There's a rule that seven-year-old Hallie Kate Eisenberg's parents adhere to when it comes to their daughter's straight-to-the-top show business career. Hallie knows the rule and mentions it often. The long hours, intensive work, and traveling are fine "as long as it's fun." And it certainly is. "I love everything about acting," Hallie said. "I like meeting so many people and I like just getting up there and doing it."
Hallie is known to millions of TV viewers as "The Pepsi Kid," the star of the "Joy of Cola" campaign of commercials marked by the voices of celebrities-Aretha Franklin, Joe Pesci, Marlon Brando, Isaac Hayes-emerging from her mouth as she demands her favorite beverage.
"I say the lines," she explained, "and they put the voices in later." She speaks in her own voice at the beginning of the ads and throughout one with racing car driver Jeff Gordon. Her newest Pepsi spots debuted during the Oscar Awards telecast.
Hollywood's Young Artist Awards recently named her "Outstanding Young Performer in a TV Commercial," a top honor.
This past year, she acted in the feature films The Insider, Bicentennial Man, and Beautiful. And she shot commercials for the Independent Film Channel with Matt Damon, Janeane Garofolo, and Ed Norton.
How did all of this happen? Where does a career like this fit into a seven-year-old's life?
Her father, Barry, explains that his wife, Amy, acted in community theatre for years and founded a drama program in their New Jersey town's public schools. Hallie's older brother Jesse, 16, performed in school and community theatre. He has done musical theatre and is a principal on Fox TV's Get Real ("Wednesdays at 9," Hallie loyally points out. She has appeared on the show, too).
Hallie's commercial agent Bonnie Shumofsky, director of the commercials section of Abrams Artists' children and young adults division, recalls that one day her client, Jesse, was at her office with his mother and kid sister. Shumofsky was struck by Hallie's dimples, charm, and overall look, and asked to send her out too. Hallie's first job was a commercial for a Nickelodeon children's program, Blue's Clues. "She's booked work ever since. She also has two film agents at Abrams-Wendy Green and Ellen Gilbert.
"Hallie is a phenomenon," said Shumofsky. "She can look at sides and have the lines down in no time." More often, said Hallie, "they [the directors] tell me what to do and I just do it." She's learned most of what she knows on the job.
Shumofsky advises parents whose children want to perform to send photos. "For young children, a snapshot is fine. It often conveys more of the child's real personality than a professional headshot."
"Perfect looks" are not necessary. "I get calls for kids with braces, for chubby kids. Be honest. Headshots must reflect reality. Even a haircut calls for a new picture."
The one no-no, Shumofsky stressed, is "when you can see a child performing only because the parent wants it, rather than the child naturally enjoying it. That shows. It doesn't work."
The Eisenbergs are determined to avoid that. Hallie attends public school in New Jersey, though "sometimes I leave early for auditions." SAG requires children's auditions be held no earlier than 3 p.m., but many are held then. When Hallie's away or working during the school day, she studies with a tutor who receives assignments and exams from Hallie's school.
"She gets the best of both worlds academically," said Barry. "Personal attention and regular school life." While away, Hallie stays in touch with her friends back home via phone and e-mail. She says she loves rollerblading and "speed basketball pole climbing," a hobby she developed on her own.
Intermittently, Hallie sits in on classes at Acting Creatively, a children's drama school in New York. It stresses improvisation and use of the imagination to build character.
When she's not working, she is recognized everywhere. "People yell, "There's "the Pepsi kid,'" she said with delight. "We make sure she's never alone," said Barry, "but we go out normally." His work as CEO of a healthcare management firm "can be done anywhere, with a computer and a phone," so the family is together often. "We're close," he said.
Asked how she'd describe film sets to other kids, Hallie said, "Lots of lights and cameras and a lot of nice people." Meeting new people is one of her favorite parts of this life.
"A child who performs must be able to adjust to new people and situations on the spot, and love that, or it won't work," said Shumofsky.
Which brings us back to The Rule. "This is great," said Barry, "But Hallie knows if it's ever not fun anymore, if she feels forced to work, she can speak up and that's that." Right now, she bubbles over describing her grand adventure. It's lots of fun.