Madeline Carroll, who stars on Cold Case tonight, is building a healthy film career as well.

For Madeline Carroll, Cold Case means cool clothes.

Well, in an ironic sense, if not an artistic sense.

"My part in the episode is set in the 1960s, so it was so weird, the clothes are really funny," said the 13-year-old Carroll, an up-and-coming actor who guest-stars in Cold Case tonight (A, CBS).

"I had pants up to my belly-button. And you tuck your shirt into your pants, which are so high, it looks so funny. And have you ever seen Converses? The shoes were vintage stuff, but they were so old and hard. I like comfortable shoes and I like to run, but I have no idea how people used to run in those flat shoes.

"But the cars are really cool. It was super fun."

Playing a character from the past is one thing, but Carroll's present is pretty cool, too. And the California native's future in the acting game accurately can be described as bright.

Carroll has appeared in many TV shows -- Grey's Anatomy, Lost and Lie to Me are among the more recent ones, and she also was in a previous Cold Case episode back in 2003.

Carroll's feature-film profile is increasing, too. Having appeared with Kevin Costner in Swing Vote last year, Carroll has a number of major movies coming up, including the Jackie Chan flick, The Spy Next Door.

"Who gets to work with Jackie Chan for two months?" said Carroll, expressing appreciation.

"I'm actually so much better at drama than I am at comedy, and the Jackie Chan movie is a comedy. But I wasn't on the spot, because I had Jackie Chan to back me up. If anybody said anything, he could beat them up.

"The best part about acting is getting to work with new people. I get to meet new people all the time."

So what's the worst part of being a young actor?

"The hardest part for me -- and for anybody, I think -- is the devastation of not getting a part," Carroll said. "When you go out and you really, really want something and you don't get it, it's hard. If you want to get into the business as a kid, it's really hard dealing with the rejection.

"You just have to dust yourself off and get back up, because there's something out there for you."

The new Cold Case episode in which Carroll appears is titled November 22. The 1963 death of a pool hustler is re-examined when the murder weapon is discovered during a pool-hall renovation.

In flashback sequences, Carroll plays the daughter of the victim.

"It was fun because we play pool in the show, so I learned to play pool," Carroll said. "I'm still okay at it. I got way better, so that was nice."

Well, it's always good to have career options.

But the way this acting thing is working out for Madeline Carroll, she won't have to resort to hustling pool any time soon.