If there is anything about the craft of acting that Holly Berwick finds distasteful, uninspiring, or anything short of pure joy, good luck finding it.

Stage work?

“I love it,” says the 17-year-old La Pietra – Hawaii School for Girls senior. “I love working with an ensemble and being able to play characters that are big and bold and loud but also relatable.”

Film?

“Love it,” she says. “I like being able to transform a character that exists on paper and bring it to screen, to take the vision of the screenwriter and be that bridge to the audience.”

But surely there must be challenges?

“Comedy is really difficult for me,” Berwick allows.

Aha! So Berwick hates comedy!

“It’s definitely a challenge but I love it,” she says. “If you love what you’re doing, challenges are fun.”

Oy vey.

Berwick’s love of acting is no first crush, no vacation romance. She started as a child model, appearing in catalogs and the occasional pageant. School productions and formal acting classes followed, stoking in Berwick not just a love of performing but also an appreciation of the practice and preparation that birth magical moments on stage or in front of the camera.

Indeed, despite her relatively young age, Berwick has already spent many years refining her acting chops and learning how to delve deep into the roles she accepts. In addition to her local training, she also attended a New York Film Academy Program that put her in touch with other young, aspiring actors and filmmakers.

“It was really exciting being around people who have the same passion as I do and who want to make the most of their talents,” she said.

Berwick has discovered a similar sort of synergy through her interactions with the Kaiser High School Media Communications Learning Center.

Berwick first encountered the program when she was cast in the title role of Makana Richter’s short film, “Remembering Margo.” The film has since drawn widespread attention with its inclusion in the All American High School Film Festival in New York, and Berwick has continued to work with Learning Center participants in developing new film projects.

Acting aside, Berwick is active in several school clubs and committees, including Kids for a Cause, which each year raises thousands of dollars for charitable causes statewide.

A year from now, Berwick will likely be attending college on the mainland, certainly pursuing her dream of becoming a professional actress.

Despite her boundless enthusiasm, Berwick said she is realistic about the future.

“Here in Hawaii, it was difficult to get parts because I don’t look local,” she says. “But once I get to Los Angeles, I know that there will be so many other actresses who look like me and I’ll just be one of many.”

Then again, Berwick loves a good challenge.

“I just love acting,” she says. “It’s what I want to do all day, every day.”

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.