By Johnny Duncan

It’s not everyday that a fresh, new neighborhood face is cast as the lead role in a soon to be box-office hit movie. But, the day did come for 15-year-old Lexi Johnson of southeast Orlando. Well, actually, the fateful day occurred after years of hard work. At three years old, her big break was being runner-up in a national Kid’s Search competition. That led to a five-year contract with Wilhelmina Models of New York, shooting national commercials for well-known brands.

Now, Lexi has the lead role in her first major movie, “Mandie and the Secret Tunnel,” a full-length feature movie based on the “Mandie” books, written by Lois Leppard, coming to the big screen in the summer of 2008. The “Mandie” series, there are 40 books in all, illustrate the life and times of one very adventurous girl who comes of age coping with the ever-changing and sometimes surprising circumstances that surround her.

Co-starring with Lexi is Dean Jones, famous for his roles in a string of Disney movies ranging from “The Love Bug” to “That Darn Cat.” He couldn’t say enough of Lexi’s professionalism and natural talent; a prevailing sentiment that rang true with both cast and crew throughout the movie’s production.

“Mandie and the Secret Tunnel,” in the tradition of “Little House on the Prairie,” is set in the early 1900’s, and was shot at various locations in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Mandie is raised in difficult times and questionable circumstances, and so she learns to embellish life through her own adventures. Coming of age, her adventures intensify, exposing her to the truths of her past and, eventually, to a highly unanticipated future.