Madisun Eisenbeis, 12, is a Lodi girl who's making her way in Hollywood as an actress and model

She's strutted runways in Los Angeles. Acted in Bollywood. Performed on ice skates during Stockton Thunder hockey games. Twirled flaming batons. And was the three-year undefeated spelling bee champion. Madisun Eisenbeis has accomplished many things — all before her thirteenth birthday.

Madisun Eisenbeis

The soon-to-be eighth grade student with long brown hair and dark eyes decided she wanted to model and act, and instead of just fantasizing about it, she is making it happen. "(Acting) is one of my several passions. I'm doing it for me. I want to be involved in the kind of stuff that can change peoples' lives," Eisenbeis said.

Eisenbeis started modeling before acting. She credits her runway walk to her grandma and manager, Patricia Towle, who taught Eisenbeis the old walk-with-a-book-on-you-head trick.

In the past year, she has done runway shows for clothing designer Kami Shade in Los Angeles. Though it's her summer vacation, Eisenbeis is busy working. In early June, she spent a week working as an extra on a Bollywood film being made in San Jose.

She stayed on set for long hours, and learned about life behind the scenes, from make-up to line memorization. It wasn't her first extra gig. She worked in the film, "Fiona's Script" that will be released in July at the San Francisco Film Festival.

While Eisenbeis and her family can't believe how fast things are changing for the middle school student, they are also learning patience, waiting to find out if she's been selected or if shows have been picked up. Recently, she auditioned for the role of Nano, the mayor's wife, in "Incybers," a fictional TV pilot with children playing adults.

She didn't get the role, but producers said they want her to be a guest star if a network decides to air the show. However, it is a role in a new "Twilight" movie that she really wants. Later this summer, she will audition for the role of Bree.

Madisun Eisenbeis

"She's a mean newborn vampire. She gets killed, but that's OK," Eisenbeis said.

Eisenbeis started getting serious about acting last July, when a trip to Marine World lead her to sign-ups for a 6-week acting boot camp. With young people with dreams like hers, she learned how to act on spot with improvisation, how to walk the runway and the right way to do speak at an audition. She learned early on to expect a thousand nos before getting a single yes. However, the rejection hasn't been as harsh as she expected.

"She keeps getting work after work after work," Towle said.

Sitting in her Lodi living room with her grandmother on one seat, her mother, Mandi Eisenbeis, on the other and her younger sister, Lauryn, it's obvious Madisun Eisenbeis has support from everyone around her.

Most of her modeling, TV and movie jobs come from a lot of Towles' time spent on the Internet, where she searches for upcoming projects, runway shows and casting calls. So far, it's been getting her jobs, and getting her name out there. When there are movie or TV auditions out of town, she and Towles, pack into a rental car and stay gone for as long as they need to get the job, or at least a call back.

Eisenbeis also has a contract with Lodi Unified that allows her to leave for days or weeks at a time. Teachers work with her schedule, giving her homework to do while she's on the road or at home. She's proven to her mom, who was concerned at first, that she can keep her grades up and follow her dreams at the same time.

"Personally, I don't see what she likes (about acting/modeling), but I'm proud of her" said Mandi Eisenbeis, who, instead of traveling, she stays in Lodi to work overtime that pays for Hollywood hotels.

Though she's accustomed to many things others her age don't know about — like professional photo shoots and stage directions — she still likes to be a kid. She's mastered the leg action and hip swing that it takes to glide across pavement on a RipStik.

She read the "Twilight" series in less than a week. And she and her friends love to go to the park and have picnics just because they can. Whether she's home or on the road, she's a big-time phone texter, a habit that lets her keep in touch with friends even when she's not in class. "My friends support me a lot. They text me, 'Do good' and 'Rock the runway' . . . They know (working) makes me happy," she said.

Whether she's home or in Los Angeles, she is always busy. At home, she is a Stockton Thunderette for the Stockton Thunder hockey team. With ice skating, she's performed in theatrical productions, from Disney on Ice to "Cats." She twirls fire baton with Stars and Stripes of San Joaquin County.

Madisun Eisenbeis poses with Adrian R'Mante, who plays Esteban on "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." (Courtesy photo)

Not even in the eighth grade yet, Eisenbeis has already learned to believe that she can do anything she wants, whether it's baking a perfect batch of turnovers or catching a flaming baton. However, for the past year and a half, the actress and model has been facing something she can't overcome with a perfect strut down the runway or aced audition.

Eisenbeis has a residual thymus gland in her throat, which could effect her immune system. She also has been diagnosed with lukopenia, which means her body doesn't produce white blood cells. She and her family are hoping for good news at an upcoming CT Scan that will tell them more of her condition. However, her health doesn't hold her back in any way.

It's not something Eisenbeis likes to talk about, and she says she's not going let the worst case scenarios flood her path to her dreams. She is going to keep pushing to be a star, regardless of how hard she has to fight her body. "I see myself doing what I love. Making something out of my life, not sitting around waiting for something to happen," Eisenbeis said.

Contact Lodi Living Editor Lauren Nelson at laurenn@lodinews.com.

Madisun Eisenbeis at a glance

Age: 12
School: Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Stockton
If she doesn't become a model or actress, she'll be: "A marine biologist, hands down," she said.
Favorite movies: "The Notebook," "Gran Torino," "Twilight" and "Titanic."
Music taste: Rap, hip-hop, jazz.
Birthday plans: Skydiving the day she turns 13.
The ways she keeps busy:

Extra in a Myna Film Production, "Fiona's Script"

Was a runway model for Kami Shade.

Starring role as Tinkerbell in Disney on Ice.

Skated in Broadway on Ice "Cats" showcase.

Narrated the Grinch in school theater production.

Performed for The Sacramento Kings Maloof Entertainment.

Performs as a Stockton Thunderette for The Stockton Thunders Hockey Team.

Twirls fire baton with the Stars and Stripes of San Joaquin County and under master baton coach Deanna Dussau. Stars and Stripes performed a showcase in Italy in May 2008.

Reader Feedback

IceSK8nGMAof2 wrote on Jun 27, 2009 5:35 AM:

" So beautiful....Beautifully written. Thank you Lauren and Brian for the beautiful story and the beautiful pictures. "

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