Chardonne Paynter was looking for an acting role she could really sink her teeth into.

This month she got that and so much more.

The budding actress has been cast in a new horror film, Vampire Escorts, which starts filming later this year in Fort Worth, Texas.

The best part? The role pretty much landed in her lap.

“The casting director sought after me online, told me they loved my look and offered me an audition for the part,” Ms Paynter explained.

“I sent in my audition tape and two hours later received an e-mail saying that they loved my audition and offering me the part. Four hours later I was signing my contract.”

She said she was “ecstatic” about the new role and felt like her years of hard work in the entertainment business were finally paying off.

“I seriously couldn’t believe the words I was reading. They said ‘We loved your audition. We’d like to offer you the part’.

“As any actor knows those words mean everything! Rejection and the word ‘no’ is far more prevalent than ‘yes’ in the film industry. I immediately told my family members about the part and started working to memorise the script.”

Ms Paynter started studying acting seven years ago while at Florida A & M University.

At the time she was a psychology major and figured the acting classes would offer a fun break from her heavy science and psychology-based course load.

She soon became hooked.

Over the past three years she’s had minor roles in television shows on Oxygen Network, HBO, TruTV and Esquire Network.

She’s also scored a role in the recently-released movie Fan Girl, starring Meg Ryan and Kiernan Shipka.

“In that movie I was the eldest person on set playing a teenager,” she said. “Although these were small parts it was amazing to work in the same film as someone as great as Meg Ryan.

“Being in the same vicinity as someone of her calibre gave me confidence and assurance that I must be doing something right.

“I hope to relocate to California so that I’m that much closer to greater opportunities as it is really important to be able to get to auditions in short notice.

“I’ll move when the next great opportunity arises. As a result of my efforts I’ve already managed to land a spot on [movie database site] IMDb.”

Ms Paynter admitted she’s excited to play the part of Diamond in the upcoming horror flick. The character is described as a “feisty, aggressive, no-nonsense vampire”.

For her it’s a chance to stretch herself creatively and play dress up like she did as a child.

“I’ve always been a huge sci-fi nerd and a vampire movie fan. I was raised on sci-fi films such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Goosebumps etc.

“I’m really excited that I’ve landed a character role and for the opportunity to challenge my creativity by bringing this not-quite-human character to life. Indulging in sci-fi is to step away from the mundane and get lost in another world and rediscover the magic of playing ‘make believe’.”

She suspects it will be quite a physically demanding role and will require a lot of energy to portray a character so different from her personality.

“I’m more laid-back and quiet, whereas Diamond is more aggressive and outspoken,” Ms Paynter said.

“I suspect that may be my greatest challenge in this role; that and speaking with prosthetic fangs.”

Ms Paynter said one of the biggest lessons she’s learnt so far is the industry isn’t all glitz and glamour.

“It’s definitely not as easy as it looks,” she said.

“Acting is a full-time job and in order to be successful it should be a full-time obsession. It takes a tremendous amount of energy and skill to be good at it and I’m still striving to be a great actor.

“This process has also taught me how to be myself without the fear of being judged.”

Ms Paynter takes regular acting classes overseas; she also dances and trains locally by practising monologues each day.

In her spare time she studies the work of actors like Will Smith, Keira Knightley, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Meryl Streep. “I study their acting choices with a microscope,” she said. “I stay industry savvy by reading a wide range of books on acting to keep myself educated on both acting as a craft as well as the business side of it. I also like reading self-help books.”

Her advice to any other aspiring actors is: know yourself and where you want to go.

“It’s easy to go astray in the industry if you don’t know who are as an individual,” she explained.

“Part of acting is about discovering who you are and what makes you tick. For me I have a vision board in my bedroom where I post everything I want for my life; from dream homes to ideal trips to take etc.

“I make a conscious effort to picture myself living the life I’ve always wanted. I believe it’s a very powerful tool.

“I’m not by any means a master of this technique, but I’m working towards perfecting it every day. This recent opportunity has arisen as a result of this effort and many others.”

•For more information, visit Facebook: Vampire Escorts.