Tisha Custodio was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the US with her family when she was three years old. For most of her childhood, she lived with her grandma and aunt, so there were constant Filipino parties — which entails a lot of karaoke. Her relatives encouraged young Tisha to sing “A Whole New World,” so much that it spontaneously ignited her love for performing (and her love for Lea Salonga). She then found a video of Lea Salonga auditioning for Miss Saigon. This series of events triggered something inside, sparkeding her passion for the arts and ultimately leading to her decision to pursue a creative career path.

“It felt like a switch inside of me turned on, because after that, I knew that I wanted to do what she was doing. This then led me to audition for the Acting conservatory at Orange County School of the Arts.”

Tisha has been cast in the brand new Disney+ series “Big Shot” alongside veteran talent John Stamos. This role initially came across her radar after her reps sent her the information about the audition. She recalls reading through the script with a friend and thinking to herself,

This show feels like it’s going to be something special.”
“I actually first auditioned for Louise and was a little nervous, because something about that character didn't really click with me. However, a week later, the casting director asked if I could come back in for Mouse and the rest was history.”

Tisha provided some further insight into the portrayal of her character Carolyn “Mouse” Smith:

“Mouse comes from a military family and is very orderly in the way she does things. She’s also one of the younger members on the basketball team, so she’s still trying to figure out where she fits in both as a player and a person. Throughout this season, we see her coming into her own with the help of her coach and her teammates.”

Working with the entire cast of “Big Shot” was an incredible experience for the young actress, especially with this being her first big project. “It was so nice to have actors who have been in this industry for a while to learn from. I’m also super grateful for the girls because we’re all at the start of our careers and it’s nice to have people to navigate this journey with.”

Tisha talked about her preparation for the role and her process of getting into character:

“Working on Mouse, especially for this first season, was really fun because I was constantly uncovering new things for me to play with every single day. I really started this project with the main characteristics about her (being from a military family, being very matter of fact and structured about things) as a baseline - it really wasn’t until the last few episodes where I feel like I had the character as fleshed out as I wanted her to be.
My process of getting into character — it always starts with me reading the script multiple times and figuring out where the character fits into the overarching story. From there, I’ll look for facts about my character and her relationships with the other characters.”

There are so many stories from set, but one moment in particular stands out amongst all of the memories.

“One of my favorite days was when John asked if I had my guitar on me because it was Dewey from the band America’s birthday, and he wanted me to sing for him. My dad and I love that band, so it was a pretty special moment for me.”

Susan Kelechi Watson, Natalie Portman, and Anna Kendrick have been really inspirational figures in Tisha’s life throughout her acting journey — not just because they’re incredible at their craft, but as women who stand out radiantly with such powerful strength and intelligence.

Tisha shared the one film that changed her life and set everything in stone for her to pursue acting as her career; the only choice she saw for her future. She couldn’t picture herself doing anything else. This was her calling. She also expressed her thoughts on the challenging and rewarding aspects of being an actor:

“The movie that made me realize that acting is really the only thing I want to do for the rest of my life is ‘Room.’ I don’t exactly know what it was about that particular movie, but it definitely made enough of an impact on me to tell my parents that I don't want to be in any other industry.
I think the most challenging part about being an actor today is the added importance of a social media presence. I love being able to present myself in a more authentic way, but sometimes it’s a little pressuring. The most rewarding part of it is getting to meet and work with really cool people you might not have gotten the chance to meet if you weren’t an actor.

If Tisha wasn’t an actress, she would consider pursuing another profession as a psychologist. “I would probably be a psychologist. It’s pretty similar to what drew me to acting in the first place: being interested in understanding how different people respond and process things.”

The three main causes that Tisha is passionate about are sustainability, representation in media, and mental health awareness.

One of her teachers relayed the best piece of advice she’s been given:

“I had a teacher who always reminded us of the importance of having a beginner’s mindset. There is always so much more to learn, especially as an artist, and being open to growth at all times is imperative.”

Music is her other passion in life. “I’ve been playing the guitar and singing for as long as I can remember, but didn’t really take it seriously until a couple years ago. I’ve been writing my own music and definitely would love to pursue music in the future.

Some of my biggest influences are Madison Cunningham, Sara Bareilles, and Adrianne Lenker. I think they’re incredible in the way that they sound current, yet there are elements nodding to other musical inspirations like Joni Mitchell, Elliott Smith, and Jeff Buckley.”

So what’s next for Tisha? She has many creative aspirations for her future.

“I have a bunch of things I’d like to achieve in the future - mainly to play and write more music. In terms of acting, I’d like to portray characters with story arcs that deal with important subjects that aren’t as highlighted in mainstream media - characters who are unashamedly human.”

Tisha shared with Rival what she geeks out about (movies!), a list of favorites, what makes her feel nostalgic, and what inspires her.

“I get way too excited about movies! My best friend is studying to be a filmmaker and we spend a good amount of time watching movies and discussing.

My all-time favorites are:

Cinema Paradiso

The Lobster

Room

Gone Girl

Million Dollar Baby

Parasite

Good Will Hunting

Labyrinth

The Princess Diaries makes me feel nostalgic. I used to watch it all the time with my grandma, and now it feels like a big warm blanket. Good new music inspires me. I’m constantly on shuffle on Spotify, and there will always be a new artist with a unique new sound that will make me stop and give me new creative ideas.”

Tisha concluded our conversation with advice for other aspiring artists:

“There are always going to be rough patches, especially if you’re pursuing a creative path. My best advice would be: while it’s important to stay resilient through the hard times, it’s even more important to acknowledge all the successes you’ve already accomplished.”

Be sure to follow Tisha on Instagram to keep up with her journey!

https://instagram.com/tishacustodio

And catch the premiere of “Big Shot” on Disney+ this upcoming April 16th!

Meet the Author

Bri Rodriguez is a writer and photographer from Tallahassee, Florida. Always passionate about the arts - she’s been an avid reader and writer ever since she was a young girl - finding solace in books, exploring literary worlds, and the ability to express herself and tell stories through the written word. Her education in Commercial Photography Technology opened new doors for her artistry; she is currently in pursuit of her bachelors in English to further her studies in literature and creative writing and hone her craft. She aspires to forge her own path as a content creator and delve deeper into the entertainment industry. Bri contributes her writing to multiple publications and actively seeks out new opportunities, which led to her joining the Rival team.
Connect with Bri on her socials:
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Meet Tisha Custodio: Up-and-coming star takes on Disney+ series “Big Shot” with veteran actor John Stamos

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