Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsay Caputo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Lindsay, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

As with so many things, learning to become an actor, voice over artist, or singer, is on-going. You’re never “done”, rather, you’re continually understanding and honing your work. This is no matter what your age or how long you’ve been practicing your craft.

When it comes to acting, my professional career began in the hands of my amazing acting instructor, Benjy Dobrin (Benjy Dobrin Studios). I actually sought him out as I was beginning to venture into voice over. My coaches recommended that I take acting to help learn how to ‘become a character’, to put it simply, so I set up my first virtual, one-on-one session. Suffice it to say, in the span of just a few lessons, I realized that I was thoroughly enjoying acting, so I switched gears and began focusing on that!

Under Benjy’s tutelage, I started learning how to act, both commercially and theatrically. Being that Denver is primarily a commercial market, we initially focused on that and eventually got to the point where I was putting together a package that would be attractive to local agencies. By the end of the year, I found myself talking with Cassie Keefe, Agency Director of Wilhelmina Denver, who became my agent.

Since then, I’ve continued to build on my foundation, which has been both challenging and fun! I take weekly classes with Benjy, I’ve sought out various workshops (Walter Anaruk and Risa Scott’s “Business of Acting” workshop was super informative!), I find ways to watch and learn from other actors, and I’m building and strengthening my skill set.

Though I now have specific goals that I’m working towards, not having these set up earlier definitely hindered my progress. When you’re just starting out with something, it’s easy to be so excited and overwhelmed that you just sort of roll with it for a while without realizing what you’re doing. I wanted to be as productive and efficient as possible with acting, so I realized after some time that I needed to take stock…identify where I was, understand where I wanted to go, and set up a plan of how to get there.

On that note, while it’s important to keep your focus and work hard, it’s also important to not forget to take time for yourself. Otherwise, you can quickly burn out and that’s no fun.

You know, apart from learning the foundational skills of acting (and it’s the same for voice over and singing), learning how to pursue these in a way that’s best for me and utilizes my strengths, has been a game changer! It’s like learning how to study when you’re a student; the methods that are best for others may not necessarily work for another and vice versa. Understanding how I learn best, whether it’s character analysis, memorizing lines, or even how I schedule time each day to work on my craft each day, has been crucial for my success.

In terms of what obstacles have stood in my way, a big one I had to overcome was doubting myself. It’s something that all of us do at some point in our life, but if your goal is to be great at anything, there’s no question about having to find that confidence in yourself. And it doesn’t just happen overnight, but with time and work. Once I decided that I was fed up with doubting myself, I took a step and then another towards my dreams, and didn’t look back, no matter what.

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.

Of course! With regards to acting, I wouldn’t be where I currently am without my acting coach, Benjy Dobrin. Through his sessions, I fell in love with this craft. It was my prior career as a singer and then voice over that finally brought me to the acting door. Now that acting has become a career, I enjoy both the commercial and theatrical avenues, though film is my passion. I’ve learned how very important the three P’s are: being prepared, punctual, and professional, and I always bring that to my work.

As well, I’ve been taught to always bring strong choices to the set. I really enjoy the process of analyzing my characters, my objective within a scene, etc., and truly making them my own. Doing this is critical for an actor…not only does it make my subsequent work easier, but it makes things easier for everyone on set.

To be honest, the same can be said for being adaptable, listening well, and bringing positive energy to work with you! When you do this, it makes everything that much easier and the atmosphere more relaxed.

When all is said and done, I’m most proud of how I’ve pushed past my fears and tried something I never expected to try. My journey has never really looked like those of my family members and friends and that’s been tough at times, but now I love it, especially because I’m following my heart.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Oh yeah, there is definitely a particular goal driving my journey, the thought of regret! The thought of being on my deathbed regretting not having tried something that my instinct told me I should try…it scares me more than anything. Any failure or embarrassment would pale in comparison.

I also do it because I have two little ones looking up to me. I once thought that having kids would hold me back in some ways, but the truth is, they’ve given me more purpose than anything else in my life. With everything I do, I show them the person that I am and give them a good role model to follow. Whenever I’m debating what choice to make or which path to take, I always strive to choose what will help make me stronger, braver, and better, because this will flow down to them.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is acting in film. I love acting in any capacity, but film speaks to me the most. Ultimately, no matter what I do, I want to inspire others and have a blast doing it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wilhelminadenver.com/talent/all/2420573/lindsay-caputo
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaymcaputo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaymcaputo

Image Credits

“LindsayCaputo(4)”: Risa Scott Photo