Farrah Mackenzie delves into the depiction of Hazel in CBS' comedy series United States of Al

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Fifteen-year-old Farrah Mackenzie has been enveloped by talent ever since her birth. She's the granddaughter of Emmy Award-nominated director Will Mackenzie, and daughter of Sushi Girl's Andy Mackenzie and Walk Hard's Angela Little. Born in the hub of Los Angeles, the entertainment industry opened its heart almost instantaneously. But don't think for a minute that she was pressured to pursue the arts. Her admiration for acting was simply refined wholly and embraces all of the support her family gives her. At five, she acted in The Heart's Eye View, Gerald Emerick's short indie-fantasy film, alongside both of her parents. Originally little Mackenzie did not have a speaking line, however, rest assured, she was able to persuade everyone to write her a line.

"'Thank you, Mr. Fireman!', was my only line. I hardly even remember doing that, but yes, I'm glad I got to do it. I very clearly remember my dad's character being a fireman handing me a stuffed animal."

Ten years have passed since the starlet's acting debut and have now successfully landed the role of Hazel in CBS' United States of Al. Created and written by David Goetsch and Maria Ferrari, and executive produced by Chuck Lorre, the multi-camera comedy series depicts Riley (Parker Young), a Marine veteran transitioning from the service to civilian life in Ohio, apace with his interpreter Awalmir (Adhir Kalyan) who saved his life in Afghanistan. Hazel is Riley and Vanessa's daughter, an honest, vulnerable, young teenage girl grappling with heartache over her parent's divorce and watching her father firsthand struggle with PTSD.

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"Hazel is a very clever, witty girl who speaks her mind and loves her family. She looks up to her father, wanting to be just like him, and has this sibling-type bond with her Uncle Al. Hazel loves having Al around and learning about his culture and traditions," Mackenzie says, "Hazel loves being herself. She doesn't try to fit in, because she's her own person. She dances to the beat of her own drum, much like I do."

On working in company with Adhir Kalyan, Parker Young, and Dean Norris, "They are amazing. I have no other words to describe it. We're pretty much one big family now. We make each other laugh like crazy, and we share battle stories and joke around all of the time. It's hard to take work seriously when I'm with those goofballs! I love them to pieces."

Before United States of Al, Mackenzie portrayed Alice in Amazon Prime's dystopian thriller Utopia alongside co-stars John Cusack, Rainn Wilson, and Sasha Lane. Utopia, created by New York Times Bestselling author Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, and Dark Waters), depicts a cult-like conspiracy theory written in an enigmatic comic book "Utopia" and the realization that the conspiracy is true. A group of young adults identifies this revelation and are tasked with saving the world from this impending threat.

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Mackenzie confessed that the audition process to land Alice was a long one, but a rewarding one, "My audition process was pretty long. I had the initial audition, which went well, but I didn't hear anything for a whole month. I got a callback, and showrunner Gillian Flynn was there. It was pretty nerve-wracking! Then, I waited another month, and this time I was completely losing hope, but I got another callback. Finally, two days later, I found out that I got the part!"

United States of Al has officially been renewed for a second season where executive producer Chuck Lorre personally delivered the exciting news to Mackenzie saying, "He was the one to get on a FaceTime call with me and drop the big news about Season 2!"

A release date for season 2 has yet to be announced but catch up on season one's episodes on CBS.

Meet the Author

Brianna Vacca is a Philadelphia-based writer. She has an unhealthy addiction to true crime documentaries, celebrity gossip, and writes overly dramatic sad songs.