Caroline B. McNamara

I attribute my success to following my gut and pursuing what I'm passionate about, no matter my age or background. I wasn't a nepo kid and I didn't start acting when I was a child. My parents are architects, my aunts and uncles are teachers and lawyers, so it was very professional and straight and narrow with a clear track. I just didn't think working in the film and TV industry was something that was going to pan out for me. But the pandemic put things into perspective. I was kind of killing myself at a job I didn't love, and as an immunocompromised asthmatic, I realized that if I were to die tomorrow, I wouldn't be glad this is what I was spending my time doing. So I pivoted and applied for a master's in screenwriting in Scotland. My best advice for people, not even just the entertainment industry, is just to go for what your gut is telling you to go for. There's a reason why you want to do something that was put in you for some reason, so just pursue that. I also believe in not being afraid to fail or look dumb or put your stuff out there. I knew that people could react badly to anything I put out, but it's more that I had something to say and I wanted to create something and I liked it, and having other people like it was a happy byproduct. I wasn't planning on submitting my short film to festivals because it was already on YouTube, but the festivals liked it and I'm very lucky that they did. It's kind of funny when you put something out there that's yours and anything that you like, and you're lucky when other people like it.

My best advice is to just go for what your gut is telling you to go for. There's a reason why you want to do something that was put in you for some reason, so pursue that, no matter what your age. Don't be afraid to fail or look dumb or put your stuff out there. I think I was so pre-ashamed of things that I hadn't posted yet, being like 'oh, well, that's gonna be stupid, or this person's gonna say it's stupid.' But you're not posting it for those people, you're posting it because you like it. If you just go forth with the intention of 'I'm doing this because it's something that I like and I enjoy and I want to see or I want to read,' then anyone else liking it, that's just the cherry on top. People are afraid of looking dumb, and I'm like, well, to be fair, people look dumb on a daily basis, even if they don't intend to do so. You scroll on the internet and you see some stupid things that people are doing that get millions of views. So it's like, if those people can do it, and obviously you may or may not have more brain cells than those people, then it doesn't matter really what you post because there's always something else that's worse. The more that you go in those situations and have those experiences, the better prepared you are for playing it off a bit better next time. Just to not be afraid to put yourself out there creatively, because not everyone responds well to that, but it's more that I had something to say and I wanted to create something and I liked it, and having other people like it was a happy byproduct.