We caught up with the brilliant and insightful London Carlisle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, London thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

My training truly started when I was a kid, attending Star Camp at The Historic Ashland Theatre in Ashland, Alabama. That’s where I first fell in love with performing. I’d also participate in the summer youth musicals at the theatre, which were directed by sisters Robin Steele Thornhill and Lori Steele Sewell. Their guidance shaped my early understanding of what it meant to bring a character to life on stage, and those experiences sparked my passion for acting.

Years later, I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Performance from Auburn University. Auburn’s BFA program gave me a solid foundation in everything from scene study and Fitzmaurice Voicework to movement and stage combat. But it wasn’t just about technique — it was about digging deep and finding my own personal connection to the work, something I carry into every role I take on.

After graduating, I knew my learning didn’t stop there. I moved from Alabama to New York and enrolled in Chukwudi Iwuji’s Bounded in a Nutshell masterclass series. There, I had the privilege of studying with incredible actors like Brandon J. Dirden and Crystal Dickinson. More recently, I trained under André Holland at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, Alabama. I love studying the craft and taking classes whenever I can. These experiences have only expanded what I learned at Auburn, helping me approach roles with even more specificity and depth.

Looking back, I think learning to trust myself sooner could have sped up my learning process. At first, it’s easy to get caught up in technique and whether you’re doing things “right.” But trusting your instincts and your emotional truth is key. I wish I’d embraced that earlier in my training.

The most essential skills for me have been adaptability and resilience. At Auburn, I learned how to be present and adaptable, whether I was performing in classical pieces (such as ‘Antigone’ by Sophocles) or contemporary works (like ‘Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play’ by Anne Washburn). That ability to adjust and stay present in the moment has been crucial in my career.

One of the biggest obstacles I faced was the pressure to be perfect. Perfectionism can hold you back from really exploring and growing. I’ve learned that it’s in those moments of failure or taking risks that don’t pan out where you grow the most. Pushing past that fear of failure allowed me to take bigger leaps, both in my training and in my work.

London, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m an actor originally from Lineville, Alabama. After graduating from Auburn in 2019, I made the big move to New York City to start my career. Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to perform in New York with companies such as The Flea Theater, TOSOS, Naked Angels, and The Classical Theatre of Harlem. I’ve also had the opportunity to work in regional theatres across the country, including The Public Theatre, Alliance Theatre, and Florida Studio Theatre.

What really excites me about this industry is the variety of projects I’ve been able to work on. Whether it’s the intensity of live theatre or the intimacy of independent film, I’m always eager to dive into roles that push me both emotionally and physically. For example, I just wrapped two back-to-back plays at Peterborough Players in a summer season that also included industry titan Scott Bakula. The taxing schedule was an incredible learning experience for me.

Beyond acting, one thing that sets me apart is my passion for stage combat. I’m certified with proficiency in single sword by The Society of American Fight Directors. I’ve trained in Shaolin dao under Michael G. Chin. Additionally, I’ve trained in katana with Yoshi Amao and the Samurai Sword Soul theatre company. My favorite roles allow me to incorporate that physicality, and I believe it adds a unique element to my work.
What I’m most proud of, though, is my latest short film, “Sycle.” It recently premiered at the Playhouse West Film Festival and was a finalist for Best Indie Short at the New York International Film Awards. Seeing the project gain recognition has been incredibly fulfilling. I want people to see that I bring a lot of heart and energy into everything I do, whether it’s a reading with the Naked Angels Theatre Company or an Off-Broadway play. My goal is to connect with audiences in a genuine way, and I hope they walk away feeling like they’ve experienced something meaningful.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I became a foster child when I was six months old. I was later adopted at the age of four by a wonderful family. My parents already had three adult daughters, so I grew up surrounded by a lot of love and guidance. They all played a huge role in shaping who I am today.

But 2014 was an especially rough year for me. My father passed away after a yearlong battle with lung cancer, and just three months later, one of my sisters died suddenly from a heart complication. Both of them had always been my biggest supporters, especially when it came to my creativity. My dad was a huge movie fan—mostly of James Bond, westerns, and slasher films. Watching those movies with him is where my love of film really took root.

Losing them was incredibly difficult, but I knew that I wanted to honor their memory by pursuing what I loved: performance. A full-circle moment came in 2017 when I had the absolute honor of being directed by Clint Eastwood—my dad’s favorite actor—in “The 15:17 to Paris”. That experience felt like such a culmination of everything I had been through and a testament to the resilience my family instilled in me. It was proof that even in the hardest times, following my passion and honoring those who encouraged me could lead to something extraordinary.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

When I first moved to New York City, it was right before the 2020 quarantine hit, so I hadn’t had a chance to build many social connections yet. Like a lot of people, I turned to virtual hangouts with friends, and that’s how we started playing Call of Cthulhu, a tabletop roleplaying game inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, over Zoom. I was playing with some of my closest friends back home, Hudson Hubbard, Carly Sims, and Matthew Stephenson. We were inspired by popular tabletop roleplaying streams like “Critical Role” and thought, why not share our own adventures with an audience?

I reached out to gaming staple Becca Scott for advice on how to bring our games to a larger audience, and she was incredibly generous. She invited me to join her channel “Good Time Society”, which is where I first got introduced to the online tabletop community. From there, my friends and I created our own Call of Cthulhu stream called “Spot Hidden”. We started gaining traction, and eventually, Chaosium, the publishers of Call of Cthulhu, took notice and sponsored us. That support really helped us grow our audience, and we started collaborating with other streams and gaming publishers.

I continued building my following by posting my series “Dungeon Master Tips” on TikTok, which resonated with the tabletop community. Over time, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the biggest names in the industry, like Wizards of the Coast (the publishers of Dungeons & Dragons), D&D Beyond, and Paizo. I’m also a cast member of the Gold ENNIE award-winning Call of Cthulhu podcast “Ain’t Slayed Nobody”, and I now serve as a Dungeon Master for D&D in a Castle, a luxury vacation event held in a 600+ year-old castle in Northern England. This fall I’ll be traveling to Las Vegas for Darkness Emergent, a World of Darkness collaboration with By Night Studios.

For anyone just starting to build their social media presence, my advice is to lean into what makes your voice unique. Whether it’s your specific style of storytelling or a niche community you’re part of, focus on being genuine. Engage with others who share your passion and don’t be afraid to experiment with new formats like TikTok or livestreams. Consistency is important, but so is authenticity—when you’re excited about what you’re doing, others will be too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.LondonCarlisle.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/londoncarlisle
• Twitter: https://x.com/londoncarlisle

Image Credits

Mati Ficara
Valerie Terranova
Eric Rothhaus
Jessie Garrett
The Public Theatre
Richard Rivera
John Jones