Nevada Arnold, 6 years old, of Becker, has a speaking role in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment Company.
This is Nevada’s first role in a full budget Hollywood feature, playing Sharon Gordon Fisherman, age 3. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a girlfriend’s vacation comedy that was filmed in Mexico and New Mexico in the summer of 2019 and stars – and was written by – Bridesmaids writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo. It was released on February 12, 2021 via video on demand by Lionsgate Entertainment Company. Arnold plays Sharon Gordon Fisherman in a flashback scene. A four-year old at the time of filming, she was given a few lines on set that day by director, Josh Greenbaum, that were not included in the original screenplay; one of which made it into the final film.
As with so many auditions these days (but especially now with COVID-19 protocols making in-person auditions nearly impossible) Arnold auditioned via self-tape that was viewed by Angelique Midthunder and the team at Midthunder Casting prior to being seen by production. Nevada was cast for the role directly off her self-tape submission. She and her mother traveled to Albuquerque, NM to film the scene at the end of August, 2019. The film was originally scheduled to have a theatrical release in July 2020 but was pushed back to July 2021 due to the on-going pandemic closing most movie theaters or greatly reducing allowed capacity.
On January 11, 2021 Lionsgate announced that they were foregoing a theatrical release of the film instead debuting it via premium VOD Feb, 12, 2021.
Nevada attends kindergarten at Becker Primary School, after she and her family moved to the area last May. She did an interview on The Jason Show last Thursday.