By Julia Oudiz
Online Features Editor
Game, set, action! Costa senior Lena Nagy played her way to fame in a United States Tennis Association commercial for the US Open.
The United States Tennis Association, USTA, made a commercial starring Nagy and other tennis players to show viewers that people of all ages can play tennis, Nagy said. The Commercial aired internationally during the US open from August 29th to September 11th and is no longer airing on TV.
“I agreed to do the commercial because I thought it would be fun and I got paid to do it,” Nagy said. “I like tennis and I thought it would be really cool to be on TV.
Link: Watch a USTA commercial similar to Nagy’s commercial
According to Nagy, her mother saw and opening online for a commercial with the requirement of tennis experience and signed up the family for an interview. Before landing the deal, Nagy drove to Hollywood, where she then met the two casting directors of the commercial for an interview. The directors then asked her to show them her tennis technique, such as how she hits a forehand.
“I was nervous at first because it was my first real audition but the casting directors were really nice and welcoming,” Nagy said. “They wanted to hear our favorite tennis story so they could make us more comfortable, which I thought was really nice.”
The commercial was filmed in May at the StubHub Center and aired in between matches of the Open. According to Nagy, throughout commercial, one player hits a shot and the screen goes to to another player. The catchphrase and the message to viewers was “find yourself in the game.”
Link: Read more about Nagy’s successes at playing tennis
“I think the commercial turned out really well and conveyed the message of the commercial that anyone can play tennis no matter who you are,” Nagy said.
According to Nagy, there were at least twenty people on set controlling the cameras and filming people playing tennis. Her favorite part of being in the commercial was that the USTA chose an outfit for her and the different shots they took, she said.
“The set was really cool and I was impressed,” Nagy said. “This was my first real experience on a professional set and it was nice to see how everyone worked together.”
During the commercial, Nagy and other players were hitting strokes through a series of short shots and rapid motion. Although Nagy’s mother received a role in the commercial, the directors decided to cut her mother out last minute because they did not have a good scene, Nagy said.
“The commercial was great because it showed that everyone can play tennis,” Nagy said. “It’s not limited to age or size and that we can create a whole community.”
Link: Watch Nagy’s USTA commercial
According to Nagy, she does not plan on acting any time in the future for a commercial because she does not want to pursue a career in the film industry. However, she hopes to continue playing tennis throughout high school and college.
“When I saw myself on TV, I was really excited because I finally got to see how the entire thing looked on the screen,” Nagy said. “It was a really cool process to be a part of and I’m happy I took part in it.”
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