Season 3 of the ABC hit series "The Goldbergs" wrapped filming in March, leaving one of the show's young stars with one less career to worry about, at least for a little while.
Hayley Orrantia, 22, has a full enough schedule. Along with her budding acting career as Erica on "The Goldbergs" she'll also star alongside Melissa Joan Hart and Jesse Metcalfe in "God's Not Dead 2" later this month.
Orrantia, a native of Arlington, Texas, is also a singer and songwriter and a reluctant fashion icon of sorts. She recently served as a guest on a fashion panel at Neiman Marcus in Atlanta.
"I've always kind of jumped from one style to the next," said Orrantia by phone from Texas on one of her rare off days. "I've gotten girlier as time goes on."
She describes her sense of style as "kind of southern chic," due to her easy transition from "being in sneakers to being in cowboy boots, depending on the weather."
"The Goldbergs" is filmed in a Southern California studio while the show depicts the lives of an American family in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania during the 1980s. Orrantia's character can easily be described as the family's most fashion-conscious member, but that's not necessarily how Orrantia would describe herself now or during her teenage years in Texas.
"I remember growing up in school and not wearing what everyone else wore," she said. "Now, I think it's just my style." Asked to describe her go-to outfit Orrantia said, "a pair of high-waisted denim shorts, a tank-top and a pair of Steve Madden boots."
Orrantia has been singing and acting since she was very young, getting her first official acting gig at age 15. "I was the girl in the video that comes on before the movie starts telling you turn off your cell phone," said Orrantia.
In July 2012, at 18 years old she sang the classic "I Can't Make You Love Me" at the Dream Big benefit concert in Temecula, California.
Along with more acting work came an equal amount of opportunities to show off her vocal prowess. Her single "Love Sick," co-written with Mark Bright and Corey Crowder, takes her soft but mature-for-her-age vocals and blends a country music sound with a pop feel for a perfect summer song.
Another single, "Haste Verte" (which translates as Until Then) takes full advantage of Orrantia's vocal strengths while displaying her proud Mexican heritage (she's also part English, French and Irish). Orrantia's debut EP "Strong, Sweet and Southern" is set for release later this month. The title track, said Orrantia, is a "fun, swingy kind of bluesy song with a country music influence."
The panel appearance was Orrantia's first visit to Atlanta but she didn't have too much time to look around. She was off to perform at the Off The Rails Music Festival in Frisco, Texas -- a Dallas suburb -- just a few days later. Orrantia performed songs off of the new EP along with a few country music classics.
These days Orrantia's singing isn't confined to just the studio and festivals. Writers and showrunners for "The Goldbergs" have written singing opportunities into recent episodes to take advantage of her talent. "I'm very happy that they're letting me do that," she said. "It's been so much fun as the show gets better and better."
Hayley Orrantia, singer, songwriter, budding super star actress and fashionista, has her hands full these days but from the looks of things there's much more on the horizon.
Like the song says, "Hasta Verte," until then, we'll wait and watch.
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