Meet Callie Walker | Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Callie Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Callie, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
I don’t think that outsiders realize how important everyone behind the camera is. Although I mostly act now, I started as a film & digital media major at Idyllwild Arts Academy, a boarding arts high school in Southern California. As a film student, you learn very quickly that audiences rarely pay attention to things like lighting, sound design, editing, or production design when they’re done well- however, if any of those things are done poorly, it completely ruins their immersion in the story. Audiences are only able to appreciate an actor’s work if every single person behind the camera has performed their job flawlessly. Not to mention all of the ways that cinematography, coloring, and music enhance an actor’s performance! Everyone on the crew works so hard, and yet, they’re given so little recognition.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Although I’ve pursued an artistic profession, I don’t really consider myself an artistic person. I grew up an athlete and an academic, and my love of psychology was ultimately what led me to acting. As an actor, you have to determine the nuanced ways in which your character’s past experiences influence their behavior and relationships; You have to study them so thoroughly that you understand how they would respond in any scenario. To me, it’s like the most exciting and immersive psychological career path out there.

My athletic background lends itself to stunt work, and I’ve been lucky enough to get to do my own stunts on a few projects now! I’ve been focusing on training stunts and performance capture lately, and I’m really hoping that I’ll get to try those out professionally sometime in the future!

I think that my filmmaking background also gives me a unique perspective on my job as an actor. Since I have at least a basic understanding of the role of each person behind the camera, it’s easier for me to anticipate the adjustments they might need me to make. Even the smallest things, like knowing how to prevent interference with my mic, or avoid continuity errors, can make a shoot flow much more smoothly. And, on a larger scale, it’s helped me navigate the business side of acting.

This industry can be so complicated, but I think that embracing the uncertainty of it all and focusing on working hard, consistently improving, and seeking out every learning opportunity I can is the best way to go.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Honestly, I’m so new to LA, I could use a tour myself! I’ve only had the chance to check out a few restaurants, but Catch Seafood downtown and Elephante in Santa Monica have been my favorites so far. I’d probably bring my friends there, then to the beach, or the Santa Monica pier!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be where I am without the support and guidance of my manager, Ashley Doss, who took a chance on me at the very beginning of my career and connected me with incredible coaches and representatives. My acting coach, Deborah Dion, has also brought me so far in the few short months I’ve been working with her. Her class is such a safe space to take risks and explore new characters, and it never fails to remind me why I fell in love with acting in the first place. I couldn’t be more grateful for both of them.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscalliewalker/

Other: imdb.me/calliewalker

Image Credits
Lydia Canbakal; Kenneth Dolin