Born in Tennessee and raised in Northern Indiana, Audrey Grey Whitby is best known for the comedy musical So Random. She also appeared in the comedy-drama The Thundermans, the comedic The Standoff, and the sketch comedy Betch! Audrey started acting when she was six in community theatre and started auditioning in Chicago when she was eight. She moved to Los Angeles when she was 13 and began working on shows for Disney and Nickelodeon along with several national commercials. In Crackle’s original On the In the Vault, Audrey is Jane Sidorova, a manipulative college co-ed with a troubled past.
You’ve played lighter roles. What drew you to this dark series?
Audrey: It’s funny. I came from Paramount playing Cherry on the Thundermans series, which was filmed in Salt Lake City. In the Vault was a sharp left turn but I love a challenge. I think the insecurity I had coming from the sit-com world and going into teen drama really suited Jane’s character.
Did you audition for the role of Jane? If so, what was that like?
Audrey: I did audition for the role and I was immediately drawn to the script. I’ve always loved true crime and murder mysteries, which my family and I watch a lot. The audition process was great. Ben Epstein, our creator/writer was in the room and we connected. I read with him and that really helped me get into the mind of Jane.
How did you prepare for playing such a manipulative girl with an evil-seductive streak?
Audrey: My family always joked that for my short acting career, my body count is incredibly high. I’ve done a couple of Lifetime movies and the bodies are starting to add up. A real psychopath believes they are truly vindicated in their actions. So I play them as truly innocent because they believe that they are. I tried not to pay too close attention to Jane’s motives when filming the first episode and only give in to that for the final scene.
Jane’s psycho-weird relationship with Karlis is fascinating to watch. How did you react when you read that in the script?
Audrey: Her relationship with Taylor vs. Karlis alludes to her duplicity—the two sides of Jane. At first, Jane wants a fresh start. She doesn’t want to tap into that side of herself. But when she realizes how powerful it is, she leans into Karlis. She sees him as an enabler. Whether he is or not, we’ll see in Season 2.
What’s the biggest challenge you faced in the first Season?
Audrey: Well, it was freezing. We had small dresses and lots of space heaters. There were long shoots but it gave us time to get to know each other. It was like a college experience for me. But as I mentioned earlier, there was some insecurity for me, coming from a traditional sitcom background to a single-camera teen drama. I wasn’t that secure about that side of myself. But Ben, Charles Hood, and really everyone involved supported me and made me feel very confident. They all helped me get over that hurdle, which essentially mirrors Jane’s experience. So I used that.
Can you go into your favorite scenes or episodes?
Audrey: In the second episode, there’s that great sequence that kind of surrounds Jane. She’d torn out some of Liv’s diary and we hear the narration behind it. I’m so used to hitting my mark and my beats and getting my jokes off the ground. But to show a thought process through expressions was really fun for me. There are also so many great one-shots—like the one in the cafeteria where they’re meeting everyone. There’s also a great one shot in the hallway when the detectives arrive. Those were incredible because they were so specific and we rehearsed them and they came out beautifully.
Wallace is an interesting and mysterious character with a shady past. Will he and Jane ever get together?
Audrey: Ooooh. There is possibly a new love interest for Jane in Season 2. I can’t give away too much but Wallace is definitely back and there is a bit of a Bonnie and Clyde action but I can’t say between who. But I think Wallace is an incredibly interesting character. What’s also interesting is the way Ben gave these characters true depth with understandable motives.
What can we expect in Season 2?
Audrey: Well, the Season 2 trailer is downright awesome and creepy. What I can say is that there are a couple of new students at Woodlawn High who are trying to get to the truth. Will they? We don’t know but Jane is back with the Taylor-Karlis love triangle. Will everyone figure out Jane’s secret?
You’ve played a wide range of roles in a ton of TV shows. What have you learned about working in this business that truly surprised you?
Audrey: I’ve been working since I was 14. I think what surprised me is that every new production is almost like a summer camp. You meet a whole new group of people. But you do run into some familiar faces. And I was surprised at how you can instantaneously click with people. It doesn’t matter what new setting or crew you face. I find that people are so supportive and great. And you just collaborate and grow close to so many people. We do long hours and night shoots. You learn that the production people in a small town where you’re shooting know and run the town.
Any advice for young actors eager to break into TV?
Audrey: You really have to disassociate yourself with the idea of rejection. I don’t know whether I have psychopathic tendencies like Jane (laughs) or if I’ve just separated myself from the idea of not taking rejection personally. After doing this for over ten years, you learn that there are so many reasons why you don’t hear back and don’t get the role. And it rarely comes down to skill, ability, or talent. Writers have certain ideas about the people they have in mind for the role. The best thing you can do is not to try and be what they want but to be your version of the role. Even if it’s not their vision, at least you’re strengthening yourself as a performer.
What were you like in high school? The girl most likely to…?
Audrey: Oh God. I’ve always been clumsy, dorky and kind of a floater. I get along with everybody. My high school experience was on set with sitcoms and sketch comedy in general. I grew up on the Disney lot wearing a mustache and dressed as a sailor. I was just the girl who didn’t take things too seriously and most likely wearing a fake mustache.
In the Vault season two premieres on August 18th
Alex A. Kecskes is a published author of "Healer a Novel" and "The Search for Dr. Noble"—both now available on Amazon. He has written hundreds of film reviews and celebrity interviews for a wide variety of online and print outlets. He has covered red carpet premieres and Comic-Con events for major films and independent releases.
