Page 14 - MidWeek - January 18, 2023

14 MIDWEEK JANUARY 18, 2023
Delighted about her role in the mermaid-inspired short film Ocean Child, MJoy Tuck is discovering that real life is sometimes better than fairy-“tails.”
ermaids de- local girl Joy Tuck. In the to film so many beauti- ognition from the Los An- scended on underwater world of the ful shots here at Kāhala geles Film Awards, Milan the shores fictional School of Mer- Beach. The drone footage Gold Awards, New York
of O‘ahu last year, and maidology & Neptunism, of me swimming in a mer- Movie Awards and Holly-
if you’ re worried about missed opportunities to witness such grandeur, don’t sweat it — there will be a chance to view these water nymphs soon enough. The aquat- ic troupe was part of the cast of Ocean Child, and they’re excited to an- nounce that the movie will start the Academy Awards qualifying film festival cir- cuit next month.
Joy and her friends wel- come new mermaids to the campus.
maid tail was challenging but so much fun.”
wood Gold Awards.
Joy dove into the in-
Part of the pod is a mer- child named Joy, who fit- tingly enough is played by
“I loved being a mer- maid of course,” says the 12-year-old, who’s appeared in mainstream shows like General Hos- pital, Jane the Virgin and Henry Danger. “But I es- pecially loved being able
“She’s the youngest of four, and the only adopt- ed child,” notes Debbie,
Debbie and Larry Tuck adopted Joy when she was just 5 days old.
PHOTO COURTESY DEBBIE TUCK
Ocean Child was filmed in Plymouth, Massachu- setts, and on the white- sand shores of Kāhala Beach, where the real-life actress feels right at home.
Joy — who’s represent- ed by Kathy Muller Talent & Modeling Agency here in Hawai‘i and Amsel, Eisenstadt, Frazier & Hi- nojosa Inc. in Los Ange- les — was part of Ocean Child’s original iteration, titled Wish Upon A Starfish (2017). The producers and writers redid that script and screenplay, a move that was met with much fanfare. Already, Ocean Child has garnered rec-
dustry at age 6, quick- ly immersing herself in a career that’s spanned short films, TV shows and commercials. (To find her full résumé, visit imdb. me/joytuck.) But even be- fore that, adoptive parents Debbie and Larry noticed there was something spe- cial about their little girl.
SEE PAGE 15