Tervis Tumbler commercial features Lakewood 6-year-old

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Six-year-old Lexi Kahler may not be a superstar, but the McNeal Elementary School student soon may be garnering international attention.

Lexi, a resident of Greenbrook, is making her film debut on two commercials on Tervis Tumbler’s website. The pieces, which offer ideas for using Tervis Tumblers as gifts, began airing this month.

“I put a Tervis Tumbler in the dishwasher,” Lexi said proudly of her role in the advertisement.

Lexi’s mom, Jennifer, first heard about auditions for a Tervis Tumbler commercial in October through the Drama Kids program at Imagine School at Lakewood Ranch. The program’s director, Tamara Solum, sent out an e-mail about the commercial.

“They asked if people wanted to post headshots,” Jennifer Kahler said. “We didn’t have headshots, so I just picked a cute picture of Lexi. She’s beautiful, but you never know what they’re looking for — and I’m biased.”

But it wasn’t long before the Kahlers learned their daughter had been selected.

Three days before filming, Lexi received a copy of the script to practice. And on Halloween, she and her mom headed to a home multi-million-dollar home on the Manatee River for the film shoot.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Lexi said. “I thought I was going to do good.”

Lexi practiced her lines — as well as her part putting a Tervis Tumbler in the dishwasher — before the filming began.

Although there was quite a bit of waiting to do during the film shoot, Lexi said she still had fun.

“It feels awesome,” said Lexi, noting her friends and family outside the East County also would be able to see her piece. “(The commercials) looked good.”

Lexi’s parents couldn’t be more thrilled.

“We’re always proud of her,” Jennifer Kahler said. “She worked really hard learning her lines.

Her dad, Jeff, agreed.

“She always rises to the occasion,” he said.

Jennifer Kahler said the family is not actively seeking any other parts for Lexi, but they aren’t ruling opportunities out, either.

“You never know what the future may bring,” Jennifer Kahler said.

In Lexi’s spare time, she enjoys the Drama Kids program, playing basketball and cheerleading as part of McNeal’s enrichment program and with her sister, Madison, for the East Manatee Bulldogs.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

Click here to view the commercials. Lexi is in both the “Tervis Holiday Gift Baskets” and “Cookie Gifts with Tervis” videos.