Caroline Sunshine, a former Disney Channel star, has joined the White House press office in the Donald Trump administration.
According to CNN, Sunshine, 22, will be a press assistant in the office. The office has seen a number of shakeups with the previous resignations of Sean Spicer and Hope Hicks to name a few. Sunshine has developed experiences in politics and humanitarian work in addition to her acting resume.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Sunshine Played ‘Tinka’ on a Disney Series & Was in the Movie ‘Marmaduke’
Actress Caroline Sunshine arrives at Nickelodeon’s 26th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards at USC Galen Center on March 23, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.
According to the Disney Channel, Sunshine played “Tinka” in the Disney Channel Comedy series “Shake it up,” which also starred Zendaya and Bella Thorne.
The Tinka character was described by Disney Channel as a “unique, theatrical and particularly ambitious dancer from a fictional country.”
The Channel continued, “Her taste in attire is loud and catchy and celebrates her love of performing.” Sunshine had only recently decided to pursue professional acting when she landed the Disney Channel gig. Her first role was playing Barbara Winslow in the movie Marmaduke, starring Owen Wilson.
She also has starred in commercials for Cap’n Crunch and Yoplait Go-Gurt.
2. Sunshine Started Acting as Goldie Locks in a School Play
Caroline Sunshine.
Caroline Sunshine “got her start in the business at the age of three, when she performed in a ballet recital and fell in love with the stage,” according to the Disney Channel. “In kindergarten, she played Goldie Locks in her classroom play.”
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She is not married. In one 2016 post with a man, she wrote on Instagram, “You are my dearest friend. My love. The very best of me. ❤️ #3years.”
She once wrote on Instagram, “My friend Sijia is from China and is spending all four years of college in the United States. There is a Marine Corps veteran at my college finishing his degree. Those are just a couple of examples. I’m inspired by the unique sacrifices my peers and their families are making every day to achieve their dreams.”
3. Sunshine Was Born in Atlanta & Loves Dancing & Baking
Caroline Sunshine.
According to The Disney Channel, Sunshine was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and “enjoys dancing, travelling, baking, and outdoor activities including snorkeling and rafting.” When she was on Disney, she was said to live in Orange County, California with her dad, Thom, her mother, Karen, and two younger brothers named Johnny and Chris, Disney Channel reported.
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She posted a tribute to her dad on Father’s Day, calling him, “My best friend in the whole wide world.❤️” According to IMDB, she trained as a dancer. “Caroline grew up with a love for the arts, immersing herself in dance, film, television, and music. Her grandmother showed her all the old Hollywood classics, while Saturday morning movies with her dad were a regular occurrence,” IMDB reports. “Over the years leading up to high school Caroline trained professionally as a dancer [specifically in ballet], a talent that she would go on to use for the future film and TV projects.”
4. Sunshine Was a White House Intern Before Getting the Press Office Gig
GettyActress Caroline Sunshine (L) and Radio Disney On-Air personality Hallie Ashford attend the Minnie Gifting Lounge during the 2013 Radio Disney Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on April 27, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.
The White House position is not Sunshine’s first foray into the world of politics. She was previously a White House intern.
“Caroline Sunshine was a White House intern. In college, she was involved with the American Enterprise Institute and an active member of her school’s Model United Nations team. Prior to her internship at the White House, Caroline interned for the Office of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the College Republican National Committee and the California Republican Party,” White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters told CNN.
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Sunshine posted about the UN experience, writing on Instagram, “Actress by day, Model UN nerd by night. ?So proud to share this award with Fiona and our awesome team!!! #HarvardMUN #ModelUnitedNations.” According to IMDB, after “Shake It Up,” Caroline headed off to college, studying international relations and economics.
She worked “at the Mgrublian Center for Human Rights, she is on the Model United Nations Team [ranked #1 on the west coast and #6 in the nation] and she writes for the campus magazine The Vanguard, which focuses on technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship,” according to IMDB.
5. Sunshine Has a Large Social Media Following & Once Compared Herself to Legally Blonde
Actress Caroline Sunshine attends the world premiere of Disney Pixar’s “Monsters University” at the El Capitan Theatre on June 17, 2013 in Hollywood, California.
Sunshine has more than 230,000 followers on Instagram. Her most recent post, in January 2017, was about acting. “Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?! Watch the premiere of #MommyIDidntDoIt tonight!?” she wrote.
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With one video, she wrote, “10 years later we are still turning water bottles into microphones and singing off key Shania Twain songs on Christmas Eve!! Believe it or not I act like this without the help of alcohol??” She posted an “I voted” sticker in 2016 but didn’t reveal her choice. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not,” she wrote, quoting The Lorax.
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With one photo from childhood, she wrote, “Photo evidence of the portion of my childhood where I wanted nothing more than to be ELLE WOODS. Still love what she stands for–sass, class, and smarts! #legallyblonde15.”