There’s a first time for everything

ANXIETY nearly got the better of Charlie Ray several times during production of the romantic comedy “Little Manhattan.” But who can really blame her? She was 11 and had never acted before professionally.

“I was just so nervous about everything,” confesses Ray, who is now 13. “I had never done anything in front of the cameras before. We had some rehearsals before we shot, and I got a better feeling for everything. And then the director helped me a lot getting into character. I worked on the script and felt more comfortable with it.”

Written by Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin, who also directed, “Little Manhattan” (to be released Sept. 30) revolves around two 11-year-olds, Ray and co-star Josh Hutcherson, also 13, who meet in karate class one summer and fall in love. Ray’s Rosemary hails from a wealthy, happy family, while Hutcherson’s Gabe is dealing with his parents’ impending divorce.

It was Ray’s aunt who saw the ad for an open casting call for the role of Rosemary. “From the description, she thought of me,” Ray said. “I couldn’t make the open call, but my mom asked me if I wanted to send in a picture.

“After that I kept getting more callbacks. Then I got the screen test and I got the movie.”

Ray, who made “Little Manhattan” in summer 2004, hasn’t worked since. But the New York native did go on a few auditions during the school year, but this summer “I went to camp for the first time and kind of relaxed and took it easy,” she says.