Words by Corinne Furey
Sussex County child actor Lynden Prosser scores his first leading role on the big screen in Children of the Sea.
“I want to be on TV.”
As a parent, sibling or former child yourself, you’ve probably heard these same words. It’s normal for many kids to imagine themselves joining their favorite characters on the big screen. However, for most, this dream doesn’t become reality.
But for one boy in Sussex County, this initial declaration was just the beginning.
“I want to be on TV, Mom. How do I get there?”
Lynden Prosser knew exactly what he wanted from age 5 when he first asked his mom for a chance to be onscreen. So he chased his dream, enrolling in theater camps and acting workshops.
After seven years and 75 auditions, Lynden got his big break earlier this year when he was cast in the Japanese anime film Children of the Sea as the voice of the main character, Umi.
“I was shocked—and really excited,” Lynden says of the moment his mom broke the news in the school carpool lane.
He had recorded his audition tape with a cellphone inside his kitchen pantry. Now he’d get to travel to a big New York City studio, where he’d meet the challenge of matching his voice to the prerecorded graphics of the anime film, which follows the journey of a 14-year-old girl who befriends two sea-loving boys at her father’s aquarium.
Mastering dolphin-like noises and scenes where his character Umi was enthusiastically running took practice, Lynden explains.
“I also needed to portray my emotions in my voice, which could be hard sometimes,” he says. “But I enjoy the process.”
How does a 12-year-old student athlete balance an acting job with family, school and four sports?
“School comes first, before hockey, before acting,” he says. He’s also got chores and homework, and schedules time for kid things, like riding bikes with friends and making YouTube videos.
As if that isn’t enough, Lynden has also started his own sports podcast.
Children of the Sea was set to premiere in theaters nationwide, but due to COVID-19, that screening turned into a small gathering of friends and family at Rehoboth’s Movies at Midway.
When Lynden and his family saw the film on the big screen for the first time, they were amazed.
“It’s just where he belongs,” says his mother, Leanne Prosser. “He’s just so comfortable and confident.”
With a full week of premieres at Midway and a meet-and-greet and autograph session with fans, Lynden enjoyed a taste of his rising stardom.
“There was a period in my acting career when I was impatient,” he says. “I know that it all pays off when you’re patient. … My advice to child actors and all actors is: Don’t get discouraged.”
Ultimately, Lynden would like to be a sports host.
To combine ice hockey, basketball and entertain—“that’s my dream job,” he says.
Stay tuned. He’s just getting started.
