Temecula teen starred in Super Bowl commercial

For some, the best part of Super Bowl Sunday is watching the commercials rather than the game itself.

Those people probably saw Temecula resident Zoey Ruderman.

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The 14-year-old acted in a commercial for Facebook that features cameos from comedian Chris Rock, actor Sylvester Stallone and was set to Twisted Sister's 1980's hit, "I Wanna Rock."

The commercial showcases Facebook groups that relate to the word "rock," from rock climbers to rock collectors and from rocket launchers to Rocky Balboa fans. Ruderman, whose acting name is Zoey Gale, can be spotted toward the beginning of the ad skipping rocks over a lake.

How did it feel to see herself on TV on Super Bowl Sunday?

"It was really cool," said the eighth grader, who has been acting since she was 6.

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The commercial is Ruderman's seventh. Her first was for Allstate when she was 7. She has also appeared in commercials for companies such as Toys R Us, Hallmark and Walmart as well as in short films.

Ruderman's mother, Rebecca Gale, said that focusing on her daughter's career has been a sacrifice, especially since attending auditions usually requires a long drive to Los Angeles, but that it has been worth it. She described Zoey as "very intelligent, funny, kind and sensitive."

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Though Zoey Ruderman enjoys acting, it isn't a part of her career plans.

"It's fun to get to be in the lives of other people," she said. "I just always found that interesting."

"In the future I really want to be a pediatrician," said Zoey Ruderman, who said she intends to quit acting before high school.

"The school I'm at now, because it's a charter (iShine Student Center of Springs Charter Schools), they're very understanding when I have to miss school for auditions," she said. "High school is very different."

In her spare time, Zoey Ruderman enjoys watching YouTube videos, hip-hop, tumbling and volleyball. She listed Blake Lively and Zendaya as some of her favorite actors, because "they're both very tall, powerful women … I'm not that short, so I feel like I can relate to them in that sense."

Zoey Ruderman's advice for other actors is to be patient as they pursue roles.

"A lot of people think when you go out to audition you have a huge chance of booking the job. That's usually not the case, the chance is you're not going to book it, sometimes you won't even hear back from the people, so you just have to have patience," she said.

For the most part, Zoey Ruderman has gotten used to the toughness of the audition process. If she doesn't hear back about a regular audition, she said it's not a big deal.

"But say I'm on hold, so it's between me and a few other girls: it stings. But I just have to keep on looking forward … there's always more opportunities."

While Zoey Ruderman's future may lie in areas other than acting, she'll always have the memory of being on TV during the Super Bowl.

Press Enterprise