Tessa Ludwick
Encyclopedia
Tessa Ludwick is a Korean American
actress from Apollo Beach, Florida
. She began acting at age five, when she held a lead role in Allegra's Window
, a Nick Jr. children's television program
show taped at Universal Studios
in Orlando, Florida
. When filming on Allegra's Window ended in May 1996, seven-year-old Ludwick went from Allegra's Window to a lead role in Big Bag
, a live action television puppet program for preschoolers on the Cartoon Network
. At 8, she landed the role of Kate, an orphan girl in the touring Broadway musical Annie, the 20th Anniversary. For the next eight months, she toured the United States and Canada with the musical, during which time Ludwick gave eight performances per week.
In 2003, Ludwick appeared as the character Yumi in thirteen
, an autobiographical drama film
based on American film actress Nikki Reed
's experiences as a 12 and 13-year-old girl. In 2004, Ludwick appeared on Movie Surfers
, a Disney Channel
mini-show where four teenagers go behind the scenes to report on Walt Disney-related films. Three years later in June 2007, Ludwick began work on Teen Witch The Musical, a stage musical based on the 1989
fantasy
-comedy film
Teen Witch
.
In the summer of 1994 at age five, Ludwick spent time reading books but took time off to go to Six Flags Over Georgia
, a 230 acre (0.9307778 km²) theme park
located west of Atlanta
, in Austell
. In September of that year, Ludwick attended the first grade at Apollo Beach Elementary
. While attending Apollo Beach Elementary, Ludwick held a lead role in Allegra's Window
, a children's television program
shown taped at Universal Studios
in Orlando, Florida
and shown on U.S. television programming block Nick Jr.
When filming on Allegra's Window ended in May 1996, seven-year-old Ludwick began a lead role in Big Bag
, a live action television puppet program for preschoolers that was produced by Sesame Workshop
and aired from 1996
to 1998
on the Cartoon Network
.
production of Annie
.
The Annie, the 20th Anniversary tour spanned the United States and Canada
from October 1997 through June 1998, during which time Ludwick gave eight performances per week. The Buffalo News
noted that her November 1997 performance as the orphan girl Kate at Buffalo, New York
's Shea's Performing Arts Center
crafted a personality for the character whose "naturalness [far exceeded] that of the original Broadway cast." Characterized at that time as "bright, bubbly and [bringing] a sparkle wherever she goes," Ludwick additionally made the honor roll in Hillsborough County
's program for gifted students
in 1998. A year later, Ludwick became a spokesperson for Kids with a Cause
, a youth organization based in California dedicated to improving the quality of life of children who suffer from poverty
, lack of education
, or health-related issues.
When she was 13, Ludwick played the character Yumi in thirteen
, a 2003
autobiographical drama film
based on American film actress Nikki Reed
's experiences as a 12 and 13-year-old girl. About a year later, Ludwick appeared on Movie Surfers
, a Disney Channel
mini-show where four teenagers go behind the scenes to report on Walt Disney-related films.
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
actress from Apollo Beach, Florida
Apollo Beach, Florida
Apollo Beach is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 14,055 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Apollo Beach is located at ....
. She began acting at age five, when she held a lead role in Allegra's Window
Allegra's Window
Allegra's Window is a children's television series that aired on Nick Jr. from July 12, 1994 to May 1, 1996, with reruns airing from May 2, 1996 to August 30, 2000 and later airing on Noggin from February 2, 1999 to April 2003...
, a Nick Jr. children's television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
show taped at Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. When filming on Allegra's Window ended in May 1996, seven-year-old Ludwick went from Allegra's Window to a lead role in Big Bag
Big Bag
Big Bag was a live action television puppet program for preschoolers that was produced by The Jim Henson Company and aired from 1996 to 1998 on the Cartoon Network. There were also localized versions for Canal J in France and Yorkshire Television in the UK.-Plot:The principle Muppet character was...
, a live action television puppet program for preschoolers on the Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
. At 8, she landed the role of Kate, an orphan girl in the touring Broadway musical Annie, the 20th Anniversary. For the next eight months, she toured the United States and Canada with the musical, during which time Ludwick gave eight performances per week.
In 2003, Ludwick appeared as the character Yumi in thirteen
Thirteen (film)
Thirteen is a 2003 American drama film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and written by Hardwicke and Nikki Reed, the film's co-star. The film also stars Evan Rachel Wood and Holly Hunter. It is a semi-autobiographical film inspired by Reed's life at age 12 and 13 with Wood's character "Tracy" being...
, an autobiographical drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
based on American film actress Nikki Reed
Nikki Reed
Nicole Houston "Nikki" Reed is an American film and television actress, and screenwriter. She became known in 2003, after the release of the film Thirteen, for which she co-wrote the screenplay. Reed has since appeared in several films, including Lords of Dogtown and Mini's First Time...
's experiences as a 12 and 13-year-old girl. In 2004, Ludwick appeared on Movie Surfers
Movie Surfers
Movie Surfers is a Disney Channel mini-show, that now appears in commercial-like form, where teenagers go behind the scenes of Walt Disney-related films. It started out as a TV special that would air when a new Disney movie came out. It was about teenagers communicating with each other via webcams...
