Tulsa native Katie Hawkins makes acting debut in Hallmark Channel movie “Puppy Love”

Katie Hawkins stars as ten-year-old Caitlin, who begs her mom to adopt a dog (Bug Z) to keep her company, but soon faces losing him when someone claims the dog was his first. Photo: Copyright 2012 Crown Media Holdings, Inc./Photographer Alexx Henry

(This story was published Sept. 3, 2012 in the Life section of The Oklahoman.)

Saturday night will be a big night for Tulsa native Katie Hawkins.

Hawkins, 12, will gather with family and friends in her hometown to watch her acting debut at 8 p.m. in the Hallmark Channel movie “Puppy Love.”

In “Puppy Love,” Hawkins plays Caitlin, a 10-year-old who has recently relocated to a new town with her mother, Megan (Candace Cameron Bure). Megan lets Caitlin adopt a dog to help her adjust, not knowing the dog Caitlyn chooses is the beloved lost dog of a baseball player they met briefly as they were leaving the animal shelter.

Hawkins has been temporarily living in Los Angeles, along with her mother, Cristie, and younger brother, Scott. Part of her family relocated so Hawkins could work on her modeling and acting career, which took flight after she attended ProScout Dallas early last year and then signed with Abrams Artists and Paradigm talent agencies.

Hawkins’ father, Bill, an ear, nose and throat doctor, is maintaining his practice in Tulsa, and her older brother, Ryan, attends the University of Oklahoma.

“My mom is a radiologist, so she works from home … and my dad flies out almost every Thursday … We’re still really close to each other. And it hasn’t changed anything. We Skype every night,” Hawkins said in a phone interview with The Oklahoman.

“Puppy Love” was a wonderful beginning for her acting career, according to Hawkins, who has wanted to be an actress since the age of 4.

“It was a great experience. I’m so blessed to have the experience. The other people in it were so nice to me. And, it was really interesting to see what they do. The dogs are super-smart and trained, and they put (chicken-flavored) baby food on your cheek bone, and the dog will come up to you and lick it, and, so, it looks like it’s just coming to you. You give them treats, and they’re really nice dogs,” she said.

Working with Bure was also beneficial for the young performer.

“She is really nice, and she’s a great actress, and I look up to her. And, I always try to act as well as she can. She helped with some of the things that I did.”