When Tara Correa-McMullen was 14, she got the kind of big break that aspiring actors long for -- a recurring role on the TV show "Judging Amy."
She played a former gang member who over the course of the season is urged by the show's main character to turn her life around. At the end of the season, however, her character is killed in prison.
Last week, Tara, 16, was hanging out with friends in front of an apartment complex in Inglewood when she was fatally shot. Police described her as the innocent victim of a gang-related shooting.
Friends, family and Hollywood colleagues gathered Friday to say goodbye to Tara, who died as she was struggling to build her career. This summer, 20th Century Fox released her first feature film, "Rebound," in which she played one of the middle school basketball players coached by Martin Lawrence.
They remembered a girl who loved to perform, playing the piano at age 4 and dancing and singing as a youngster.
They also remembered her as staying firmly grounded despite her rising star. On the set of "Rebound," her parents said in their eulogy, Tara made a point of eating with crew members rather than with the other actors. The crew brought her a cake to celebrate her 15th birthday on the set.
"She didn't judge anyone," her parents, Devora Correa and Thomas McMullen, wrote in the eulogy, which was read by an employee at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park Hollywood Hills. "Whether they were a grip or a caterer, it didn't matter to her. She made friends with everyone at every level."
"The girl stood out in a crowd," they added. "She had a special energy and an infectious personality."
Besides singing and acting, Tara loved to dance, practice martial arts and spend time with her family, her parents said. She was especially close to her older sister, Abigail, 18, and they would often sing together during family get-togethers.
Abigail sang "Amazing Grace" during the memorial service but had to stop when she was overcome by emotion. "I can't sing anymore," Abigail said tearfully as she walked from the podium.
Inglewood police said Tara was shot several times in the torso while standing outside an apartment complex on East Plymouth Street about 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 21. Two men were also shot but survived. Authorities said they didn't know why she was there. Detectives don't have any suspects, and they were unsure if the shooting was a drive-by or a walk-up crime.
