EP 18: Emily Carver: Mom Turned Actor

Emily is a delightful member of the Second Act Actors gang, having arrived at acting via motherhood, recovery from addiction and an intense journey into her own self-expression. In this episode, we discuss background acting, creative collaboration and why we’re members of each other’s fan clubs! #stevenuniversity

We begin by talking about our experience together in online improv class with Second City, where we met. Emily tells me that she was just beginning to rediscover her latent creativity and was “following the breadcrumb trail” which brought her to that particular improv group. She always had a creative side but had lost touch with it and with her ability to feel and express her emotions, and regaining her emotional insight has been part of her sobriety.

We later touch on the nerve wracking experience of auditions, which can be especially difficult if you haven’t had formal acting training. Emily shares a really useful mantra that can help you to handle rejections and she tells me about her positive outlook on background work, where she’s still ecstatic to be on set, even if she doesn’t have a speaking part.

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Timestamps

[2:15] Emily’s first act as a full-time mum

[3:24] Emily’s experience of getting sober as a route to discovering who she really is

[4:34] The recovery world is so misunderstood!

[5:17] Why Emily started improv and the little breadcrumbs that led her there

[7:37] The undercurrent of creativity in Emily’s life and her further studies in art

[9:58] A terrible audition with a talent agency that put Emily off acting and how she regained her love of acting

[11:14] “That’s what I want. I want creative collaboration”

[13:10] How Emily was able to shift her mindset towards accepting failure

[15:15] Through the looking glass of what might have happened if Emily’s first audition had gone better

[17:34] “What’s for me won’t pass me”: Different ways to look at rejection in auditions and the other opportunities that might come your way

[19:34] It’s so surprising how nice and supportive people in the industry are! Emily tells a story of being a “highly featured” character in a TV shoot

[23:03] The power of being able to feel and interpret your own emotions

[24:28] Emily on learning and finding opportunities through her network from college and graduate school

[26:27] Being present to find the signposts along the journey

[28:05] Emily’s advice to people who want to get into acting

[35:18] Disclaimer: Acting classes aren’t a substitute for therapy… but they can help you to experience a broader range of emotions

[38:07] Life is starting to align for Emily

[39:21] The acting opportunities available in New Orleans

[41:03] “The thrill for me is the work”

[42:38] What Emily is looking forward to for 2022: Acting classes, audition techniques, background work and an exciting writing project

[45:15] What Emily’s kids say about her acting

[46:07] Beautiful words of wisdom from Emily

Links