats Up the Kitchen in Hollywood Culinary Competition Show

LOS ANGELES, CA, April 5, 2016 (Newswire.com) -  Eleven-year-old Olivia Grace Esparra is a natural born performer and never misses a chance to impress an audience. Now living in Los Angeles, the precocious Sarasota-Bradenton native is living her dreams and making a name for herself in Hollywood. 

Esparra loves to be on stage. At 3 years old, she began dancing at the Dance Theater of Bradenton and performed in the school’s annual Nutcracker ballet. She attended elementary school at Rowlett Academy for Arts and Communication and was a member of the school’s performing dance crew. At Rowlett, she also played violin and enjoyed drama classes. Esparra moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 2014 with her mom and brother in hopes of pursing her dreams of acting, dancing and modeling. It didn’t take long for her to show up on the Hollywood scene. She nailed her first audition and within a few months she landed a spot on the LA competition team of the Abby Lee Dance Company from the hit show Dance Moms. She booked a commercial, a webisode on the popular website Refinery 29, and extra jobs on several shows, including ABC’s Fresh off the Boat.

Her biggest and most exciting job came in the fall of 2015 when she was cast on the second season of FYI Television Network’s culinary competition series, Man vs. Child: Chef Showdown. On each episode, the team of child cooking prodigies will challenge a prolific executive-level chef in the kitchen, where they will defend their culinary abilities. 

Esparra is no stranger to the kitchen; she's been cooking and baking with her mom since she was old enough to handle a whisk.  At 2 years old she started using an easy-bake oven and by 4 she was already rolling out her own gingerbread and helping with family dinners. She credits her late grandmother for inspiring her passion for cooking Latin foods. She's proud of her diverse heritage and says her favorite things to cook are Puerto Rican dishes, green chili enchiladas and home-style meals such as meatloaf.

Despite having agency representation, many of her bookings have been the result of her mother's persistence in submitting on her behalf. Esparra's mother, Andria Wendell, a West Virginia native and formerly of Bradenton has learned to navigate the competitive business and says she enjoys advocating for her daughter. "It's a tedious process of sifting through casting notices and submitting to the right projects," she says, "but eventually the auditions start coming in and it gets exciting. Callback notices and bookings make it all worthwhile".

Although she has her mother with her for support, Esparra is strong enough to handle the pressure of auditions. "Sometimes I'm nervous on the inside but I never let it show," says the spirited 6th grader. "I just keep showing up and keep doing my best. I know if I work hard enough, I'll get the good jobs." This mature and independent attitude coupled with her fiery yet adorable personality make her stand out in auditions. "I am confident at my auditions. I think the casting agents like that", says Esparra.

Esparra's grandparents, Herbert and Gabriela Wendell, of Bradenton, never doubted her ability to make it in Hollywood. They've entertained countless hours of her variety shows and attended all of her Bradenton dance performances and school plays. "We never had a doubt that she would make her mark in Hollywood," say her grandparents, whom she fondly refers to as Papa and Nana.

In addition to her love and passion for food, Esparra is excited for her future in film, commercial, and print. She takes acting classes to refine her art and enjoys practicing her memorization skills by reciting monologues. Esparra recently began modeling for print ads. She says her favorite part about modeling is being on different locations, wearing fun wardrobes and getting her hair and makeup done by professionals. She has an audition for Nike this weekend and hopes to book her first major ad.

Esparra has fallen in love with Tinsel town. "I absolutely love it here,” she said. “I miss my friends and family, but L.A. is amazing. The mountains and the Pacific Coast are beautiful. The weather is perfect all the time, there's great shopping, tons of shows, concerts, museums, and the most delicious food!”

For now, Esparra says acting is her hobby. She loves middle school and aspires to be a neonatologist but also has a natural proclivity for sales. "She's charming and assertive", says her mother, "she has a great future ahead of her no matter what career she chooses. Her family is incredibly proud of her".

To see Olivia in action as she and her team compete against LA’s most experienced executive chefs, tune in to Season 2 of Man vs. Child: Chef Showdown on Thursdays at 8/7c on FYI Television Network.

Check your local listings for additional times. For more information about the show, visit FYI Network's webpage and click the link to the show Man vs. Child: Chef Showdown. Follow Olivia on Twitter @TheChefOlivia. 

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