, a Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
mini-show where four teenagers go behind the scenes to report on Walt Disney-related films. Three years later in June 2007, Ludwick began work on Teen Witch The Musical, a stage musical based on the 1989
1989 in film
-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
fantasy
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
-comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
Teen Witch
Teen Witch
Teen Witch is a 1989 fantasy teen comedy film starring Robyn Lively. It was originally pitched as a female version of the 1985 Teen Wolf, although it later was reworked and turned into a film of its own...
.
Early career
Tessa Ludwick was born October 5, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. Ludwick's career began at age two and a half when Ludwick saw a television advertisement about modeling and begged her mother to call the number. Her modeling led to acting roles.In the summer of 1994 at age five, Ludwick spent time reading books but took time off to go to Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
, a 230 acre (0.9307778 km²) theme park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
located west of Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, in Austell
Austell, Georgia
Austell is a city in Cobb County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,581.-History:Austell used to be known as Salt Springs, and was frequented by hunters who would trap and hunt game on their way to the salt licks. Some enterprising hunters claimed...
. In September of that year, Ludwick attended the first grade at Apollo Beach Elementary
Apollo Beach, Florida
Apollo Beach is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 14,055 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Apollo Beach is located at ....
. While attending Apollo Beach Elementary, Ludwick held a lead role in Allegra's Window
Allegra's Window
Allegra's Window is a children's television series that aired on Nick Jr. from July 12, 1994 to May 1, 1996, with reruns airing from May 2, 1996 to August 30, 2000 and later airing on Noggin from February 2, 1999 to April 2003...
, a children's television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
shown taped at Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and shown on U.S. television programming block Nick Jr.
When filming on Allegra's Window ended in May 1996, seven-year-old Ludwick began a lead role in Big Bag
Big Bag
Big Bag was a live action television puppet program for preschoolers that was produced by The Jim Henson Company and aired from 1996 to 1998 on the Cartoon Network. There were also localized versions for Canal J in France and Yorkshire Television in the UK.-Plot:The principle Muppet character was...
, a live action television puppet program for preschoolers that was produced by Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop , is a Worldwide American non-profit organization behind the production of several educational children's programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world...
and aired from 1996
1996 in television
The year 1996 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1996.For the American TV schedule, see: 1996-97 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
to 1998
1998 in television
The year 1998 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.For the American TV schedule, see: 1998–99 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
on the Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
.
Television, Broadway, and film
Ludwick was drawn away in 1997 from Big Bag to act in the role of Kate in Annie, the 20th Anniversary, the Broadway musical on tour revival of the 1977 Broadway theatreBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of Annie
Annie (musical)
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
.
The Annie, the 20th Anniversary tour spanned the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
from October 1997 through June 1998, during which time Ludwick gave eight performances per week. The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News is the primary newspaper of the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area, and the area's only daily newspaper. It is the only newspaper owned by Berkshire Hathaway.-History:...
noted that her November 1997 performance as the orphan girl Kate at Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
's Shea's Performing Arts Center
Shea's Performing Arts Center
Shea's Performing Arts Center is a theater for touring Broadway musicals and special events in Buffalo, New York. Originally called Shea's Buffalo, it was opened in 1926 to show silent movies. It took one year to build the entire theatre...
crafted a personality for the character whose "naturalness [far exceeded] that of the original Broadway cast." Characterized at that time as "bright, bubbly and [bringing] a sparkle wherever she goes," Ludwick additionally made the honor roll in Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
's program for gifted students
Gifted education
Gifted education is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented...
in 1998. A year later, Ludwick became a spokesperson for Kids with a Cause
Kids with a Cause
Kids with a Cause was founded by Linda Finnegan in September 1999, to teach the principles and practices of philanthropy to today's youth through interactive programs...
, a youth organization based in California dedicated to improving the quality of life of children who suffer from poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
, lack of education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, or health-related issues.
When she was 13, Ludwick played the character Yumi in thirteen
Thirteen (film)
Thirteen is a 2003 American drama film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and written by Hardwicke and Nikki Reed, the film's co-star. The film also stars Evan Rachel Wood and Holly Hunter. It is a semi-autobiographical film inspired by Reed's life at age 12 and 13 with Wood's character "Tracy" being...
, a 2003
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
autobiographical drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
based on American film actress Nikki Reed
Nikki Reed
Nicole Houston "Nikki" Reed is an American film and television actress, and screenwriter. She became known in 2003, after the release of the film Thirteen, for which she co-wrote the screenplay. Reed has since appeared in several films, including Lords of Dogtown and Mini's First Time...
's experiences as a 12 and 13-year-old girl. About a year later, Ludwick appeared on Movie Surfers
Movie Surfers
Movie Surfers is a Disney Channel mini-show, that now appears in commercial-like form, where teenagers go behind the scenes of Walt Disney-related films. It started out as a TV special that would air when a new Disney movie came out. It was about teenagers communicating with each other via webcams...
, a Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
mini-show where four teenagers go behind the scenes to report on Walt Disney-related films.