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Kreyolicious Interview: Carl Hendrick Louis-Actor, Part 2

Welcome dear Kreyolicious cheries to PART TWO of my interview with actor Carl Hendrick Louis, who is right on the trail of Paul Robeson. Continue to follow the conversation…won’t you? If you missed it, CLICK HERE TO READ IT.

CARL HENDRICK LOUIS PHOTO
Photo Credit: Corey Melton

Kreyolicious: Do you ever tell yourself that with a name like Carl Hendrick Louis, you were meant to be an actor. Carl. Hendrick. Louis. So dramatic. So theatre-big-screen-ready.

Actually no. As a kid I didn’t like my name. It sounded weird to me and my middle name didn’t make sense to me. Also, growing up people always asked me if I was related to Carl Lewis the Olympian or if I was named after him, even though my last name is spelled differently. Names are fascinating because they come with their own meaning, whether it’s a famous historical figure, a legendary icon within one’s own lineage, or something really simple with no epic back story. There’s a good struggle in questioning what your name means to the world, but ultimately what you want it to mean for yourself, which will inevitably be reflected out to the world. With all that said, I love my name now.

Kreyolicious: How do you stay connected to Haitian culture? Have you been to Haiti? Do you ever think about going to Haiti to perform to train actors there?

When I’m not busy I hang out with my family, have lots of Haitian food. I listen to Haitian music and sometimes I listen to Haitian radio stations. I’ve been hearing about Konpa Tuesdays at the Katra Lounge—and I really want to go—but I probably won’t go until the show closes. I’m also taking Kreyol lessons. I want to be fluent and I want to read and write it proficiently. I have not been. I’ve been thinking about going to Haiti to teach over the past couple of years and I’ve looked into a couple of organizations that I found interesting but the timing hasn’t worked out yet.

Kreyolicious: What should every aspiring actor know?

The only thing that represents you the best is your work. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Then do the type of work in the audition room where you even surprise yourself. If you do that, the “nos” and yesses won’t matter any more. You’ll know it’s only a matter of time.

Kreyolicious: You had the role of Philiste in the French classical play “The Liar”. Being that it was from the 17th Century, and you are the product of the 21st Century, did you do anything in particular to prepare?

Well, that production was interesting. Although the text was in very verse, had period costumes and a period set design, it was actually a modern play. We didn’t even use accents of the period. The biggest preparation for the role was capturing the physical life of people who once wore big hats and swords on their hips all the time in their everyday life.

CARL HENDRICK LOUIS ACTOR
Photo Credit: Corey Melton

Kreyolicious: If you had to break down things you’ve learned in the span of your career thus far, what would you say those lessons are?

Well I’m very young in my career and I feel I’m still building my foundation—solidifying relationships. So, the most important lessons are patience and having a supportive network. This business can be extremely challenging. However, when I remind myself I’m in for this journey for the rest of life and when I reflect on the goals I’ve accomplished so far, it helps to put me at ease. Now, when that fails, I’m fortunate to lean on my supportive network to keep me sane, focused, and grounded. The supportive network is crucial.

Kreyolicious: Do you think directing is one of the things you’ll take up? What should we expect from you?

Nope. I prefer being responsible for one character out of an entire world, but you never know. You should expect from me to keep doing great work and we shall see where it takes me. Right now, I’m in conversation to work with Robinson Vil. He’s a very talented Haitian filmmaker. I’m interested in doing more projects that delves into Haitian and Haitian-American experiences. I believe we have so many gorgeous stories that we can tell. We have stories that I feel are healing stories and those should be shared. I’ve been looking into collaborating with other Haitian and Haitian-American artists, but only time will tell.

Kreyolicious: A high school senior approaches you and asks you for guidance and direction, because he’s in a quandary about whether to study acting in college. You’d tell him—

Well, I would need specifics about this senior to truly guide and direct this student. All I can suggest is to find a college that has a strong acting program as well as a solid base of the other majors this senior might be interested in. That way this senior can study acting and a plethora of other courses over the first couple of years and then decide if he or she wants to continue acting as a major or choose something else.

CLICK TO VISIT CARL HENDRICK LOUIS’ WEBSITE| CARL HENDRICK LOUIS ON TWITTER | CARL HENDRICK LOUIS ON FACEBOOK

K St. Fort
K St. Fort
ABOUT K. St Fort K. St. Fort is the Editor and Founder of, well, Kreyolicious.com and wishes to give you a heartfelt welcome to her site. She loves to read, write, and listen to music and is fascinated by her Haitian roots, and all aspects of her culture. Speaking of music, she likes it loud, really, really loud. Like bicuspid valve raising-loud. Her other love are the movies. She was once a Top 50 finalist for a student screenwriting competition, encouraging her to continue pounding the pavement. She has completed several screenplays, with Haiti as the backdrop, one of which tackles sexual abuse in an upper middle class Haitian family, while another has child slavery as its subject. She is currently completing another script, this time a thriller, about two sisters who reunite after nearly 10 years of separation. A strong believer in using films to further educational purposes, and to raise awareness about important subjects, she has made it a point to write about social issues facing Haiti, and making them an integral part of her projects. She has interviewed such Haitian-American celebrities as Roxane Gay, Garcelle Beauvais, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Briana Roy, Karen Civil, and many, many more. And that’s her writing this whole biographical sketch. She actually thinks writing about herself in the third person is cute. MY WEBSITE Kreyolicious ™: kree-ohl-lish-uh s: Surely an adjective…the state of being young, gorgeous, fine and utterly Haitian. Kreyolicious.com™, the hub for young, upwardly mobile Haitian-Americans, is akin to a 18th Century cultural salon but with a Millennium sensibility–an inviting lair, where we can discuss literature, music, problems facing the community, and everything on the side and in-between. Kreyolicious is the premier lifestyle, culture and entertainment blog and brand of the hip, young, trend-oriented, forward thinking Haitian-American. It’s the definite hot spot to learn more about Haiti our emerging identity as a people, and explore our pride and passion about our unique and vibrant culture. Within the site’s pages, Kreyolicious.com is going to engage you, empower you, and deepen your connection to everything Haitian: the issues, the culture, our cinema, the history, our cuisine, the style, the music, the worldwide community. Make yourself at home in my cultural salon. If you’re looking to learn more about Haiti, Kreyolicious.com invites you to board this trolley on a journey–on our journey. For me too, it is a process, a non-ending cultural odyssey. If you’re already acculturated, I can certainly learn something from you. We can learn from one other, for certain. With my site, Kreyolicious.com I look forward to inspiring you, to enriching you, and to participating alongside of you, in the cultural celebration. And being utterly kreyolicious. How do you wear your kreyoliciousness? On your sleeves, like I do? Kreyoliciously Yours, Your girl K. St. Fort, Ahem, follow me elsewhere!

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