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

Haulston, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I grew up in North-East Arkansas in an area that, at the time, didn’t have any freelance creatives much less any actors. In fact it was actually an area that was dominated by poverty and opioid usage. The idea that I could pursue creating art as a career was completely foreign to me as a kid. I’d never really seen it done by anyone. However, I was always an entertainer an story-teller growing up and before long I found myself writing songs and playing little gigs at coffee shops and pizza spots with my brother. We weren’t incredibly skilled musicians, but we sure had charisma! I loved the feeling of taking an audience on a journey in their imagination. Around when I was 16 or 17 I had the opportunity to work on a play at the local community theatre and that was the final nail in the coffin for me. When I saw I could affect an entire audience and cause them to laugh or gasp or forget whatever mundane crap was on their mind for a few minutes, I was hooked. The show was High School Musical and I played Jack Scott The Velvet Fog of East High.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As I mentioned previously, I think what hooked me on acting at an early age was my love and passion for storytelling. It’s one of the oldest traditions of community bonding and am thrilled when I get the opportunity to bring people together by helping tell a captivating story through my acting. What I believe often sets me apart from a lot of actors is my passion for the art and my ability to tell unique stories that are inspired by my life experiences growing up in a very poor area in Arkansas that was riddled with drug abuse. Seeing people navigate the desperation that was often found in that community has definitely colored the way I bring characters to life. At the same time, being a part of a family of addicts who have all found sobriety has also given me an unending belief in the human ability to learn, grow, and change. I bring a sense of passion and humor to most of my roles and I think it’s the signature that I leave on the projects I get to work on.

I’m currently transitioning from NYC to LA and really looking forward to bringing my all to the West coast. I can’t wait to see what comes from this exciting new chapter. Keep an eye out for my two most recent films which should be streaming later this year, How to Start a Cult in 5-Easy Steps and A Home for Christmas. They will absolutely provide a little taste of what I bring to the films I work on.

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

A lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that my self-worth was tied to my acting ability. Now let me be clear, none of my teachers, professors, or coaches ever said that it was. However, many of them often spoke or behaved in a way that made me believe it was. “How dare you waste our time, how dare you not be ready, how dare you speak a word incorrectly.” Once a teacher even told me that I’d never play anything but hicks because I’d often substitute i and e sounds when I spoke. It wasn’t until the past 5 years or so that I really understood that my skill and ability to act isn’t a reflection of my worth as an artist. It’s a skill that I can hone. If you aren’t good at guitar you’re not a worthless musician, you just haven’t put in the hours of practice to hone that skill yet. Working with my coach Eric Reis, was the first time I really felt that sentiment from a coach and I’m so grateful for that shift in my perception. It’s hard to separate since an actor’s instrument is themself, but if you can find a way to do so it really allows for some beautiful freedom in the work.

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

Adventure. I’m a vagabond at heart and if my days look the exact same for too long it can kick off a bad spiral into depression and a disconnect from my imagination. Being an actor is a new adventure everyday though. I’ve worked on 9 feature films so far and not 0ne set was the same as any of the others. When each day feels fresh and new my imagination flourishes and that is the closest thing to magic I can experience. I love it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haulstonmann/
• Other: https://imdb.me/haulstonmann

Image Credits

Jonny Marlow. Steven Yang.