When Tacoma Weekly caught up recently by phone with Rosanna Pansino, she was stoked about being invited to attend the Hollywood premiere of the new blockbuster film “The Expendables.” Just the day before, the Seattle born and raised Pansino was here in Tacoma visiting friends and family, but she had to jet back into work mode for a stint at Comic-Con in San Diego to work a mini press tour for the reality TV show she is in called “Scream Queens 2” on VH1 (which airs Aug. 2). Taking a short break from the Con, this up-and-coming actress talked about her life in “the business” and how a Northwest girl from humble beginnings came to live the glamorous life with top celebrities like “Expendables” stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Jet Li.

Well, “glamorous” may be overstating it a bit. Yes, there are moments of glitz and glam like film premieres and red carpet awards ceremonies, but talking to Pansino one quickly learns that her work is also a job just like any other where dedication and professionalism are keys to success. “And some dumb luck as well,” Pansino remarked. A down-to-earth type of soul and very easy to chat with, it’s obvious that Pansino keeps one foot on the ground as she reaches for the stars.

“It seems like everything lined up. I moved here (to California), I had the talent, and I was very ready, willing and eager to work.”

From filming “Scream Queens 2” - in which Pansino competed against other budding young actresses to win a breakout role in a Lionsgate horror film - she landed a role in the hit TV show “Glee.” She laughed as she talked about it. “I have the smallest role in the world - a cheerleader - and I get to wear a cute little McKinley High uniform. I feel blessed to be part of it even in a small way.”

She just landed her first guest starring role as well, playing the young, nerdy and bespectacled Leia Finkelbaum in the new MTV show “Warren the Ape,” which airs Aug. 9 at 10:30 p.m. “I can’t give away much, but I can say she saves the day. It was so much fun playing her.”

Reflecting on “Scream Queens 2,” Pansino said some actors won’t do reality shows because they have a hard time shaking whatever image of themselves comes across into America’s homes. Pansino, however, saw working in “Scream Queens 2” as an opportunity for the opposite to happen - to stretch her acting chops and thus avoid being typecast.

“I was really open to doing this show because it was about acting and the genre of horror. I’m new to that; I’ve always done comedies and romantic comedies. This was horror actor boot camp and I wanted to go out of my acting comfort zone so I wouldn’t be typecast right away.”

Her strategy seems to be effective. Not only has she been getting a variety of acting roles to play, she was chosen to appear in a photo shoot for the October 2009 issue of Italian men’s magazine “L’Uomo Vogue” with Los Angeles basketball star Kobe Bryant.

From the time she was a kid, Pansino was acting out storybooks and literary characters. Her family had no television back then, so the children read books. “I have a huge imagination and I loved telling the stories. I still do.” Upon entering high school she took drama classes and starred as Sandy in her school’s musical production of “Grease.”

“That was when my love for acting really blossomed,” she said.

Pansino continued taking acting classes while attending college at Pacific Lutheran University. Upon graduating with a degree in communications, she wanted to see the world and headed for China. There she lived, taught and worked side-by-side with students, teachers and government officials in a program aimed at alleviating poverty through education. She earned the title of “Educational Goodwill Ambassador” from Tsinghua University in Beijing for displaying the best of America’s cultural values while practicing global citizenship at the grassroots level.

From there, she returned to acting. “It just felt right, that this is what I’m supposed to be doing.” She moved back to her home state, and after being cast in Seattle as Ensign Kelly in the independent film series “Star Trek: Phoenix,” she made the decision to move to Los Angeles in 2009. The rest, as they say, is history - albeit history in the making, as Pansino has just begun to make a name for herself.

“To me, this is one of the oddest jobs in the world. Being on set is like watching controlled chaos. There’s so much going on, but there’s also a lot of waiting around. But as soon as the director says ‘scene’s up!’ you have to be on your game and ready to go.”