In real life, she is a 15-year old, who on this day is vacationing with her family at the W Honolulu hotel, dressed in casual clothes with a snug top and short denim skirt.

"The best thing about acting on TV is that when you're having a bad day, you forget it and concentrate on your role," Smith said. "It's great therapy."

Smith has a cheerful smile radiating from a sunny face as she answers a knock on the door. Here, she realizes she is a local, who combats the humidity by going to the beach. There's hardly a trace of her Hollywood self without the bright lights of a studio set.

Because she's a minor regularly appearing on network TV, she's had to make some adjustments to keep up with her education. A junior at North Hollywood High, she works with a tutor for three hours every school day she's on call for filming.

"It's a challenge to maintain school with work, but my teachers understand that I'm an entertainment magnet; sometimes I'm allowed to turn in my assignments late."

She attended Punahou School for three years before resettling in Los Angeles and still stays in touch with her Honolulu friends.

The first thing she did upon returning home was "watch the rainbow." In smoggy L.A., a rainbow is as elusive as that pot of gold, Smith said.

Then she hit the beach.

Asia Smith sees many parallels between her life and that of Sierra, her character on "The Young And Restless." Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Smith has been lucky; she didn't have to undergo stressful auditions to land the Sierra role. The part was created for her by her dad, Jack Smith, the producer and head writer for "The Young and the Restless," so she had no competition. She didn't even have to audition — which meant pressure in the form of doing well, not stumbling and overcoming wagging tongues about the special treatment.

"I had to prove myself," said Smith. "First, I was an extra, and now I'm a secondary character. I've made friendships, I've developed relationships. I think I've become my own person."

Because her role is secondary, she was able to take a week-plus off during a school break and soak up the Island sun and catch up with pals. "I'm not needed every day on the set except for a specific story line," she said. "And yes, the show is still going on."

"For now, it's a stepping stone; perhaps once I'm out of school, I want to eventually do films," Smith said. "But I do want to go to college."

Her parents support her decisions, she said, and they encourage her to pursue her acting dreams. Besides TV work, she's been in school-related stage productions.

When she first took on the role of Sierra, she had some anxiety.

"I knew little about her, because they didn't give me very much," said Smith. "She kind of developed as I kept working at it. First, she was mostly a friend to one of the characters; as time went on, she's become the voice of reason, the one to help keep her friends out of trouble.

"She's a 'good' character, but I sometimes think it would be so much more fun if she were bad, at least once; bad is more fun to play, always."

Even if dad writes the role and creates the story lines, she hasn't requested favors, nor does she get inside tips. "I find out what happens to Sierra when I get the script," she said.

Smith sees parallels in her life with her character's. "We're both on a journey of discovery."

And like Sierra, Smith said, "I'm pretty much a really good friend, too, though she's a little quieter than I am."

Her name was picked by both her parents, when mom Norma was pregnant. "My dad referred to (the baby) as Asia Minor, so when I was born, the name stuck," she said. "But some people mispronounce it. I mean, it's a continent ... don't they know?"

Smith returned to the Punahou campus one day, to renew ties and see former teachers.

"I miss the Punahou carnival," she said. "And it's hard to be apart from my (Punahou) friends, but I talk to them often."

Smith is not a Hollywood scenester or party person, but she does get excited about attending the daytime Emmy Awards. "The show and the principals have won ... and it would be nice to win an Emmy someday, too," she said.