November 29th, 2006

  Spraguuuu. Sprageeee. No...its actually pronounced more like spray, says actress Sprague Grayden, who stars in CBSs new series Jericho. Although people constantly mispronounce her name, she says she doesnt really mind as long as shes cool with that person. It happens all the time, and mostly its fine, she says.

Sprague comes off as an incredibly light-hearted, bubbly individual, filled with an air of relaxation. Yet you dont need to talk to her for very long to notice her complex core.

She currently lives in Venice Beach, and is enjoying every moment there. When she first moved to Los Angeles, she lived in West Hollywood because thats where she thought everyone lived. The area wasnt what she expected. Venice Beach, however, turned out to be the perfect fit. Venice is like a mini New York. Its a city where you can have lots of perspective and if you lose yourself, people in Venice will tell you, she says, adding that living by the ocean reminds you that youre part of something bigger. And as Sprague talks about her interests, which includes watching shows like Battlestar Galactica and working out, she begins to reveal what truly makes her tick.

Grayden was born and raised in Manchester, Massachusetts, a small town of about 5,000 people. Its now called Manchester-by-the-Sea as to differentiate it from Manchester, New Hampshire. It was a great place to grow up, because it was the type of town where you could leave your door unlocked. Both her parents were public school teachers and were not associated with the entertainment industry. But they did have friends who were involved in advertising. I was dancing around at a party I think and someone told my parents that I should be doing commercial work. My parents then sat me down and asked me what I wanted, Sprague says. She must have said yes because she got her first job not too long afterward. The best part of acting back then was because I was doing what I wanted to do, she says. Sprague remembers her dad being really excited about her wanting to act. Her mother, on the other hand, was not that thrilled. Sprague describes her mother as an incredibly sweet woman who was afraid her daughter would be sucked into the evils that are often associated with the entertainment world. Yet, because it was what her daughter wanted, Spragues mother supported her.

By the time she turned 15, Sprague herself felt differently toward the acting profession. Fifteen is an awkward age. I was doing school theater...but I just didnt want to really act anymore. I really wanted to dance, concentrate on school, play field hockey, and maybe do school theater, she says.

Sprague went on to attend Barnard College, majored in history, and graduated cum laude. After graduation, the urge to act re-ignited within and she decided to give it another try. She moved from the East Coast to Vancouver, and then to Los Angeles. Ive been really really lucky because Ive never had to really look for work, Sprague says. She has faced rejection, but having landed five shows in five years, shes faced a little less rejection than most. But when she does hear the occasional no Sprague says she takes her dads advice and acts like a duck and lets the water roll off her back.

When asked what she loves most about her job, Sprague happily explains that she gets paid to play pretend. Its awesome. People make you look pretty. Its fantastic. You work with great people and its fun. Everybody has moments when they question their job choice, but I love what I do and Im really grateful that I do it. I have no reason to complain.

Indeed, Sprague has achieved quite a lot in a short period of time, but as she explains, there are some things that will just have to wait.

My dream role is a part that I will probably never get to play. Its the part of Tom from The Glass Menagerie. I love his monologue and I use it all the time in auditions. The other thing I really want to do is become a history professor. Sprague has even considered going back to school to get her masters degree in history. But with her success, she admits that she simply doesnt have the time right now. But most definitely in the future, she says.

 Her fans however, would probably prefer that Sprague accomplish this particular dream much later, or rather, - not at all.

- Jenny Y. Wang