But in the midst of her burgeoning career, Tina Majorino took a five year 'sabbatical' from Hollywood eventually returning to play Deb in the 2004 movie Napoleon Dynamite.
In the new issue of Bello, the 29-year-old divulges how the cult hit taught her a 'huge lesson' and 'reignited my love of filmmaking.'
Tina shows off her sultry side on the publications November issue decked out in a plunging red coat with a set of matching long painted nails.
Her short blonde locks are styled with a rocker edge as she rounds out the glam look with heavy eyeliner, dark lashings of mascara and a pink lip.
With it being the 10th anniversary of the release of Napoleon Dynamite, Tina reflected on her passionate drive to get the part following her self-imposed break from the business.
I read Napoleon Dynamite and instantly I was like, ‘I don’t even care if I get it, I have to audition for this movie!,' she told the magazine.
'I think I was 17 – it was the first script that I read coming out of my sabbatical – and I was like, "this is hilarious."'
She added: 'That film was a huge lesson for me in following my gut. It was pure magic and 100% reignited my love of filmmaking.'
Prior to Napoleon Dynamite, she had starred in a string of films in the '90s including Andre, When A Man Loves A Woman, Corrina, Corrina and Waterworld.
While the 1995 post-apocalyptic film was a box office disappointment, the actress has nothing but fond memories of working with Kevin Costner.
'No matter how crazy everything off the set became, he showed up to work every day just wanting to do the best work possible,' she divulged.
'He loves doing this just for the sake of doing it, and every time [that I’ve collaborated with someone] who has had that mentality, it’s always been a fulfilling experience.'
After recent stints on shows like True Blood and Grey's Anatomy, Tina currently stars on the TNT series Legends.
