STEVENSON RANCH — A ball of some sort and a glove travel with West Ranch freshman Drew Cheek no matter where she goes for her latest acting role.
Softball, volleyball, football — any kind of ball.
On the surface at school, she is Drew Cheek. An ever-smiling student-athlete who plays safety on the school’s flag football team and also plays catcher and utility roles in softball.
Cheek has played softball since she was 7 years old.
When class ends, the streaming on televisions and mobile devices turns on. Cheek goes from student-athlete to being Young Charlie on the Peacock series “The Good Daughter.”
Cheek earned the role and began filming in Georgia as an eighth-grader.
“The auditioning process was unbelievable,” Cheek said. “I did the audition like any other audition, and then I was asked to get more footage. I couldn’t believe it. They liked me. I gave them more footage, and I was booked. It was insane. And then we saw the trailer, the premiere came up, and things started coming to life.”
Cheek has never strayed far from her background as an athlete. In between takes or during free time while working on the show, she would play catch and perform softball drills with her mother Sunshine. But acting is what Cheek loves.
Cheek described her ability to immerse herself in her character. The ability to go from being the bubbly personality she displays at school to performing the scenes from the script as Young Charlie.
She has to portray fear, sadness and joy — all for the viewers of the crime-thriller series.
“I’m sure that’s why I love it so much,” Cheek said. “I think it’s just fun to be a whole other person. Express emotions and cosplay as other characters.”
Acting is the profession Cheek wants to pursue, and she doesn’t mind not being the star. Playing a role, having lines, creating films and shows and playing strong characters is what Cheek hopes to achieve, no matter how much she needs to memorize.
“But I want to do sports as well,” Cheek said, “and I want to be known for other things too, not just acting.”
Flag football has come into play for Cheek as a new challenge. She was encouraged to join the team by her family members who root for the Arizona Cardinals. She has cousins who play tackle football and she decided to give flag football a try.
She doesn’t mind being coached either and was humbled a tad. Cheek made a flag pull and was taught by David Therasse how to improve pursuing ball carriers after her team allowed a late touchdown against Temecula Prep during a joyous 40-20 win in the first round of the CIF Division 4 playoffs.
“It allows me to showcase discipline,” Cheek said. “I’m OK with not always being the best at something. You have to train hard, you have to work at it, and you have to understand your place.”
Cheek doesn’t ever want sports to leave her life. No matter how big the audience becomes or how busy her career gets, sports is deeply woven into her identity.
Sports give her something to strive for, an obstacle to overcome and a skill set to sharpen.
She also wants to use sports as a way of telling the stories she hopes to tell either in movies or in a streamed television series.
Of all the athletes Cheek wants to portray, she wants to create a character that honors her hero Simone Biles.
Who knows? One day Cheek could be acting as a gymnast herself.
The strength of Biles, her mental and physical toughness, her gravity-defying vaults and precision on the floor, uneven bars and balance beam are aspects Cheek wants to pursue as an athlete-actor.
“Since I was young, I’ve seen how empowering she can be,” Cheek said. “I don’t think women are supported in a lot of their sports, and she’s an inspiration with all her trophies and medals.”