18 JUNE 2021 By Jennifer Marshall Fourteen-year-old Arcadia resident and Phoenix Country Day School student Mia Lovell can now add actress to her lengthy resume of accomplishments. Mia, an expert skateboarder, recently garnered a part in the movie The Map of Tiny Perfect Things , which Amazon released earlier this year. “I got the part when a friend of mine, [professional skater] Amelia Brodka, was talking to Stunt Coordinator Mike McGill, who’s also a huge name in skating, and he was looking for a female skater to do a stunt in a movie,” Mia said. “Amelia showed him a video of me doing a kick flip, and I immediately got the part. I didn’t have to audition or anything.” Last February, Mia traveled to Mobile, Alabama, where the movie was filmed. She spent her first day figuring out her wardrobe and devoted the second day to practicing and getting ready to perform her stunt in front of a rolling camera. “At the skate spot, I warmed up and hung out with the other skater extras; we even went to some other skate parks, which was fun,” Mia said. “On the day we filmed at the stair set, everything was ready to go. I did my kick flip six or seven times for the camera. The whole experience was super cool.” In addition to her stunt, Mia also had a minor speaking part interacting with one of the main characters. The scene involved a skating accident where the character was rushed to the hospital. Mia’s mom Stacy is grateful her daughter had this experience. “It was so awesome for Mia to be a part of this movie. And it was so cool for her to be one of ‘the tiny perfect things’ by being the only girl at the skate park and shocking the boys with a next-level skate trick,” she said. “The movie is excellent,” Mia said, “and I’d say that even if I weren’t in it. It’s a great family film.” Mia aims to become a pro skater in the future, and with a backyard skate park set up for training, she’s well on her way. Since competitions have been suspended, she’s taken advantage of the time to practice. This year will be the first time skateboarding is featured in the Olympics, and Mia’s goal is to compete in the next Olympic Games. She also hopes to star in more films. “While there haven’t been many parts available recently, I’m just accepting them as they come along,” Mia said. “This was a great opportunity. All the producers and skater extras were nice, and it was fun to see what it was like to be a movie star.” Skateboarding her way to the silver screen Editor’s note: check out the August 2018 edition of Arcadia News to see Mia in action! arcadianewsarchives.com Mia Lovell performing a trick on set. Mia (right) with lead actress Katherine Newton. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIA LOVELL Your choice! FIRST ROOT TOUCH UP (Reg. Price $50) BLOWOUT DEEP CONDITION (Reg. Price $60) OR $ 40 * OPEN EARLY, LATE & WEEKENDS Sunday-Monday 10AM-4PM Tuesday-Friday 8AM-7PM Saturday 9AM-6PM *Valid for first time clients. May not be combined with other offers. No cash value. Expires 7/31/21 YOUR SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY. COVID-19 SAFETY + SANITATION PROTOCOLS IN FULL EFFECT. 602-812-4134 azrootbar.com Schedule Today! CHEERS TO NEW Perfect match root touch ups, professional styles and blowouts, hair treatments to treat your hair right-- it’s time to get back to feeling beautiful, but spending less time and money to get there. + NE Corner of Camelback & 44th Street

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