Chiara and Bianca D’Ambrosio know a thing or two about the entertainment industry. After sharing the role of Summer Newman on the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless at just 2 years old, the twins went on to appear in multiple television series and movies, including Parks and Recreation and Nickelodeon’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn. Now at 19, Chiara and Bianca are Emmy-nominated actors (Chiara won an Emmy in 2021 for her role in the TV series The Bay), SAG-AFTRA members, film producers, and full-time college students.
Since forming their production company, Mirror Image Films, the D’Ambrosio twins have released their first feature project, Sometimes I Think About Dying starring Star Wars trilogy series lead Daisy Ridley, which made its theatrical debut in January 2024 after premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
“We both realized that we wanted to explore in [behind] the camera work,” Chiara tells Her Campus in an exclusive interview. “We were both inspired by the people we worked with on set. It’s a really hard job and you have to be creative, but we love that part of it.”
Before producing Sometimes I Think About Dying, the twins worked on a few short films and several feature projects together, which ultimately fueled their passion for film production. “Producing short films, you have no budget or a small budget, and everyone there is just so passionate,” Chiara says. “Our favorite part of producing is that it’s a collaborative effort. They say it takes a village to raise a baby, but I would say it takes a city to make a movie.”
Sometimes I Think About Dying follows Fran (Ridley), a woman who struggles with her mental health and often thinks about death while working at her office job. It’s not until she meets and forges a relationship with a new co-worker, Robert (Dave Merheje), that things begin to change.
The twins collaborated with Ridley on set to help bring Fran’s story to life, while also becoming close to the actress throughout filming.
“Between takes, Daisy would be making jokes and singing songs. I think that was a really great dynamic. I think also as an actor and to step outside that world even a little bit, it was such a nice technique for her to do,” Bianca says. “Daisy is just so creative and was up to do anything. It was a really great environment, and we were so lucky to have her.”
In addition to being film producers, Chiara and Bianca are also full-time college students. Bianca studies both film and English at the University of California, Berkeley, while Chiara is studying writing for screen and television at the University of Southern California.
As college students and working producers, Chiara and Bianca know how stressful life can get, but they’ve found ways to balance their academics with their growing careers.
“Finding a balance of your to-do list is how I juggle both,” Chaira says.
For Bianca, making time for both her studies and work obligations has taught her a lot about time management. “I prioritize my academics, and once I have completed everything, I shift focus onto my career as a producer,” she says. “It can be challenging at times, but I love both learning and my career, and I squeeze work into my schedule in any free time that I have.
With both having pretty hectic schedules, Bianca and Chiara ensure that they make self-care a priority.
“Taking time to myself and with the people that I love has helped me so much,” Bianca says. “After a long duration of stress, I love staying in and watching a movie to unwind or hanging out with my friends and family. Spending time with loved ones is the best form of self-care.”
Chiara feels the same. “Making sure you have time alone or with friends and family makes a big impact,” she says. “Going through this business with people on your side who will understand and find ways to support you will give you moments to step away for a second. I find that to be the best self-care for me. I also love reading and escaping into different worlds!”
For the college students who would love to have a career in production one day, Chiara says to work hard and trust the process. “It may take a while, and I can consider any part of college or the entertainment industry like a marathon, not a sprint,” she says. “You just have to wait for the perfect time because everything happens for a reason. That can be very hard to hear when you really want something right now, but trust me, it will happen at some point. Whether it’s a month or years from now, you just have to wait for the perfect opportunity and it will come up.”
As for Bianca, she encourages aspiring producers to “follow your heart, because your heart will lead you places so far. Follow that anywhere you go.”