Meet Caroline Henry | Actor

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

Hi Caroline, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
It’s funny because so many people when asked why they wanted to pursue a career in acting can cite a movie or play; they were so impacted by an actor’s performance that they knew they wanted to be an actor.

The truth is, I had no idea that acting was even a JOB when I was growing up. It certainly was not a dedicated booth at the career fair. I didn’t even grow up really watching TV or movies all that much. I was such a busy (overcommitted) kid. What drew me to acting the most was people and their experiences. I loved psychology classes and exploring the way that we think and feel and why our brains might have adapted to work that way. I loved listening to people’s stories and sitting with them in the way that they felt. I think my favorite part about acting is adopting and exploring the emotional life of a character and living their experiences with and for them and sharing those with an audience and I am grateful to use my art as a tool to connect with others.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am 5’11” and I always saw that as a hugely limiting factor to my art. As an actor, I so badly wanted to be castable as “every woman” and that becomes difficult when you are… just not every woman. I spent a lot of my time trying to hide my differences (impossible, but slouching was my backup plan) and I didn’t feel connected to the powerful confident person that people expected someone my height to be. Interestingly, I have found that the more I accepted my differences as a gift, and frankly, something that I can’t change, the powerful confident thing that everyone wanted from me just started to appear. And what a cherry on top to learn that the very thing I thought was holding me back is actually the thing that has gotten me in bigger rooms than I ever could have imagined for myself.

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.
LA has so many incredible things to offer- which is likely why I will never leave (you are stuck with me forever mwahahah!).

I would start by ensuring we hit some of my favorite dishes at some favorite restaurants: Cold Brews from Palm Grove Social or a Strawberry Matcha Latte from Chitchat, Brunch Carbonara from Blu Jam Cafe, Protein bowls from Dialog Cafe, Kaya toast and chickpea curry from Cassia, the Fettuccine Contadina from Caffe Pinguini, Johnny burgers from Johnny’s West Adams, tacos at Leo’s Taco truck, a little bit of everything from Grand Central Market downtown,… the list goes on.

We would likely do my favorite hike from the Trails Cafe up to Griffith Observatory, Go to a Groundlings AND a UCB show, at least one stand up comedy show at a classic venue, an intimate SoFar Sounds music show, a trip to the Magic Castle, And of course we would try to do these things with as many of our close friends as possible because it’s not really about what you’re doing so much as who you’re doing it with!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Where to begin! I feel extremely lucky to have such a solid support system of family and friends. I am not sure where I would be if I did not have people in my life that inspired me to be creative and help get me back on track when I am feeling lost. One of the most arduous parts of our job is the constant “failure” and you need a strong system of support to navigate that. And what a gift to get to share with those same people the victory in learning and growing from those “failures”. I am especially grateful for my partner, Cameron Cowperthwaite, who is my partner in all things life and creative. I absolutely adore the hours in the office being creative with you and I am grateful to have you in my corner.

Instagram: @_carolinehenry

Image Credits
Matt Kallish, Michael Demarco