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1.) We’re very excited to have some time today with acclaimed actress Ana Sharp; greetings and salutations Ana and thanks for taking time out of a busy schedule to chat with us here at Vents Magazine! Before we dive down the Q&A rabbit hole, how is the latter-half of 2026 finding you and yours?
Salutations! I am also very excited to talk with you today! The end of 2026 has been a wild roller coaster ride. Since Rise and Shine’s premiere in Kansas City last month my team and I have been going non-stop promoting the film. We’ve been spreading the word through social media, of course, but even to my teachers from high school and college, and especially to the disability community.
2.) Major kudos and accolades on your star turn in the eagerly anticipated feature film RISE AND SHINE which is set to wow audiences when it premieres theatrically through AMC Theaters this October 23! Starting at the top, can you explain to our ever-inquisitive readers what Rise and Shine is about and how your character of ‘Terri’ figures into the proceedings?
The late Terri Ledbetter is who the story is about. She was a young woman with cerebral palsy and a developmental disability. She had been home schooled her whole life and wanted to go to high school her senior year. Terri wanted to make a best friend and dreamed of having a date to the prom. She brought joy and light to the world while experiencing new things with unstoppable optimism and bravery. Rise and Shine was inspired by the memoir Remembering Terri by her loving mama Janice Steele after Terri passed in 2015.
3.) You share a similarity to your role as Terri in Rise and Shine in that you also live with cerebral palsy and a developmental disability. Did this parallel help you as far as understanding the character and parts of her life? Were these similarities a real lifeline that you could tap into and draw from for your incredible performance?
I can honestly say that having CP and a developmental disability did help me understand Terri and dive deeper to know the different parts of her life better. Growing up I had many challenges and sometimes felt like people didn’t include me. Sometimes I didn’t feel like I was being seen as a person, but as the person with a disability only.
They sure were similarities, because I felt like I could understand some of Terri’s struggles. I didn’t have to fake those feelings.
4.) Rise and Shine is special for many reasons, chief among them being that it represents your feature film debut – WOW and super-congrats on this awesome achievement! What made Rise and Shine the perfect motion picture for you as an actress to commit to for your first moviemaking experience?
Having a cast filled with disabled actors who got to bring their own lived experiences to their characters made my first film experience amazing. Everybody on set was supportive, inclusive, and kind.
5.) Your director on Rise and Shine is the amazing Laura Somers! What was it like collaborating with Laura on this new film? Is she what some actors might refer to as ‘an actor’s director’?
Working with Laura was the best! She is the most patient, kind, and caring director ever. I am so lucky that my first movie was with her and not some old grump who was screaming at everyone. Ha ha. She was so calm and made everyone feel that way even on the most hectic days of shooting the film.
6.) Speaking of collaborations, you act opposite of an incredible ensemble of actors in Rise and Shine such as Rachel Bay Jones, Jordan Walker Ross, Addison Landes, Danny Burstein, Shanica Knowles and Analesa Fisher among others! What was it like exercising your own considerable acting chops alongside this talented lot of thespians?
Absolutely, the cast was incredible! I’ll tell you a little secret. I wasn’t nervous about working with the other actors because everyone was so supportive and I had to my own work to focus on anyway. I feel like I had good chemistry with everyone, but especially with my friend Analesa Fisher who played Terri’s friend Amanda. It felt like having a real best friend on set with me.
7.) In your humble opinion, what differentiates Rise and Shine from anything else currently on the theatrical movie scene?
One of the things that makes Rise and Shine special is the Magical Realism sprinkled throughout it. It’s how Terri sees the world. So, maybe the world needs to be a little bit more like Terri.
8.) In the wake of the upcoming October 23 release of Rise and Shine, are you already eyeing other movies and television productions to act in? And would you consider working on the stage, too?
Honestly, I’d be interested in all kinds of acting work. Being on a TV series like Gilmore Girls, Vampire Diaries, or movie series like Descendents, or The Fast and The Furious would be a dream come true. And, yes, I would love to work on-stage again. I was just in Peter and the Star Catcher with EPIC Players L.A. and I can’t wait to do another play.
9.) Who are some of the folks – both in and out of the industry – who have served as inspirations for you?
I started watching Emma Watson in the Harry Potter movies as a kid. Seeing her in those movies made me want to become an actor. Now she’s an advocate for important things like gender equality and education for girls. I want to become an advocate for people with disabilities. I think that is really important. I am also inspired by Taylor Swift. Not only do I love her music, but I love her message of kindness and compassion. She wants to bring people together and I want to do the same.
10.) When you’re not dazzling audiences with your beautiful acting skills, what do you enjoy doing just for yourself?
I have a bunch of hobbies, like making art, singing, binging TV shows, and playing soccer. I also love hanging out with friends and spending time with a special guy.
11.) At the end of the day, what do you hope moviegoers walk away with after checking out your feature film debut, Rise and Shine?
I really hope that the audience sees how people like Terri have voices that should be heard. Their real stories should get told. I want the audience to know that people with disabilities have lives with meaning and value in this world.
