Mae Whitman

You know her, but you may not know her name
梅?惠特曼 - 你認得她，但你可能不知道她叫 什麼名字.

"What are you, some kind of knucklehead?" Bored at Mom's acting test, a 3-year-old responded as such to a director's empty admiration of her dress. With those words, the impressive career of actress. Mae Whitman was born and defined.

Child Actor
With a voice-artist mother and a father who builds sets, it's no surprise Whitman ended up in acting. Such parents also knew to prepare her for adult exposure early on. In her first film role, she played the daughter of Meg Ryan in When a Man Loves a Woman. Calling George Clooney father in One Fine Day and Sandra Bullock mother in Hope Floats, she won two Young Artist Awards. 

Through these family dramas, her true parents supported her but were concerned when a certain alien invasion movie came knocking. At first, they were uncomfortable about letting her accept such a role, but they changed their minds after reading the script. Not yet 10, Whitman then added the president to her list of "parents" due to her part in Independence Day.

Voice Actor
Following in her mother's footsteps, Whitman also acts with her voice alone. She also started this at a young age, but her best voice roles came later. In her teens she provided the voice for Katara in the popular cartoon Avatar. The last Airbender. And she is the first person to ever voice classic Disney character Tinker Bell.

Current Actor
Now 25, Whitman continues to pursue both screen and vocal performances. Though she is in some films like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, she is much more established on TV. She has a substantial part in Parenthood, now in its fifth season, and is featured in the returning series Arrested Development. Her voice is also being used in a new TV version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Making good on her parents' advice, she's invested in every role, whether live-action or cartoon, with love and hope. "Hopefully that communication has maybe made some people feel less alone." she says of her roles. Someone's grown up since waiting for Mom.


Grammar Gym:
"Through these family dramas, her true parents supported her but were concerned when a certain alien invasion movie came knocking."
"came knocking" - how something is available. or describe something or situation is near or about to happen.
As soon as Mr. Lee was ready to sell his house, offers came knocking.
Ron smokes all the time and doesn't watch what he eats, so it is no wonder health problems came knocking.

Vocabulary Tips:
admiration (n) -admire.
admiration for -  对某人或某事物赞美，钦佩，羡慕
*I have great admiration for this director.
admire (v) -赞美，钦佩，羡慕。
* I really admire your courage to try new things.
exposure - 爆光，曝光，报导，噢日宣传。"ex" -有‘向外’之意，
*Intensive media exposure made the actress a household name.
expose -揭露，曝露。
*The reporter exposed a scandal involving the governor.
invasion - invade, attack. 入侵，侵略。
*The troop's invasion of the country caused strong condemnation from many nations.
invade (v) -侵略。
*The allies invaded the capital and successfully took over the whole city.
script - lines that actor need to say.剧本，角本。一部电影，一个script。
*The movie script was written by a renowned playwright.
*The actor made up a new line which was not in the original script.
follow in someone's footsteps - you doing it the same or similar as someone already did before.效仿，步某人后尘，步某人的脚步。
*Shanna followed in her sister's footsteps and applied to Brown University.
*Ricky followed in his father's footsteps and became a teacher.
vocal -声音的。 'voc' -“声音”
*The singer underwent vocal training before she started recording her album.
vocal -直言不韪，激烈的表达意见。
*The public was quite vocal over the sudden change in the policy.
substantial -有实质的，重大的，相当程度的。
*Substantial funds were invested in this project.
*There has been substantial improvement in his health.
substance (n) -实质的，重大性，重要意义。
*Nothing of substance seems to have been achieved in the discussion.达到实质的效果。。讨论。
communication -信息，消息。
*We received your communication last Wednesday, and we're sorry that we can't attend the banquet.
communication -沟通。
*Tom needs to improve his communication skills.
empty admiration - not really appreciated. not agree with it.
empty - nothing, not agree. without.
career - not just a job, also you will doing it in most of your life time.
established - stapled. her face is showing often on TV.
make good on something - follow, do.
* His father make good on his promise of attend the game and watch he play.

Language Tips:
know-知道。
Do you know him? No, I don't know him.
know -认得。认识。曾经认识，见过，听过，能够辨认出来的。
You know her. But you may not know her name.
know of someone or something - 知道或听过。
I know of a good plumber.
know about something or someone.- 知道或听说过有关。。。隐秘的不为人知道的事。
I know about the plumber. 
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advice (n) (发's') / advise (v) (末尾发 'z'，重音在第二节) - suggestion.
a piece of / a word of advice.
Let me give you a word of advice.
Here are three pieces of advice.
advice 不可数名词，不能加's'/ suggestion 可数名词，可加‘s’ :
three pieces of advice = three suggestions.
The teach advise (v) his students three pieces of advice (n).



Notes taking of Studioclassroom