Words by Carol Wright | Photographer: Joshua Stringer
We got to chat with actress Lacey Caroline about her role in Harbor Island and growing up as a performer.
When did you know you wanted to be a performer?
I was born into a family of performers. My dad is a former professional mascot and my mom was a professional cheerleader and still does community theatre. My first real job as a performer was as a mini mascot. I got to perform as Mini Hugo – the mini mascot for the Charlotte Hornets at the French All-Star game in Paris and loved it. I performed in halftime and throughout the second half of the game in front of 25,000 fans and also participated in their media day. I realized that I loved performing right then and there. Around the same time I was introduced to theatre and played “Molly” in my elementary school’s version of Annie, Jr. I went to Northwest School of the Arts in 6th grade and was signed by my first agent within a few months!
What drew you to Harbor Island? How does it feel to see it doing well on the festival circuit?
I have been involved with Harbor Island for over a year now. A producer recommended me to the writer and director, Tiffany Rhodes, to play the role of Jamie and after talking with Tiffany, I knew I had to play the character. I was so excited to work with her because I loved the story and her personal ties to it, and I was very excited to work with a female director. The storyline is based on real events with elements of Tiffany’s life weaved through. She is a brilliant writer and I am so proud that it is doing well on the festival circuit. I am really excited that it has been accepted into the La Femme International Festival and cannot wait to see how it does!
Could you relate to your character Jamie?
Absolutely! Jamie is an intuitive girl who feels like she has the weight of her town on her shoulders. Everyone in the community has expectations of Jamie that she doesn’t quite agree with. She takes the situation into her own hands and surprises everyone with her courage and boldness…but that is deep into the series. Hopefully, we will get a chance to see that part of Jamie!
You work as a kid reporter. Who is your favorite person you’ve interviewed?
I am so lucky to have interviewed a lot of incredible athletes over the past year, but my favorite is still Jimmie Johnson. I have been a Jimmie fan since I was a baby and it was fun to reconnect with him during the original NASCAR on NBC series.
You also sing, do you hope to come out with original music?
Singing is something that I love to do, but there are no plans for original music right now. I am focused on a feature film and a few other awesome projects currently. But, it is not something that I have crossed out completely and may consider something original in 2021!
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
I love this question and have the same advice each time…Be a student of the industry. Don’t ever miss an opportunity to learn from a person or an experience. Once you get some experience, build a great team. Your agent and managers are a huge part of your future success and you have to have people who believe in you 100% and who are willing to push you to greatness! Most importantly, be patient and respectful. Remember that out of 100 auditions, you may only get one look. But that one look could change your path. And always respect the process and the people. Everyone involved in a tv or film project is there to do a job, including you. If you are not prepared or if you are late, you affect every other element of production.