Actress, Singer Lauren Mayhew Primed for a Breakout Year

For nearly 16 years, Lauren Mayhew has been in the entertainment business in some form, whether center stage in musical theatre, working on Nickelodeon projects, acting on a soap opera, being part of an all-girl pop group, guest staring on popular television shows or appearing in movies.

And during that time, she never doubted that things would go her way.

"Maybe it comes from my support system," Mayhew said. "But I've always had a good sense of self.

"I would not be here in this position where I am now if it wasn't for my parents and family. It was a team effort."

Mayhew, 24, has also done a good job of balancing a passion for music with a burgeoning acting career. When she was just 13, Mayhew was part of the all-girl group P.Y.T. and toured with Destiny's Child and Britney Spears while she was still attending high school.

"It was definitely challenging," Mayhew said of attending school and being in a pop group. "I absolutely loved it. I lived for it and loved performing live and touring."

Since the group disbanded in 2002, Mayhew has been writing and recording her own music. Most recently, she has been working with Marcos Curiel, of the rock group P.O.D., and producer Brandon Friesen, who has produced such acts as Nickelback.

While she has been working on her singing, Mayhew has produced a solid acting resume that includes a regular part on "Guiding Light" beginning in 1998, and guest appearances on shows such as "CSI," "CSI: Miami," "Joan of Arcadia," "Medical Investigation" and "Law & Order." She also had a recurring role on the series "American Dreams," which starred her childhood friend Brittany Snow.

"The shows I've done, I've gotten really lucky," Mayhew said. "Because they are amazing shows that got into syndication."

Mayhew will also be featured on the Canadian television music/sketch comedy series "Arbor Live!" later this year. Previous musical artists on the show include Buckcherry, Papa Roach and Velvet Revolver.

Over the last several years, Mayhew began taking film roles, starting in 2004 when she appeared in "Raise Your Voice" with Hilary Duff. Most recently, she appeared in "American Pie Presents: Band Camp" and "Frat Party," which had a limited release on college campuses in December 2009 and is now available on DVD.

Mayhew is hoping to land a few more movie roles this year.

"There's something be said about doing a movie," Mayhew said. "You form bonds with everyone...with a movie it feels like you've contributed more."

And in between singing and acting, Mayhew took the opportunity to do other entertainment offers, such as hosting The N's "Real Access," which was a spinoff of "Access Hollywood" for younger viewers, and working with World Wrestling Entertainment in the fall of 2009 as a ring announcer and National Anthem singer for it's ECW brand.

"It was a very cool experience," Mayhew said of her time in WWE. "It's so different than anything I had ever done in entertainment, and the experience was priceless.

"It was just awesome to be brought into something like that."

While she waits to see if she can land any TV pilots or movie roles, Mayhew, who moved out to California from Tampa, Florida almost six years ago , is once again concentrating on her music.

She has several new songs available to listen on her MySpace page, and will be performing twice at the annual South by Southwest Music Festival, March 17 through 21 in Austin, Texas. She hopes to book several more music festivals this year.

During her years performing with P.Y.T., Mayhew performed primarily pop music. Her new sound that she has developed is a mix of rock, dance and electronica.

"They are really just my favorite genres of music that I wanted to mish mash together and make it sound something more legitimate that has some meat to it," Mayhew said.

Over the last two years, she has opened for Katy Perry, Colby O'Donis and Ray J, and recently she has licensed her music to shows such as "The Hills," "The City" and "Keeping Up With The Kardashians," as well as some movies. She hopes to continue to do this in the future, preferably for movies and shows she also appears in.

"My music and my acting are both important for me," Mayhew said. "Hopefully I'll be able to book a pilot or get a film and incorporate my music as well." For more information on Lauren Mayhew, visit her Web site at www.laurenmayhew.com, her MySpace page at www.myspace.com/laurenmayhew or follow her on Twitter @LCMayhew.