EP 8: Sarah Cleveland: Mom turned Actor

Today I got to chat with Sarah Cleveland, another second act actor who started her acting career once her family had grown up and she had more time and energy to explore her passion. Originally from Canada, she moved to Kentucky where she featured in Disney’s film The Music Man. This experience confirmed her love for acting and helped her to develop a professional network who also became her close friends.

Sarah’s acting career hasn’t followed a traditional path as she faced many changes in her life, from working in the United States to working in Canada. She defines her first act as being a mom, which helped her develop her organisational skills and also gave her the flexibility to adapt to the turbulent world of acting.

Together, Sarah and I discuss the bonds that actors make on set and how to balance being supportive of your colleagues against the backdrop of a very competitive industry. We also touched on the role that a family can play in supporting an acting career and Sarah gives advice to any other moms looking to begin an acting career. At the end of the episode, Sarah drops an exciting hint about her next big project.

Subscribe to the Second Act Actors Podcast to hear more inspiring interviews with people who risked it all to pursue their dream career.

Timestamps

[3:17] Sarah introduces herself and her family

[5:04] The roots of Sarah’s passion for acting

[6:27] A freezing day on set ending in a bowl of chilli and supportive acting friends

[9:11] Transplanting an acting career from one country to another

[11:57] Sarah’s first act: Being a stay-at-home mum

[14:39] Being an actor means giving up control

[15:45] What surprised Sarah about getting into the entertainment industry

[18:10] Balancing competitiveness and support with your actor colleagues

[20:29] The trigger that jump started Sarah’s acting career

[22:15] How Sarah’s family have supported her career