We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caroline Henry. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caroline below.

Caroline, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Early on, I was so afraid that my parents would not be proud of me or the career path that I chose as an actor. They instilled in me the importance of a well rounded education and hard work and these values left me feeling that my love for acting or being creative was just a hobby; that perhaps I should have a backup plan.

One summer evening while home visiting family from college, I expressed that I may give acting a go for a bit after school and then, naturally, go to grad school and aim for a more traditional career. This felt “safe” and honestly I really believed that was what my parents wanted for me.

I could not have been more wrong. They said in that moment that I had to go for it and give it my all, that they would only really be disappointed in me if I didn’t pursue what I love. I feel so fortunate to have heard that from them. Even when an acting career feels hard or impossible, I have so much peace knowing that I am doing what I am meant to do and that no matter the resume or the “success” achieved on paper, the real success is that I am giving it my all and that my parents (and family) are proud of that.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I used to play piano. It turns out I must not have been very good. When I broke my arm in fifth grade and was unable to play, my teacher thought maybe I could temporarily give singing a try. My life quickly changed trajectory when he said “Ok, you are way better at this”. From there, my life became musical theatre and straight theatre and film all through the rest of my academic career. As an adult, I have prioritized film and TV acting, but have always created space for theatre and musicals in my life when I can!

I love to dive into character and in doing so learn more about people, empathy and even more about myself. I am so fascinated with the human experience and how we connect with each other. I often feel like an imposter because so many actors fell into this line of work because of their love for movies and television growing up. I feel like I took a back road into an acting career as I am a longtime admirer of human psychology and experience and I just love stepping into other lives and learning more through the roles I play.

I like to explore lots of roles and worlds but most often I am pitched as- a 5’11” redhead with a dark sense of humor: Think Emma Stone in Zombieland + a little Evan Rachel Wood in Westworld (yes, all the way down to riding horses) = somewhere in the land of me.

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

Hard work ALWAYS pays off.

Listen…hard work does pay off! I am not saying not to work hard!
I think we grow up in an academic environment where you practice hard, you play better in the game; you study hard, you get a good grade. It’s not a perfect science, but it is a system that is pretty linear (input vs output). As a professional actor you realize that it’s not as simple of a formula. There is so much that is not in our control: what we look like, sound like, who they might have already cast to play the character of your mother or brother, where you have a visa to work, what cities you can be local to, the list goes on. Sometimes it is hard to face all of the things in this line of work that are a complete crapshoot.
Something that I am working on is re-learning this sentiment as- Hard work will pay off when it is meant to! Work hard and trust that the right opportunities will come, the right doors will open and your work will have prepared you to walk through that door.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The community. I am so grateful for the community of actors and creatives in every market, but especially in Los Angeles. I am so grateful that on this crazy journey we are never alone.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: _carolinehenry

Image Credits

James DePietro, Matt Kallish, Theo and Juliet