We were lucky to catch up with Carolina Liz recently and have shared our conversation below.
Carolina, thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?
It was not easy. But when you decide to become an actress, you realise the craft is all about taking risks. You can’t act or give voice and a life to a character if you don’t try things that are out of your comfortable zone. Thank God there’s no such a thing as “right or wrong” so you might as well go try something really crazy, I also LOVE to portray characters that are not very close to me in real life because it challenges me to understand other opinions and different visions of life.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As I always say I’m an actress and telling stories is what fulfills me. When I was 13, I had this crazy idea that I wanted to act in movies, not only in Brazil but also in the US. So I started taking extra English classes and working on the language so hard so I could become fluent. I moved to Boston when I was 15 to study in Maynard High School because they were very famous for the theater department. And I haven’t stopped ever since. I’m glad that I get to work now doing what was only a dream to me as a kid. I currently started a film production as well called Lunar 11 and I’m grateful to have the support from artists that help me to tell my stories.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
First and foremost, you need to have self-love. I know it sounds cheesy and corny and probably people are rolling their eyes right now. But if you don’t work on yourself and be gentle and nice to you, no one will. It doesn’t matter how good you are or how much effort you put into something, if you don’t appreciate you, you’ll always think that you are not good enough. It’s a very long path that you have dive in and monitoring the thoughts and comments that you do every day to yourself is essential.
Setting boundaries sounds easy but it’s not. It took me a long time and a lot of therapy to make me understand that the only person I need to please is myself. In any profession, you’ll always find some people that want to take advantage of you, specially if you’re a girl and you’re just starting your career. I say this and I recommend to those who are entering into this world. Always speak up and stand up for yourself.
Last but not least, I definitely started to put extra attention to my body. I guess when we’re young and a teenager, we don’t really wanna stretch or do a vocal warm up because “we don’t need it”. But if you want to stay and work for a long time in this field, you need to be careful with your body. It’s your instrument!
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I like to meditate and I do a lot of lie downs. Ever since I learned the Alexander Technique, my body calms down right away. Always listen to your body. They warn you when you need a break. I also like to go on a walk with my headphones on.
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Leticia Almeida
Thaynara Brito
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