Jaqueline Martini, a 17-year-old senior at Cary's Green Hope High School, has big dreams for a career in show biz.  She's already acted in several independent films, modeled for ads and stock photos and appeared as an extra in several TV shows.  Wearing a lacy white top and skinny jeans with zippers at the ankles, the green-eyed brunette sat down at a local coffee shop to discuss life, work and what it's like to have your nose bitten off by a zombie.

On her recent work:
Martini starred as Alice, the secretly sociopathic lab assistant in the zombie movie, "The Forever Dead," directed by Sanford-based graphic designer and independent filmmaker Christine Parker.  Martini is the only character in the film who doesn't end up being zombiefied. 
She drove to Sanford for filming every Saturday from October 2005 through May of this year, except for prom weekend.  She also played an extra who gets her nose bitten off by a zombie.  "It looks amazing!"  she said.
When the film premiered at the Rialto Theatre in Raleigh earlier this fall, Martini thought, "I am so going to do this for the rest of my life!" she said.

On family:
Martini's mother, Sondra Michelle McMurray, worked as a runway model in her hometown of St. Louis.  She kicked off her daughter's career by entering a young Jaqueline in a baby picture contest, where she won runner up.  "Ever since then, that's just what I wanted to do," Martini said. 
Divorced from Jaqueline's father, who lives in St. Louis and has played in a band for "like 40 years," McMurray works at a pharmaceutical company and manages her daughter's career.  "She'd jump over fire to get me a job," Martini said.
Martini has a younger half brother and another on the way, plus two younger half sisters.  If her sisters decided to go into acting, "I'd definitely be watching their backs because there's a lot of psychos out there," she said.

Life outside of acting:
Martini works 30 hours a week at Super Target in Apex.  "It's not very fun.  I'd prefer to be acting."  She's also worked at Harris Teeter, Subway, and Panera Bread.
Between work, school, and acting, she's busy almost all the time.  "I don't really have a life," she said.  But "I wouldn't have  it any other way." 
She hopes to attend UNC-Wilmington next year, since there are several studios there.  "I've got to get my face out in North Carolina," she said.  She then plans to move on to New York City and then to Los Angeles.

On Rejection:
An actor had better get used to rejection if he or she wants to stay in the game.  "My agent sends me--puhhh!--probably 200 emails a day," she said, exhaling sharply.  She sends her portfolio to anything that seems promising, but "it's so rare to hear 'yeah.''' she said.  Sometimes, people her own age are scornful of her ambitions.  "Usually it's like 'Oh, acting, good luck with that,''' she said, affecting a sarcastic tone.  But she doesn't let that bother her.
"It's totally going to work out," she said.  "I'm going to be there at the right time and nobody else is."

On self-reliance:
Growing up, Martini's family moved nearly every year, so she switched schools constantly.  "It didn't phase me a bit, I just made friends immediately" she said.  "You can only rely on yourself.  So that's what I do."  She still enjoys moving--"I have a feeling that in 10 years I'll have 10 houses," she said, so she can spend a month or so in each before moving on to the next one.

On body image:
While her curvy figure (her personal website lists her as 5'3 inches and 140 lbs) makes her more like the average American high school student than the average starlet, Martini has no desire for the stick-like figure of many Hollywood actresses. While she stays fit, she also loves to eat and has no plans to stop anytime soon. "I'm not skinny," she said. "I'm just great with myself."

On the future:
"It's totally going to work out," she said, of her future in acting.  "I have signs.  My whole life has been, like, one big sign."  After all, there's nothing else in the world that she loves to do as much as act.
"All I want to do is make people laugh, to make people freak out and cry and just hate me!" she said.

BIO--JAQUELINE MARTINI

Lives in:  Cary
Job:  Senior at Green Hope High School, cashier at Super Target, actress and model
Family:  Mother, father, stepfather, three younger half-siblings
Favorite Movie:  The Lost Boys
Favorite Actor:  Martini feels it's counterproductive to spend much time emulating other actors, lest she lose her own unique style.  "I don't admire anybody but myself," she said.
Others Say:  "Forever Dead" director Christine Parker described Martini as a hard-working actress who was always looking for ways to add her own mark to the role of Alice.  "Creative too," Parker said.  "Always added a lot to the part."  She thinks Martini's drive and motivation will take her far in the movie industry.  "She's not going to give up until she gets there," Parker said.