Algonquin student lands role in Showtime series

Harry D. Jacobs High School student Lauren Viteri missed the first day of her sophomore year this fall – but she had a pretty good excuse for doing so.

Lauren, a 15-year-old actress, was busy filming episodes of the new Showtime series “Work in Progress.”

Filming for the show started in August.

“It was amazing, so surreal, having your hair and make-up done, having a designated hair and make-up person, a designated person holding an umbrella over my head so [I don’t] get overheated,” Lauren said.

Lauren, 15, has been taking classes on and off since she was in third grade, and started acting more professionally at 11.

Lauren took classes at the Actors Training Center in Wilmette. One day, a casting director from Los Angeles was teaching a class Lauren was in. The casting director sent the tape from that scene over to casting directors in L.A. who ended up signing her. They later got her in touch with agents from Chicago, whom she also signed with. It was Lauren’s agents who got her the audition for “Work in Progress.”

Lauren’s first audition for “Work in Progress” went quick, as she only read a few lines. Then, she got a callback where she did a scene with the lead and got to meet the director.

Soon after her audition for “Work in Progress,” Lauren and her family were in the car when her dad got a call, then told her mom to pull over.

“We were all freaking out, wondering what’s going on. He said you got the role,” Lauren said. “There was a lot of tears, a lot of screaming.”

"Work in Progress," according to its website, features Abby McEnany as a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer lesbian from Chicago whose "misfortune and despair" lead her to a "vibrantly transformative relationship." It premieres Dec. 8.

Lauren plays McEnany’s niece, Meg.

She describes her character as a teen who tries to act a little older than her age, trying to be “rebellious, but not too rebellious.”

“We both are a little bit sassy sometimes,” Lauren said. “It’s really fun to bring on a whole new persona, be someone else for a change.”

Filming days consisted of long hours, with even small scenes sometimes taking eight hours to film.

Because they were together for such long hours, Lauren grew close to the others on the show, especially the actor, Kenny Rasmussen, who plays her brother.

“We play Roblox together,” she said. “He’s one of my favorite people.”

She also keeps in touch with McEnany.

“She’s the nicest person ever,” Lauren said. “Her laugh is contagious.”

Because Lauren missed the first day of school for filming, she had to play catch up – which she says was “totally worth it.”

Still, Lauren said she did miss the “first-day-of-school” atmosphere and seeing her friends.

Her first few days back were “very, very hectic,” but Lauren said her teachers were very accommodating.

Lauren has a rigorous course load and played Fern in Jacobs’ production of “Charlotte’s Web” this past weekend.

To juggle all aspects of her busy life, Lauren admits she doesn’t get a lot of sleep.

“It is kind of strange, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Lauren said.

While Lauren said her biggest dream is to act as her full-time career, her back-up choices would be forensic science and hospital administration.

She also really likes make-up, nails and fashion.

“I’m a big girly-girl,” Lauren says.

Lauren’s father, Raul Viteri, said it has been exciting but tough to see his daughter take on acting.

“It’s a funny business,” Raul said, with a lot of rejection, although Lauren doesn’t take it personally.

In college, Raul was a theater major, and acted in local commercials. When Lauren was a child, he would give his daughter improv scenes to do.

“It’s kind of neat that Lauren took to acting, too,” he said. “I’ve spent hundreds of hours with her running lines.”

Even with her acting success, Raul said his daughter still is focused on school and going to college.

“She’s got her feet on the ground,” Raul said. “She understands how life works.”