Published: October 12, 2009 05:54 pm      

Catching the acting bug

Bonnie Bentley grew up dancing at her mother’s studio in Palestine. The acting bug soon bit and she showcased her talents on stage in musicals presented by the Palestine Community Theatre.

“I think I was 7 or 8 years old when I was in ‘A Christmas Carol’ with the Palestine Community Theatre,” Bentley said Monday via telephone from her home in Los Angeles.

As a young girl, Bentley’s training and interest in dance and drama led her to other PCT productions including the lead role in the hit musical “Annie” and a part in “Oliver” on the stage of the historic Texas Theater in downtown Palestine.

Bentley’s first movie was a bit part in 1997’s “Rough Riders” staring Tom Berenger and Sam Elliott. Parts of the movie were filmed at the Texas State Railroad Park in Palestine.

“I grew up dancing,” the Palestine native said. “I always took dance with my mom and during the summer I attended ballet camps and conventions.

“Even from a young age I always wanted to pursue it as a profession.”

Bentley’s mother Carol Bentley, has owned and taught at Carol Bentley’s Academy of Dance Studio in Palestine for many years. Her father is Judge Bascom W. Bentley III.

The young woman from East Texas has come a long way as she will have her first credited, speaking role on the popular NBC television series “Heroes.” She was scheduled to appear in last night’s episode and will reprise her character of a sorority girl on the show’s Oct. 26 episode.

“I met the casting director for ‘Heroes’ at a workshop and got an audition through my agent. She (casting director) was nice enough to bring me in for the audition,” Bentley explained.

Her first audition was before the casting director. That was followed by the producers’ session where she auditioned before all the producers of the show as well as the writers. It was ultimately the director’s decision to cast Bentley in the role of Meagan, a sorority girl in a storyline based on Claire Bennet, the character played by Hayden Panettiere.

“It was the writers who brought me back,” Bentley said of her character’s second appearance on the show, set to air Oct. 26.

“The show has a different director for almost every show, so I didn’t have to audition again since it was the writers who brought my character back.”

Bentley said one of the most interesting things about the popular television show is how the writers are constantly editing and making changes to episodes even the day before shooting starts.

According to Bentley, the episode that aired Monday night took about a week to shoot. The second episode she’s in took two days to film.

“Usually you’re only there for one day,” Bentley said about shooting.

One of the perks of filming is meeting the show’s characters.

“The cast members are very friendly and professional,” she said.

Recently, Bentley auditioned for a part on the television show “The Mentalist,” staring Simon Baker. She still doesn’t know if she got the part. Regardless, the fact that she got to audition and got a callback for the producers looks good on her resume.

While in Los Angeles, Bentley has worked as a photo double on the television comedy “The Office” for the character of Pam, played by Jenna Fischer. She’s also had a part on “Laguna Beach.”

Bentley has worked on commercials for American and Canadian television. She was in an ad campaign for Campbell Soup and a commercial for ePets, pets that children can buy, feed and care for online.

Bentley graduated from Palestine High School in 1997 and from Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 2001 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Shortly after graduating from SMU, she moved to New York, where she was in numerous shows.

“I moved there a few months before Sept. 11,” Bentley said, describing the time following the terrorist attacks as chaotic.

While living in New York, Bentley continued to study theater at the Actors Center. She also danced.

“I did the National Tour of ‘42nd Street’ and the European tour of ‘Grease’,” Bentley said. The national tour Broadway show lasted about a year while the European tour lasted around five months.

Bentley said she didn’t experience culture shock when she moved to New York.

“It’s exciting. It’s a great city with so much opportunity,” she said. “In New York, everyone has a lot of training and a great work ethic. In LA, everyone’s competing for that one part.

“I had to find my niche in LA,” she said.

Bentley lives in West Hollywood with a roommate she met while working on “42nd Street” in New York. She has a close group of friends and the companionship of her Jack Russell terrier mix, Dakota.

“I teach gymnastics in LA,” Bentley said about her regular job. “I’m still dancing a little bit. I tore my ACL a year ago and had surgery so I haven’t been dancing very much.

“I would love to keep working on television.”

Asked about her longterm plans, Bentley is quick to say that she would like to stay on the West Coast for a few more years.

“I don’t think I’ll stay here permanently. I would like to be closer to my family,” she said. “I love coming home. I try to get home four times a year.”

Besides her mother, Bentley credits the training she received from her high school drama teacher Mark Templeton.

“He was really a good teacher,” she said. “I remember we’d go to UIL at regionals or state. He was pretty skilled.”

Bentley is the oldest daughter of Bascom and Carol Bentley. She has three younger brothers.