McKenzie's Biography
I got McKenzie's Biography off Of her Official Site....Click the banner to go to her site!
Mckenzie was born on April 26, 1977, in Van Nuys, California, and has lived there her entire life. She is half Canadian and still has dual citizenship. She is also partly Norwegian, French, Irish, Scottish, English and Native American Indian (Cherokee). She is 5'8", she has blue eyes and blonde hair, and measurements are 35c-24-35. McKenzie is Christian and currently single.
Mac says "My family is very cool". My great-grandfather, George Westmore founded the first makeup department around 1927. Her grandfather, Montague Westmore was the hairstylist and makeup artist for Gone With The Wind.
Her father, Michael Westmore, is a master makeup artist who has won nine Emmy's and an Oscar, for the film Mask. He is known among Star Trek fans because he is the makeup designer and supervisor whose name appears in the credits at the end of every Star Trek episode. Mac's Mom, Marion Westmore, was a model for costume designer Edith Head. She has a sister named Michele who is married to Tony and a brother named Michael who is married to Suzanne. She's the youngest!
Her parents met while working together at Universal Studios and they have been married for 35 years. Her brother Michael is a film and television editor, and her sister Michele is a business manager and account manager serving clients in the entertainment industry. Mac Says "My family is just the greatest". "I love them all and I know I have their support no matter what I do."
She graduated in 1995 from the L.A. County High School for the Arts in music and theater. She then went on to junior college at Valley and Pierce and pursued modeling on the side. She had been accepted to the University of Cincinnati School for the Arts when She got the call to do Passions.
She began acting at 15 months of age, doing a commercial for Bold detergent. Next was "Raging Bull" at 3 and a half years old in which She played Robert DeNiro's daughter. Don't ask her what it was like to work with DeNiro, She doesnt remember it at all! She had a major professional stumbling block when she became VERY shy, so her parents enrolled me in acting classes to draw her out of her "shell." It must have worked because then she started doing musicals and plays in school which included Captain Hook in "Peter Pan," Snow White in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves," Shelby in "Steel Magnolias," Audrey in "Little Shop of Horrors," the Matchgirl in "The Happy Prince," two presentations of "The Sound of Music," once as Elsa and the second as Maria, Dido in "Dido and Aeneas," Viola in "Twelfth Night," Diane in "Lend Me a Tenor," and Dunyasha in "The Cherry Orchard." Whew!
Her theater training includes Shakespeare at "A Noise Within," The Howard Fine Acting Studio, a master class with Uta Hagen, the California Youth Theater, Living the Art Institute, The Lee Strasburg Institute, Young Actors Space, and at her high school, The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. It was just like Fame! She has also had vocal training with Albert Hague, Rene Orin, Dorothy Warenskjold, Florence Riggs, Perryne Anker, and Karen Vickers. She is a coloratura soprano.
Her first television role was on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," as Rose. She has also appeared as Jessica in "Weird Science," Ensign Jenkins in "Star Trek: Voyager," and as Mindy on "Days of Our Lives."
About Passions: McKenzie says "I love working with everyone on the show, from the cast to the crew! There are no egos. We are like one big, happy family. Working with Galen is great. We have so much fun together and are always laughing! Dalton and I laugh a lot too. We are always quoting something from Dumb and Dumber."
As to the audition for Passions: Mac says "I initially went in to read for the part of Gwen and got called back for it. When I met with the producers, they thought I was more of a Sheridan type. So I got called in again but that time it was to test on camera as Sheridan. I was so excited because I knew I was getting closer and closer! A few weeks later they called me to come back, only that time wearing something much sexier. I went out with my mom, bought a long red dress, took it to get cut off as a short dress and wore it to the final audition! I celebrated my birthday on Monday April 26 and when I blew out the candles, I made a wish to get the part. The very next day, I got the call and was told that I had to leave for Paris that Sunday! Before I left for Paris, however, I had to read with Dalton as Hank and three contenders for Luis, Galen being one of them. I knew right away that he would get the part!"
McKenzie really enjoys rollerblading, horseback riding (she used to compete in English-style riding and gymnastics on horseback!), kickboxing, writing poetry, playing with her cat and dog, singing everything from opera to pop (for which she has been in training for 10 years), dancing (she has been training in jazz, ballet and hip-hop), running, weight lifting, and studying fitness. She just completed the certification program and is now a certified fitness and training instructor!
She has a dog named Misha, who is an Armenian terrier and three cats, Mickey (A Maine Coon), Dot, and Smudge. She has had pet rats, frogs, rabbits, hamsters, etc. She LOVES animals! She currently drives a Toyota Rav 4 and her dream cars are the '57 Chevy, the Mercedes-Benz Gullwing, and the Porsche 911. She loves all kinds of music from opera to alternative.
Favorite Bands: Foo Fighters and Dave Mathews Band.
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Fast Food: Pizza
Favorite Ice Cream: Carbo-lite which is frozen yogurt made from protein.
Favorite Colors: Red, turquoise, and purple
Favorite Movies: "Gone with the Wind," "Moonstruck," "Dumb and Dumber," and "Sixth Sense"
Favorite TV Shows: "I Love Lucy," "Will and Grace," and "Ally McBeal"
Favorite Animals: Meerkat (Timon of "Lion King" is an animated Meerkat) and the Harp Seal
Bad Habit: Biting her nails! That's why she has acrylics!!
Treasured Possession: A cross ring that her parents gave her.