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.
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.
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.
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