Interview by Carol Wright | Photos Courtesy of Carina Conti
We got to chat with actress and dancer Carina Conti about playing Paula Abdul in the new HBO Max show Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty and her advice for aspiring performances.
How much did your upbringing play a role in your love for the arts and performing?
My mother was an actress in the 70s and 80s, so I was lucky that the arts were a natural part of our family dynamic. I grew up dancing, doing local musicals, and acting in commercials for Disney and Universal. We lived in Orlando, so I have a lot of happy memories from the theme parks and getting to explore these larger-than-life worlds led to a deep love for the magic of production and performance. I was enamored with the idea that fairytales could come to life, and that they could heal and bring joy to young and old alike. I’ve built my life around the idea that story and performance can be vessels for change.
What drew you to Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty and made you want to be involved?
This is a story about perseverance against all odds and finding the extraordinary in the mundane. Jerry Buss, on instinct alone, managed to assemble one of the most phenomenally talented teams in basketball history when the NBA was on the verge of bankruptcy. We, as a nation, are at a point of rebirth, just like the Lakers were. We’re fighting to redefine our sense of normalcy. I wanted so badly to be part of this story of hope and inspiration because that’s exactly what we need right now.
You’re playing Paula Abdul pre-pop stardom. How much of a deep dive did you do on her early life and career to prepare?
I did the bulk of my research during the audition process, and I digested as many interviews and dance clips of early Paula as I could find. It was a fascinating process because, although subtle qualities of hers have changed over time, she is still the open-hearted, joyful, passionate spirit that she was, even in her earliest interviews.
It can be daunting to play a real-life person vs. a fictional character. What did you do to step into her shoes and embody her?
I found it helpful to think of real-life Paula and the character “Paula” as two different people. I consider the character to be a version of me — the version that emphasizes all the ways real me and real Paula overlap. This way, I’m never imitating; no one can ever be Paula Abdul. But I did the research and I focused on the traits that resonated with me: her sweetness, her gentle demeanor, and most of all, the way she comes to life in a whole different way when she dances.
As a choreographer yourself – did you have any creative license when it came to the moves in Winning Time?
I was incredibly lucky to have Denna Thomsen as a choreographer, so my job was just to perform as full-heartedly and passionately as the real Paula might have. Paula became the head choreographer of the Laker Girls within a year of being on the team (when she was only 18), and she revolutionized the world of cheerleading forever. She was sensational because her movement was new and free and so viscerally hungry. I feel most alive when I get to dance like that.
What advice do you have for aspiring performers?
Protect your light. I could substitute the word “light” with “gift,” or “heart,” or “passion.” Your greatest assets are the things that make you unique. I don’t know any artists that haven’t faced rejection, and like, a lot of it. But other people aren’t always right, and a “no” now, doesn’t disqualify a “yes” later. The real Paula auditioned for the Laker Girls four times in a single day (IN A SINGLE DAY) under four different names, wearing four different outfits. She got three no’s, and then she got a yes. The best thing you can do is work on loving the things that make you, you. Trust your own sense of what is beautiful or cool, and develop that, because fundamentally, people are drawn to passion. We’re all attracted to light.