Young talent has Wrangell angle

At some point in the future, faces appearing on the big and small screen could have a Wrangell connection.

Adrian Prescott, 17, and Jerryn Gray, 9, are the children of Wrangellite and current Wasilla resident Kelli Gray, and recently participated in a talent search session in Anchorage on a whim over the summer at the behest of Adrien’s friend, Kelli said.

“The funny thing is, she asked us if she could get a ride in,” she said. “We decided to enter almost on a lark.”

Instead, Adrian and Jerryn received multiple call-backs and were eventually selected to be Alaska’s representatives to a multinational competition in Florida over the summer. According to proud mother Kelly Gray, agents were impressed with her children, particularly Gar Lester of the Gar Lester Agency.

“He kept saying ‘You know, he reminds me of young Tom Cruise,’” she said.

Adrian collected high praise and a Rolodex of names he can use when he moves to Los Angeles to start college next fall with a major in Behavioral Sciences and a minor in theater arts.

Meanwhile, Jerryn has also been asked down to Los Angeles by Philip Marcus of the Clear Talent Group agency. The agency also represents Nathan Chris, who has appeared on the iCarly show.

“They asked us to set aside a few months and come down and reconnect,” she said.

The whole experience has opened Kelli Gray’s mind to the possibilities of talent competitions.

“It’s really exciting and the kids learned so much,” she said. “There’s probably a lot of kids who don’t realize there are pro scouts out there looking for talent.”

It’s a sentiment Adrian shares.

Acting “is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I never actually thought I was going to,” he said.