Cymphonique rocks on ‘How to Rock’
Hollywood by Choice
Cymphonique might not be a household name right now, but give her time; she’s got the makings of a superstar.
Sixteen-year-old Cymphonique Miller is the daughter of businessman, music mogul and philanthropist Percy Miller and sister of Romeo Miller. But she didn’t use her connections to get the starring role on Nickelodeon’s new live-action comedy series “How to Rock.”
She decided not to tell the producers during her audition who she was related to, opting to trust in her own skills as a singer, dancer and actress.
Not new to television or the music world, Cymphonique is busy carving out a place for herself in Hollywood. She’s appeared in several Nick series, including “Big Time Rush,” “True Jackson VP,” “Just Jordan,” and “The Troop.”
Now the 16-year-old stars as Kacey Simon in “How to Rock” as a once perfect “mean girl” who falls out of favor with the in-crowd after she has to get glasses and braces. She discovers that hanging with a new group of friends may not be as bad as it first seemed.
“How to Rock” shows our audience that everyone holds an inner-coolness, regardless of appearance or social circle,” says Marjorie Cohn, Nickelodeon’s president, Development and Original Programming. “Although Kacey is forced to fall out of the in-crowd, she rocks her true self and soon proves that being ‘perfect’ is no longer cool.”
Cymphonique says she loves “How to Rock” and it is definitely a dream job. She says her father told her prior to this big break “don’t get into it for fame or money because you’ll never be happy.
Do it because you love it, and because it’s your passion.” She added, “Just something that he’s always instilled into my brother and I is just ‘always make sure you keep your priorities right; we just keep God, family and education, those are our top three things.”
Cymphonique says she doesn’t see herself as a role model, but the popularity of “How to Rock” will surely thrust her into the hearts and minds of young girls wanting to emulate her. The good news is she’s just as dynamic off camera as she is on screen.
Another one of her passions is helping others and giving back to the community. She has created a book series to empower young girls called Fabulous Girls and founded a Fabulous Girls charity to help bring support and awareness to kids with cancer.
Cymphonique takes her career seriously. She says it’s about what you do when you go home. “I practice singing and dancing. I actually have a microphone and speaker system in my room, and I have my acoustic guitar and I just practice every night.”
She says it’s just a part of her lifestyle. And it’s apparently paying off, because she’s an accomplished singer and has performed at numerous national school tours and theme parks across the country. Cymphonique has built a diverse R&B, Pop and Hip Hop fan base online, accruing more than 20 million web views.
Through it all Cymphonique keeps up with her studies. She says she still has to go to school, on set, of course, and her parents will not let her be on the set, if she didn’t complete her lessons.
She keeps physically active too. This native Angeleno enjoys competitive kickboxing, swimming, drawing and playing the piano.
Cymphonique Miller is ready for the spotlight. Visit http://www.nick.com/shows/how-to-rock and catch a sneak peak of the hot new star of “How to Rock.”
“How to Rock” premieres Feb. 4 at 8:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon with back-to-back episodes. Check your local listings.
Gail can be reached at gail@hollywoodbychoice.com.
According to the Hollywood Reporter (THR) “Think Like a Man” scored one of the best openings in recent memory for an African American-themed film in debuting at $33 million.
Futhermore, “Think Like a Man,” adapted from Steve Harvey’s best-selling advice book, “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man,” gets bragging rights to being the film to topple Lionsgate’s blockbuster “The Hunger Games”—which has now grossed $357 million domestically—from it’s No. 1 perch.
Bishop T.D. Jakes’ “Woman Thou Art Loosed!: On the 7th Day,” a Neema Barnette film starring Golden Globe® nominee Blair Underwood (“Madea’s Family Reunion,” “Set It Off”), Sharon Leal (“Why Did I Get Married Too?”), Nicole Beharie (“American Violet”), Nicoye Banks (“Law & Order”) and Emmy Award® nominee Pam Grier (“Just Wright”), did a box office ‘wow’ when it performed better than anyone predicted, including the makers of the film.
In a past article, I railed against two reality shows airing on VH1—“Basketball Wives” (Miami and L.A. telecasts) and “Love and Hip Hop.” This time I come in praise of a different type of reality show airing on VH1: “Styled by June.”
What I like about this show is that it depicts a Black woman following her dreams. Yes, the drama is still there, but not what you’d expect. What we see is a woman using her gifts to help others see what they don’t see in themselves.
Actress Octavia Spencer walked away with the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 84th annual Academy Awards Show Sunday. Spencer’s character Minny Jackson in “The Help” aptly displayed her comedic as well as dramatic abilities and demonstrated how grounded an actress she is. Her grace and beauty warmed the audience and her sincere words touched the hearts of many. Spencer is the fifth Black actress to win in the Best Supporting Actress category.
The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) celebrates its 20th anniversary starting this evening with the opening-night gala and screening of the Los Angeles premiere of “Think Like a Man.”
Based on the New York Times best-selling book by television-and-radio host and comic, Steve Harvey. The ensemble cast includes Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence J, Jenifer Lewis, Romany Malco, Gary Owen, Gabrielle Union and Chris Brown.
