Introducing Mercy and Bennett Yates!

If you know me and my family in "real life" then you know that my little sister is an actress! She, along with my non-actor brother, have been my guinea pigs ("stars") in many, many films throughout our growing up years. However, in the past few years as I've been working on larger scale productions, my sister has been focusing her energy and training on stage acting and singing. She has appeared in all of my films, but usually in a very small role or as background. At the time the Wayward script came to me, I decided that I wanted her to be a lead actor in this film. So, the role of Mercy Yates was written just for my sister!

Next, I needed to find my Bennett! I've worked with MANY great boy actors throughout the past few years! All of my films that I've written and directed have featured children. So, I felt confident that my Bennett was out there! After a very successful online casting call, I had a pool of wonderful actors! They were asked to read a two page excerpt from the script. I wanted to see their emotions as Bennett. This role is a demanding one, both physically and emotionally! Add to that the Colonial American speech patterns and the historic setting, and you get a very interesting task for a middle-schooler! However, all of these boys did an amazing job! It was a difficult task to choose just one!

After much deliberation and conversations with his awesome mom, I chose my Bennett! Both of these actors are seasoned even at their young ages! They both have extensive experience on stage and screen! I feel certain that they will melt your heart!

Gabrielle Shelton and Elliot Ware will star as Mercy and Bennett Yates in Wayward