Actress and Model Lily D Moore—Her Words and Advice

Lily D Moore, actress and Special Olympics Champion Ambassador, isn’t afraid to live her dreams. While still in high school, she has already become a professional actress and model. Recently, she’s appeared in the Netflix show, Never Have I Ever which centers on an Indian-American student dealing with the loss of her father.

On Never Have I Ever, Lily plays Rebecca Hall-Yoshida, adopted sister to Paxton. Paxton is a popular and well-liked student in his class who cares about maintaining his status and protecting those close to him. Rebecca, who has Down syndrome, is passionate, confident, and not afraid of calling her brother out for his behavior. In addition to this, Rebecca works at Old Navy, and designs clothing.

Lily recently shared her experiences on the show and discussed her time as a Special Olympics athlete.

What do you like most about playing Rebecca on Never Have I Ever?
She’s just like me—I’m very fun, optimistic and sassy.

Who do you hang out with on set?
I mainly hung out with Darren, who played my brother. He gave me great advice, when I was nervous, We also love pulling pranks on each other!

What is the hardest part about acting and modeling?
So, for acting, it’s rejection. Whenever I get an audition, you have to remember a lot of lines and not all the time, you get the job. That’s really hard for me.
For modeling, it’s probably holding the poses for a long time. Just because, at the end you get sore.

When did you know you wanted to act and model?
I started when I was about six, it was a very young age. I moved to Austria for three years. I took a drama class in school (in Austria), and fell in love with it. When we moved back here to America, my mom signed me up for more classes and I knew I wanted to continue for the rest of my life.

What are your personal strengths?
I am a hard worker, it’s easy for me to follow directions and to memorize lines. I’m a friend to everyone–even if they’re mean to me. I’m a helper, especially to the homeless. I even started my own homeless ministry called H.E.L.P. (Helping Everyone with Love and Passion). It stands for Helping Everyone with Love and Passion. I put snacks and toiletries in to bags and whenever I see homeless people, I give them out.

Why did you join Special Olympics?
It looked very fun to do. Also, my school offered it.

What was your favorite Special Olympics sport to compete in?
Probably bowling because you’re with all your friends and it’s just fun to bowl.

How did you prepare for competition?
Usually, it’s a lot of practicing. We always had to do monthly practices.

What is one dream you have for the future?
I want to be the first down syndrome actor to win an Oscar!

Do you have any advice for those who aspire to do what you do?
Yes, if they want to act, I encourage them, to do that! Just go for it. Do what you do, and also have fun with it. Don’t let anybody judge you for who you are.
Watch Lily in Never Have I Everon Netflix.