Rising Star Actress Erin Cahill: “If you are reading this, then go for it!; It’s so easy to find things that you can become part of that will move the needle; If we all do even a little, a lot of change will happen!”
If I could use my life for anything, it would be to do good in this world and to make a difference. I try to volunteer whenever I can. I would say, if you are reading this, then go for it! It’s so easy to find things locally or globally that you can become part of that will move the needle. Help somehow. If we all do even a little, a lot of change will happen!
I had the pleasure to interview Erin Cahill. Erin is an American actress best known for her roles as Jen Scotts in Power Rangers Time Force (2001), Ted Mosby’s sister, Heather, in How I Met Your Mother (2005) and Kendra Burke in Saving Grace (2007). She had a recurring role as Felicity in the ABC series Red Widow (2013). She is also noted to be the first lead female character for the Call of Duty franchise, as Chloe ‘Karma’ Lynch in Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012). Cahill was born in Stafford, Virginia. She began acting in her mother’s local high school productions at age four, and started singing and dancing lessons at age eight. She was Miss Pre-Teen Virginia in 1991 and the first runner-up for Miss Junior America. She continued to act into her high school years at Brooke Point High School, where she served as the president of many clubs, including the Honor Thespians group. As a junior, Cahill was the only one of her year to garner perfect scores in all phases of her audition to the Governor’s School for the Arts in drama. At age 16, she also won Overall Actor in the Actors, Models, Talent for Christ competition. She was further selected into the Barton and Williams Dance Company, winning both company and individual awards. Following high school graduation in 1998, she attended Marymount Manhattan College in New York on an academic and performing arts scholarship. She left college at age 19 to pursue a full-time acting career in Los Angeles. Passionate about charity, Cahill co-founded the group, Charitable Living, which services the local community throughout the year with various fundraisers and days of volunteering.In May 2015, Cahill joined non-profit group BuildOn and traveled to Malawi to promote education and build schools.
Thank you so much for doing this with us Erin! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Thank you, Authority Magazine for having me! I am so honored to be here and talk about Christmas on the Range, one of my favorite movies of my career so far.
I grew up in a small town in Virginia. I actually grew up in the same house from age 1–18! I did a lot of dancing and acting. I loved growing up in my small town where we all knew each other. So I keep in touch with many people there.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
It’s actually a fun story about how I got into acting. My mom was teaching theatre at the local high school and put me in a play at age four. Ever since then, I knew that’s what I wanted to do with my life, even at that young age.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Oh gosh! I have been so lucky to have so many interesting career stories and experiences in my career. So thankful! I would say that a fun fact is that my first job was as the Pink Power Ranger. I was going to college in New York and I gave myself one year to get a good job, or else I would go back to school. So it really felt fortuitous and blessed and lucky to get that job and be on set within a year and a month! I hadn’t seen the show before that, although I knew what it was. But I never could have predicted what a piece of history and how much of a wonderful fan base it was and would give to my life.
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?
Well goodness, I have made so many mistakes, ha! I would say the biggest mistake/lesson that I had to learn and sometimes still have to relearn, is that worrying won’t really do much. Having faith and working hard will always make all the difference in the end.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Oh, it’s been such an exciting year! Getting to ride horses for a month in the gorgeous mountains of Georgia was truly one of the most exciting things to happen in my career. And now, moving forward, I am so excited about the projects I have in development. I am starting to produce and am so thankful for this new opportunity and expansion.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
What five things do I wish someone would have told me? That’s a big one!
1. Don’t try to give them what they want. I spent so much of my early career trying to get the audition to be right or be what I thought they wanted. Every time I would go in and do what felt right to my heart and my voice, I would shine in a way that I couldn’t predict.
2. Have faith. The hardest times I have had in my career is when I have forgotten that it’s all working out exactly how it’s supposed to.
3. Enjoy it ALL. The ups and downs, wins and losses — they are all part of it. And, make you (me) a richer human and artist.
4. Have a full life outside of the business! Enjoying a full life will make you a more full human and therefore will give you the ability to tell a more full story. Go on the trip. See those family members and friends. Volunteer at the orphanage. It’s ALL important. Because what’s meant for you, won’t pass you (one of my favorite Irish sayings!)!
5. The successes and failures in this business do NOT define who you are. Once I found happiness inside myself and realized that I am the source, not exterior circumstances like work, then it was a never-ending fountain that I could always tap into. And that made my job so much more enjoyable, even in the tough times.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I would say to anyone starting in this business or who has been in it for any length of time, keep finding inspiration wherever you can. It will keep work and LIFE exciting and alive!
You are a person of enormous 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? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
If I could use my life for anything, it would be to do good in this world and to make a difference. I try to volunteer whenever I can. I would say, if you are reading this, then go for it! It’s so easy to find things locally or globally that you can become part of that will move the needle. Help somehow. If we all do even a little, a lot of change will happen!
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?
I am so thankful to every person who showed me it was possible. To every person who told me I couldn’t do it. Who told me that it was too hard in this business. It just made me stronger and more focused. And, to the people who told me never to give up and follow my path, I am SO GRATEFUL!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One of my very favorite life quotes is, “If the only prayer you ever say is, ‘Thank you’, that is enough.” My dad taught me that one. My parents taught me to live and think from gratitude. It’s made all the difference in my heart and life.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
If I could have lunch with anyone, well, there are so many. I would have to say, at this moment in my life, Oprah! I have loved her for all of my adult life. I think she is DIVINE and has done so much good for the world. I have so many questions to pick her brain about!
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Thank you, YOU reading, for taking the time! Wishing you so much love and happiness.
My social media handles are:
@TheErinCahill
Thank you for this interview! Wishing you and your loved ones all the best!
