Actress Olivia Holt is living the American dream. Growing up in Nesbit, Mississippi, the outgoing, determined 15-year-old had a dream, reached for the stars and landed a role on Disney Channel’s hit show Kickin’ It. Now, Olivia is gearing up for the October premier of her starring role in the Disney Channel original movie, Girl vs. Monster. College Lifestyles caught up with the busy starlet to discuss her rise to fame, how she feels about Halloween and which Twilight star she’s crushin’ on! 

College Lifestyles: At a young age, you have already managed to snag a role on Disney’s Kickin’ It, as well as a starring role in the upcoming Disney Channel movie Girl vs. Monster. Congratulations on those achievements! Can you tell our readers about the audition process and how you came to be one of Disney’s next big rising stars?

Olivia Holt: It was funny. I was living in Mississippi at the time when I auditioned. So I put it on tape and sent it in. I got a call back, and I packed my bags and went out to California. I auditioned again, and I messed up on all of my lines. I flunked big time in that audition, and I was like, ‘Okay, well, that’s over. Let’s move on to the next.’ It was funny because I got another call back. I was like, ‘Okay, this is weird because I totally messed up on my last audition.’ So I went in again, and I probably auditioned maybe three, four times until I went in for my testing. Then about a week later, I booked it. I was in the car with my mom and my manager and my agent called me. They were like, ‘Guess what? You booked the role of Kim on Kickin’ It!” I could not stop smiling. Tears came to my eyes. I was so happy.

CL: Girl vs. Monster is a Halloween-themed movie. Tell us about your character and what she faces in the movie.

OH: I play Skylar Lewis, and she’s such a confident girl – so fearless. She doesn’t care what anyone else thinks, and I think that’s really cool about her. She’s such a great role model. But then halfway through the movie, she learns fear, and she has to learn how to overcome that fear. I think it’s really cool because she has gone 15 years without knowing what fear was or what the feeling of it was like. She doesn’t know how to accept the fact that she now has to learn how to face and overcome her fears. I really like that about her – that she’s learning along the way.

CL: Did you enjoy the filming process? Do you have any funny memories from being on set?

OH: I definitely enjoyed the filming process. Words cannot describe how much fun I had. The cast was so incredible, so talented, and I have some lifelong friends now from that set. The crew was so hardworking and so great to work with. We filmed up in Vancouver. So it was really cool to experience what it was like out there, and everyday was a new adventure. We all had so much fun, so many memories made. I remember every night, the cast and I would get together up in our hotel rooms. We’d play games and watch movies, and we had such a great time.

CL: Will you be celebrating Halloween this year and dressing up?

OH: Absolutely! Halloween is one of my favorite times of year because I love dressing up. I love going trick-or-treating – getting all the candy. It’s so much fun! All the traditions: carving pumpkins and decorating the house. I think it’s a really cool, fun time of year. You get to dress up and get all this candy in one night.

CL: What inspired you to pursue acting, and how did you get your career started?

OH: When I was really little, me and my older sister would put on little plays for my family, and we would sing in front of them. My mom saw how much I enjoyed it and how much she enjoyed it. So she took me and my sister to theater camp. It was really fun, and I had a great time doing it. It actually kind of worked out. My voice coach for singing took me to this convention in California, and I ended up finding my agent there. Then a couple years later, I ended up booking the role on Kickin’ It, and we moved out here. So it’s been an awesome journey.

CL:  What goals do you have for yourself? Fast-forward 5 years. Where do you see yourself?

OH: I’m actually starting to get into my music career. I want to pursue my music, and I want people to listen. I want to share with them what inspires me, and tell them my story through my music. I also want to be doing some feature films, working and learning new things and meeting new incredible people. I love this entire journey because it is all about learning and growing up. I think it’s really cool that I get to meet all these people who do all these different things.

CL: How important is it for you to set a good example for your fans?

OH: I think it’s incredibly important to set a good example. When I was growing up, I watched [Disney Channel] all the time, and I really looked up to Hilary Duff and Raven Symone. Their shows were my absolute, all-time favorites. Now, I’m on the Disney Channel, and I know that kids are watching my show and thinking the same thing. So it’s really important when I’m out and get stopped by a fan that I put on my best behavior. I think it’s really cool to see their reaction – how excited they are – because they watch my show. It makes me so happy. It makes me smile to know that people are really enjoying the things that I’m working on.

CL: With so many pressures and temptations amongst young adults these days, how would you encourage young men and women to stay out of trouble?

OH: People need to know that what’s right from wrong. They are confident and powerful enough to make a difference in this world. Our generation makes such a big impact and is so powerful at this time. I feel if people just have that happy-go-lucky, think-positive attitude then things will go a good way.

CL: Describe your personal style. Do you like to experiment when it comes to fashion or play it safe? Where do you like to shop?

OH: My fashion is kind of simple but at the same time it’s a little bit different. I love the fun of experimenting new things. I’m still kind of branching out into my style – still trying to find what I like or who I am or where I like to go. I definitely have a low-key style, where I throw on a cute T-shirt with some jeans and boots. But at the same time, when I’m out and about at events, I like to venture out a little bit. I absolutely love Free People, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie. I’m obsessed with those stores.

CL: What is your favorite thing to do to have fun?

OH: I love to go to theme parks. I’m a huge rollercoaster fan. So anytime that I can go to a theme park, I am so pumped for it. I love to go swimming. The beach is so much fun. I love hanging out with my friends. Sometimes I’m so busy working that I don’t really see them as often as I want to. So my friends like to get together and do fun things. Family time is always good. Every Friday night, me and my family go to the movies, and I’m not kidding when I say that – every Friday night. It’s really cool. I love it.

CL: Who do you dream of working with someday?

OH: Reese Witherspoon, hands down. She’s an incredible actress, and I think she’d be so much fun to work with. I’ve looked up to her for a very long time, and she’s like my inspiration. I love her.

CL: Celebrity crush?

OH: My celebrity crush is Cam Gigandet. He is gorgeous. Every time I see a picture of him I just want to meet him because I think he’s absolutely amazing.

CL: College Lifestyles prides itself on being classy, confident and chic. What is your definition of a classy individual?

OH: Confidence is definitely key. If you have your head up high and you’re smiling, then you know that you’re showing your true colors. When you’re showing you and you’re letting yourself shine, that’s how you show your classy individual self.

To keep up with all the great things Olivia is up to, follow her on Twitter @olivia_holt or “LIKE” her on Facebook!