Between recording dialogue for "Sofia the First: The
Secret Library" and getting ready to take her College Boards in real life,
Ariel Winter has really been hitting the books lately.
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"I just took the SAT yesterday," Ariel admitted
during a recent phone interview. "Which — I have to admit — kind of
freaked me out."
But given that Alex Dunphy (i.e., the character that Alex
plays on ABC's "Modern Family") just went through this exact same
thing last season on that Emmy Award-winning sitcom … Well, Winter finds it
oddly familiar to now be visiting campuses and filling out her college
applications in real life.
"I'm in my senior year at Campbell Hall. I and the
other 150 students in my class have 'til the end of this year to finish writing
our college entrance essays and then send in our applications. After that, we
all just wait 'til March to find out which schools actually accepted us,"
Ariel continued. "Me? I'm concentrating on colleges that have a good
Poli-Sci program so that I can then take all of the classes that are required
for law school."
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Why law school? Given how transient working in the
entertainment industry can often be, Winter feels that it's important to have
skills in other fields as well. Not as a back-up plan per se. But rather to be
able to grow as a person and a professional.
"I've always wanted to do something in the social
sciences arena. Plus I love history. And given that I have always been good at
arguing, I just thought that that skill might come in handy if I were to ever
become a lawyer," Ariel laughed.
Mind you, the real irony here is — given that, the entire
time she was taking classes at Campbell Hall, Winter was working on
"Modern Family" AND "Sofia the First" — Ariel is the one
young actor out there who doesn't actually seem to need a back-up plan.
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"I've been working in this business for over a decade
now. One of my very first job was for Disney. I voiced one of Thumper's sisters
on 'Bambi II.' I followed that one up with a Cartoon Network series called 'Tickle
U.' I was doing voiceover work long
before I ever appeared on camera," Ariel recalled.
But then came "Sofia the First" (which Disney
Junior not only renewed for a fourth season back in April but they also have a
spin-off series, "Elena of Avalor," already in production). And from
the moment Winter got the script that she'd be using to audition for this
animated series, Ariel knew that "Sofia"
was going to be something special.
"You have to understand that — when I first auditioned
for this show — I only had part of the script. Just my sides," Winter
explained. "But based on what I was reading, I could immediately see that Sofia
was going to be a very different Disney Princess. One that both little girls
and little boys would be able to embrace."
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And speaking of princesses that little boys like … Merida,
the fierce, red-haired heroine from Pixar's "Brave" will be putting
in an appearance in "Sofia the
First: The Secret Library." This four-part story arc begin on Monday,
October 12th at 9 a.m. ET/PT.
"And what's really great about 'The Secret Library' is
that this is the episode where (SPOILER ALERT!) Sofia
becomes the Storykeeper. This introduces a whole new element to the show.
Because — from here on in — Sofia's going to be able to magically enter
storybooks and then finish all of these novels & tales, kicking butt and
saving whoever needs saving," Ariel enthused. "I also love that this
new element of 'Sofia the First' is
set in a library because I love books."
Speaking of books … To help support
this particular set of "Sofia
the First" episodes, Disney Publishing Worldwide has released an illustrated
storybook & e-book version of "The Secret Library." Not only
that, but a "Secret Library" game went
live on the WATCH Disney Junior website earlier this month.
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"And while all of that stuff is cool — likewise all of the 'Sofia the First' merchandise
I see whenever I visit a Disney theme park or stop by my local Disney Store —
you want to know what I really like best about voicing Sofia? It's when my
niece introduces me to one of her little friends and then says that my Dooda —
she calls me Dooda — is the voice of Sofia
the First. It's always fun to watch a little kid try and process that
information," Winter stated.
This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Sunday, October 11, 2015