We recently connected with Caleb Swindell and have shared our conversation below.

Caleb, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I think one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken is following my dream of being an actor. I do not come from a family with a lot of resources so I knew that deciding to follow my passion and get into acting was something I would have to do on my own. I’m sure many of my fellow actors have felt the judgement when they tell someone they are an actor. There is this harsh judgement that falls upon us because we decided to follow our dreams. Because it seems that only a selected few can actually “make it”. Everyone told me how hard it was when I said I wanted to be an actor at the age of 9. My mother really supported me and told me to go after my dreams and encouraged me to do theatre.

The fear still stayed with me as a kid, despite my mother’s support. I decided acting would be a back burner job for me while my primary pursuit would be physical therapy. I was set to go to school for Kinesiology, but toward the end of my senior year of high school my passion for theatre and the arts was stronger than the discouragement I’d heard throughout my youth, so I decided to devote myself to my passion and go to college for Acting.

I’m very grateful I did because that risk is what got me a Union role in a movie and it brought me out to Los Angeles where I learned some of the ins and outs of content producing for creators. I’m studying at an acting studio I love and I’ve auditioned for projects I have dreamed of. It has also helped me build a strong support system of friends that have felt like family. While life still has its ups and downs there is not a day that goes by where I am not grateful for taking that initial risk and followed my dreams. I still have so much I’d like to accomplish, but I’ve also accomplished a lot. If 9 year old me could see me now he’d be proud!

Caleb, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I come from a small town named New Bern, North Carolina. I got into acting at the age of 13 but had the passion for it at 9. I wanted an agent at an early age, but thankfully my mother decided to get me into community theatre instead. The theatre environment fostered my love for acting so much that I went to college for it. After college I got representation and started auditioning in the midst of the pandemic and have been doing so since. Theatre also helped me to become a more organized person. Time management has become an easier thing for me to do because of the work, which also helped me in getting into Content Production.

I moved to Los Angeles and worked for a YouTuber the past two and a half years as my day job. That job gave me a skillset that I did not have prior to moving to California. I learned a lot about the other side of production in terms of all the behind the scenes (casting, procuring crews, locations, permits, etc.) because it was me and my boss as the duo that put full shoots together. Some were small and some were bigger or in collaboration with other companies. That knowledge of the otherside has helped me a lot in my acting career to understand and appreciate every role even more than I already did, when it comes to a production. I think that is something that sets me apart. My background in acting also helped me immensely because I was able to work on set in a timely manner and respect the time of all involved. In my work whether it is acting or content production, I am going to do my absolute best and produce work that I am proud of.

I’m most proud of my ability to make people feel welcomed/invited into any space. I think in any creative industry collaboration is essential. On any set that I have led I make sure my people are taken care of, feel safe, and that they feel they can have a voice in what we are creating. That, in my opinion is how you get the best work. As an actor I am able to bring this as well. It’s a professional sunniness, as I like to call it. I’m able to do the work and have a good attitude about it, remaining open to feedback, and bring joy. I love when I can make someone smile. It’s my favorite thing!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I actually am currently in a situation that is requiring me to be extremely resilient. I was laid off of my Content Production job in February and I recently was dropped by my agency. These have been very tough experiences and I’ve had many doubts flow through my mind, but I have also seen so much growth these past few months. I’ve been focused on my craft as an actor since I moved to Los Angeles and have seen a wonderful change in my work. I also have been in therapy and working on how I view myself and the world around me.

This has fostered an even bigger belief in myself than ever before. Obviously I’m human and have moments of doubt, but this is what I love and I will not let obstacles make me give up on pursuing my dreams. I also have wonderful support system that sees what I see and are willing to help me through the rough times. I’ve found a new day job to support myself, I’ve produced for another content creator, and am currently looking for new representation. It’s no small task but I’ve already overcome so many obstacles in my life. I remind myself of the moments I’ve felt this feeling before and how it always worked out for the better because I kept going. I didn’t let a no or a lack of support stop me from going for it. I know what I bring to the table and I just need to find the people that see it. It’s this resilience that will help me to overcome any adversity now and in the future.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m in the process of unlearning the lesson that “I am too much” or “I am not enough”. Growing up as a Black, mixed, gay kid there were many moments where I felt like I wasn’t enough for those around me and I felt like I was too much for some. I shrunk myself so that I would fit in. I’d hold parts of myself back because I didn’t want to be rejected. I would feel like I had something to prove. I wanted people to like me. It was so deeply ingrained in me that I’m dealing with it to this day.

I have been doing the work to undo this thinking for a little while now and am finally at a place where I am embracing all that I am. I don’t always need someone to tell me how talented I am or how great I am because I believe it myself. I think everyone would be happier if we could all embrace this concept. I’ve seen my craft as an actor improve as well as my everyday. I know what’s meant for me won’t pass me by. I remain open to what is for me and don’t try to force things.

I think that society tells us that we are not allowed to boost ourselves up and tell ourselves we are beautiful individuals. So we look for that validation from others. And when we do boast about ourselves, we are vain or stuck up. I think the opposite. Everyone has something special within them and if they embraced it they’d soar. I think we’d all be happier if we embraced this concept. I truly wish this for everyone because it’s a freeing feeling.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calebswindell/
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12435540/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk