Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Actress Francesca Barker McCormick Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
Learn to love every audition. Whether it’s the character, a line you get to deliver, the world you get to live in, etc. find something that brings you fulfillment in it.
As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Francesca Barker McCormick.
Francesca Barker McCormick is a Hispanic American actress based in Los Angeles, CA. Since giving her acting career center stage in 2020, Barker McCormick has played roles in ten films and five series.
Prior to her career in film and television, her inherent eye for fashion and shows such as Sweet Home Alabama, Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, and The Devil Wears Prada influenced her decision to move to New York City to begin work within the luxury fashion industry. Francesca produced numerous events with Escada, Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Balmain, Fendi, Ralph Lauren, and many more — the pinnacle being Vogue’s Met Gala! She also worked as a Vogue Market Stylist, acting as a representative of the brand and hosting events on their behalf.
Outside of acting, Ms. McCormick continues her work in the event world as the Project Director for Gina’s Collective, an advisory for tech-enabled nonprofits. She also serves on the Guild for the Princess Grace Kelly Foundation, an organization dedicated to upholding the legacy of Princess Grace of Monaco, and elevating extraordinary emerging artists in theater, dance and film through career-advancing grants.
Ms. McCormick graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a minor in Marketing from High Point University and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. She studies under Celia Schaefer at McCaskill Studios.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born in Mobile, Alabama, where I went to school at UMS Wright Preparatory School. In addition to focusing on the rigorous curriculum, I pursued my passion in dance. I took dance classes practically every day of the week, at Sheffield’s School of Dance. I danced competitively with the studio and even brought my passion for the art to my high school, where I was the captain of the first dance team in UMS history.
I also took part in school and the local community plays, including shows such as The Wizard of Oz, Annie, Charlotte’s Web, and The Music Man.
In both dance and theater, I always found joy in creating the costume and bringing different stories, characters, and visions to life.
I also had an innate passion for fashion and design. I would cut out clothes from the pages of Teen Vogue and Seventeen to put together my own looks on a cork board in my room. I even designed my own dresses and my mom would take me to the fabric store to pick out materials, buttons, and zippers. We would ship everything to my great aunt in Puerto Rico, who was an extremely talented dressmaker (she didn’t need a pattern, only a 14-year-old’s garment dream on paper), and she would ship back the finished dress. It was like magic, and the following week I’d be wearing the latest creation walking into church like I was walking into Spring Studios during New York Fashion Week.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
Before the pandemic happened, I was planning and executing events for Vogue, GQ, Glamour, Allure, and Vanity Fair at Conde Nast. As I’m sure you’ve seen on TV and in film, it’s a fast-paced and exhilarating world. So much so, that unless there is a circumstance that forces you to pause for a moment, you are always running. The pandemic has had a tremendous impact on all of our lives. In the beginning, it forced every single industry to regroup. I was no longer out at events until midnight and waking up at 6 AM the next morning to get a workout in before making it to the office by 8:30 AM. To put it simply, because of the pause, I now had time to check in with myself. I went very introspective, asking questions like “what am I passionate about”, “is there still that spark for what I’m doing”, and “where do I shine”. To me, everything pointed back to being on stage, creating, performing, and telling stories. I had been doing this for the first 22 years of my life. The first step from there was to sign up for an online (again…pandemic) acting class. This was the strategy I continued to implement for my dive back into the entertainment industry… step by step. After completing the class, I created online profiles on Backstage and Actors Access. Subsequently, I started applying for roles and auditioning. And from those steps, all taken one by one, building confidence as I went, I began booking.
I also think it’s important to share that I absolutely loved the chapter of my life that took place within the Fashion/Media/Event Industry. If I had to start from the beginning again, I’d do it the exact same way. I learned a work ethic that is unmatched. I met and befriended icons who have legacies that will carry on far beyond their time on this earth. It’s a chapter that only fortifies the chapter I’m in now, and I will always be grateful for it.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I was auditioning for a film that was about a girl with two boyfriends, a throuple if you will!
When I went in, I was under the impression that I was auditioning to be her supportive best friend.
When I came out, I had unknowingly booked the role of the girl with two boyfriends instead.
I had the choice to either turn down the role, or figure out how I could get on this character’s side. I chose to accept the challenge, and take on the world where I had two male companions. It was probably the biggest stretch for me thus far in my acting career but one that was also very fulfilling.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Oh boy. Again, my approach was step by step so when I began auditioning, I learned the do’s and don’ts as I went. That being said, for my first audition, I didn’t know your reader was supposed to be more understated and further away from the mic. Are you cringing yet?!
The audition was supposed to be two drunk young ladies in the back of a cab making fun of the cab driver. My husband, and my reader, proceeded to give his best LOUD drunk girl impression. Let me tell you, he did not hold back. He gets an A+ for effort but watching the audition back, knowing what I do now, I can only imagine what the casting director thought. I hope they got a good laugh, because I know we did.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Gina Sanders was my first manager at Condé Nast, I got my start there as her assistant in 2016 (it really was one of those written in the stars happenings). I was with her for two years before venturing into events for Condé Nast as a whole. My world came full circle when she founded Gina’s Collective in 2017 and asked me to come back on board with her as the nonprofit advisory’s Project Director in 2020. All this to say, I have had the great fortune of learning from her for six years.
I have lists of what I call Gina-isms: pearls of wisdom that she so graciously has shared with me from her experiences whether in business or just life overall. And while I apply them just about everyday, when making the decision to give my acting career center stage and leave my occupation that had been a constant for so long, it wasn’t a Gina-ism that helped me most. It was Gina.
We had scheduled a breakfast at the iconic Balthazar in NYC to chat through what was next for Gina’s Collective and also for me to share a bit of news with her. So there I went, walking through Soho, thinking through every reaction she could have when I told her the news: I’m leaving Condé Nast/NYC and diving head first into Acting/LA. It’s not that she wouldn’t be supportive, it’s that I had tucked away this side venture of mine from the world and this was the first time I was going to put it on the table.
I slid into the infamous red booth, gulped my tea, and let my truth pour out.
She looked at me with the biggest smile and said, “I think that’s great. I can’t believe I’m going to know a famous actress!” Just like that, so easily. She was in my corner no matter what and that made all the difference in my experience.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Here’s what has been most helpful for me:
- Take it one step at a time. There can be immense pressure to be “successful” both internally, and externally. But if you look into any “overnight success”, they all have years of hard work leading up to their breakout role.
- There will be many no’s, but the key is to figure out why they’re saying no. Sometimes it will have nothing to do with you. Other times, their feedback can be your biggest aid. It informs what you need to do in order to get the yes. So do the work to figure out why not now and come back armed with the tools you need to turn that previous no into a yes.
- There’s no specific way to go about this industry. I was just in a workshop with Casting Director Tiffany Little Canfield, and she said actors are all looking to figure out that one thing that will make all the difference…but there is no one thing. There’s no gimmick or shortcut in any industry. However, building your community and seizing even the smallest opportunities can certainly have long-term benefits.
What drives you to get up every day and work in TV and Film? What change do you want to see in the industry going forward?
It’s so deeply rooted in me as my purpose that every single day I wake up with the mission of becoming one step closer to reaching my goals. Truly, I sit at my kitchen counter at least once a day defining specific actions that push me, even if it’s just an inch, closer to achieving my dream. I believe we are so lucky to be in an industry that directly impacts the world and people around us. That motivates me every day.
For example, when The Devil Wears Prada came out, so many people walked away thinking wow, I can’t believe that’s what it’s like…no thank you! Not me, I walked away knowing that’s where I had to be. I loved every second of it, hence my 5-year tenure in events for media publications!
Or when I was in 4th grade and watched Legally Blonde for the very first time (because let’s be honest, I’ve watched it many more times than I can count since then). It put a lifetime chip on my shoulder that I could do absolutely anything I set my mind to. And I could do it while still enjoying fashion and all the girly things. It showed me you don’t have to choose — you can be smart, funny, girly, and successful, all at the same time.
I want to see the industry continuing to shed light on female stories. More shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Big Little Lies, Insecure, Orange is the New Black, Hacks, The Golden Girls, Gilmore Girls, and Fleabag, just to name a few! I want to see more inclusive and diverse casts that truly reflect the world we live in and the people who live in it.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
I’m so excited to share that I am currently involved in a Short Film, Making Faking Breaking, written and directed by Rebecca Demeter. It’s an incredible short that delves into the realities women face and how the world is now glued to our screens. When I read it, I was immediately hooked because it includes some of the difficult conversations my friends and I have had. A big thank you to Rebecca for bringing the female perspective so honestly, to the big screen — it’s exactly what this industry needs more of!
We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?
- Diversity MUST be reflected in film and television, it sets a precedent for the world. One that should be of inclusiveness, equality, and respect for each other. In many ways, film and TV teach the world in a mass way. It should be viewed as another tool to abolish racism, sexism, and discrimination.
- I firmly believe in equal opportunity for all. If you have the skill and the work ethic, your skin color, your relationships, and your gender should never hold you back.
- It’s important for children especially to see themselves reflected on the big and small screens. It is their first look at the world outside their homes and they will look to it for inspiration for who they wish to become.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- In this industry, it’s going to take longer than you think. Be in it for the long haul, and try to enjoy the ride. (learned from the great Jodie Bentley)
- If you are worried about being judged, you aren’t ready. This was a big one for me in the beginning coming from such a polished world. But it’s true, you can’t be focused on anything else when auditioning/performing but your scene, the character, and the world they live in. Anything else will hold you back or get you in your head. My acting coach Celia Schaefer calls these Pink Elephants. When they come up, see them, let them kindly see their way out, and then carry on. Gina Sanders calls this the blah, blah, blah approach. The thought will come to your mind, greet it, and just say yeah…blah, blah, blah. Both methods take away the power of doubt and judgment.
- Learn to love every audition. Whether it’s the character, a line you get to deliver, the world you get to live in, etc. find something that brings you fulfillment in it.
- Let them tell you no. Sometimes you’ll get audition requests for an age range you aren’t (I’ll never forget my first mom request), or a type that’s not your norm. Don’t sit it out because you don’t think you fit the ask. Always do the audition and let them be the one to tell you. You can’t count yourself out. You learn and grow with each audition. Don’t miss the opportunity.
- There’s no such thing as an overnight success. As I mentioned before, if you look into any actor/actress portrayed as an “overnight success” you’ll find many credits leading up to their big break. I try to look up the actors in any show I watch to see what their career path was like. Almost always, they’ve put in the work for years!
Can you share with our readers any selfcare routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.
I am a big believer in moving your body not only because of the physical benefits but also because of the stress relief and mental clarity. I weight lift with my trainer twice a week and hike at least 3 times a week (BIG perk to moving to LA, so many incredible hiking spots!). It keeps me sane and relieves any anxiety the day brings!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“You must want to be a butterfly so badly, you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.” — Trina Paulus
This quote completely encompasses the difficult decision I made to leave the media/event industry for acting. If I wanted to pursue my dream of acting, something I could not stop thinking about and wanting to put in the work for, I had to do the difficult and uncomfortable first. I had to want it so badly, that I was willing to let go of what I knew so well, what I was comfortable in, where I had made great friends, and where I had made memories that I will keep for a lifetime. And once I got through that, I could then take on the wild ride of being an artist.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I would inspire a movement of empathy and healing. I think we should be able to put ourselves in the shoes of others and do the work to understand how different our experiences on this earth can be. With this movement would come greater listening, understanding, and compassion for each other. It would also diminish rage, war, and hostility.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Mindy Kaling! From watching her on The Office and The Mindy Project to now watching her incredible shows, such as The Sex Life of College Girls, she is without a doubt a force to be reckoned with. Plus if you follow her on IG she’s just a delight and keeps it so real. It’s one of my goals to work with her!
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Yes, IG: @francescabmccormick !
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
