Actress Taylor-Ann Hasselhoff. Photo Credit: Joshua Shultz.

Actress Taylor-Ann Hasselhoff. Photo Credit: Joshua Shultz.

Not all stars travel far in order to pursue their dreams. In fact, some are bred right in the thick of it. Taylor-Ann Hasselhoff, the daughter of the renowned actor David Hasselhoff (known for his roles on Baywatch, The Young and the Restless and Knight Rider), was born in Los Angeles and has modestly disclosed that she used it to her advantage. Hasselhoff feels “right at home” among the glitz and glamour — and perhaps that is because she undeniably is.

Witty and intelligent, the young starlet is a breath of fresh air and one to keep an eye on, as she is quickly making her way up through the ranks of the entertainment industry — from being the president and host of Bellus Magazine and an up-and-coming music artist to being well on her way to becoming a producer and director, this 24-year-old’s accomplishments are undeniably noteworthy. The young entrepreneur has vivacity that is a true inspiration to young adults everywhere, particularly those who wish to bring a certain dose of transformation to their current circumstances.

And the brilliance does not end there. When she’s not hosting the show or filming, this beaming blue-eyed beauty is helping take care of what she affectionately calls “her own mini-farm,” which is pretty much all of her family’s animals. Additionally, according to her Web site, she devotes a portion of her time to helping those less fortunate than herself through charities like Wheels for Humanity, an organization that “increases mobility to children, teens and adults with physical disabilities in developing countries.” But as cliche as it may sound, this animal lover’s true love has always been shining over the City of Angels and her future like the Hollywood star that she is, and therefore, her art is what takes precedence.

Although the decision to dip her toes in the acting world was fully her own, she doesn’t deny the fact that her father was incredibly supportive of her dreams. She remembers that he always told them, “If this is something that you want to do, then you have to give it your 110 percent and never half-ass anything.”

Before fully committing to the industry, she did attend the University of Arizona for two years where she majored in communications. She admits that she did not expect to make anything of the degree, and mostly went to college for the experience. With her dreams already coming true back home, the degree was never finished but memories of university life still give this Wildcat a heavy heart.

The small detour aside, her entering the film industry was not entirely unforeseen after having spent most of her childhood traveling internationally with her family and spending multiple days on set — a perfect environment for someone creative. In fact, she has been acting since she was a little girl, mostly in small reoccurring roles with her sister, Hayley Hasselhoff (she played a child lost at the beach on Baywatch and had one walk-on role on The Young and the Restless).

In 2010, David Hasselhoff received a call to shoot a reunion show of Y&R, prompting the young, career-driven Hasselhoff to make the spontaneous decision of auditioning for a small role as a nurse. After her father pulled some strings, she was called in to do a cold reading and the producers loved her, casting her instinctively. It was “really neat” to be able to work with her father, the proud daughter says recalling the moment.

It wasn’t until she found herself behind the camera for the first time that her passion for film split into two divergent paths, making it clear that her voyage through the showbiz world was only beginning. As she currently pursues her “behind-the-scenes” dreams with a television pilot she is shopping around to major networks, the multitalented ingénue says that the constructive criticism her father often gives is valued by her rather than avoided for fear of rejection or overconfidence. “It is really nice to have someone be honest with you but also support you at the same time.”

Recently, she spent half a year following her father around, filming his life for an innovative documentary that is set to hit the festival circuit later this year. In this exclusive interview, she reveals to GALO why it is important to keep your head high and give it your all, especially when plans change and your journey takes you in a different direction.

GALO Magazine: While being the daughter of someone as renowned as David Hasselhoff has its perks, are you ever worried that it may distract others from recognizing your own individual talents?

Taylor-Ann Hasselhoff: No, actually, I am not. I feel that if people are interested in what I am doing, they are going to be fans of me personally. Of course, because I have the last name, people are going to be interested in kind of exploring what I am doing. This is me and my craft and it’s definitely a cool place to be, even as the daughter of David Hasselhoff.

GALO: As a 24-year old breaking into what seems like all aspects of the entertainment world (music, film and media), how would you describe an average day in your life as the host and president of Bellus?

TAH: A lot of the time, it is just waking up in the morning and making sure the shoot is ready for the day. I then go to [the] hotels and interview [famous] people, put the interviews together and edit those and then put them up on the Web site. That’s usually a normal day for me, just trying to hustle — or going to the studio and writing, and continuing to come up with new ways of making Bellus Magazine and my career as a host a little bit better.

GALO: Would you say you prefer acting or being behind the scenes as a producer or director?

TAH: I would have to say it’s a tie, because I love talking to people as well as being on camera. I feel like since I grew up in that entertainment world, being on camera is just something that is very natural for me. I actually feel like I am more comfortable in front of the camera than behind [it]. But I am now getting into the world of directing, filming and editing, and being part of a magazine. My partner [at Bellus], Joshua Shultz, has been teaching me a lot about how to edit and how to direct and produce. I feel like it’s really cool to be able to be in front of the camera, but being behind it, you are able to know and understand exactly what you need for each interview — and you are able to go back and edit. You don’t have to spend hours editing around things. I feel like it is so important for a host or interviewer to be able to be on both ends, so that they are able to do the best job that they can.