Rising Star Brooke Carter On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Elana Cohen
A dream we dream alone, is just a dream
Support is a huge part of the success of anyone in the arts industry. If my parents, agency, school, family, and friends didn’t believe in and support my dream of wanting to be an actress I would not be where I am today. It is impossible to navigate the industry alone so for anyone looking to start, seek a support network that will help you but make sure you believe in yourself first.
As a part of my series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Brooke Carter.
At just thirteen years old, actress on the rise Brooke Carter is proving to be “one to watch” in the entertainment industry today. In 2024, Carter will make her feature film debut in Netflix’s highly anticipated action/adventure feature film “Damsel” opposite Millie Bobby Brown, Angela Bassett, Robin Wright, and Nick Robinson. From Oscar-nominated filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, “Damsel” follows the story of Elodie (Bobby Brown), a young woman who agrees to marry a handsome prince (Robinson), only to discover she has been lured into a dangerous trap. Recruited by the royal family (Wright) to be sacrificed to repay an ancient debt, Elodie is thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon, relying solely on her wits and will to survive. Carter shines in the film as Elodie’s younger sister Floria, who finds herself also caught in crisis as Elodie’s fairytale wedding quickly unravels into peril. “Damsel” will debut worldwide on Netflix on March 8, 2024.
Aside from her breakout role in “Damsel,” notable credits for Carter include TNT’s “The Alienist,” alongside Luke Evans and Dakota Fanning, and Amazon’s “The Peripheral”, starring Chloe Grace Moretz. Carter has also appeared on AMC+’s “Close to Me” and Netflix’s popular British crime drama, “The Irregulars.”
Born and raised in Coventry, England, Carter exhibited a love for performing at just two years old. She would tap dance around the house, and her mother enrolled her in a local dance school. She quickly advanced in her classes and was accepted into the prestigious Allesley School of Dance, where she studied a plethora of styles, including Ballet, Tap, and Jazz. Furthering her career in dance, Carter enrolled into the Turley Duggan Academy at age four where she studied and perfected Irish dance, which earned Carter her first world qualifying spot for Montreal in 2023. Following Carter’s regional competition at the end of November 2023, she placed as runner up in the Midlands region for the under-13 age group, qualifying for the Glasgow World Championships in 2024.
Carter’s dance background and training have lent a hand in her ability to perform and hone in on her skills as an actress. While she has a natural confidence and talent for bringing characters to life, Carter has worked hard to immerse herself in the craft and learn from any source possible, especially the established actors she looks up to.
When she isn’t on set, at school, or in dance class, you can find Carter at the local ice-skating rink, reading her favorite fantasy novels, or practicing her martial arts as a red belt in Taekwondo.
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 Coventry, England in 2010. I began dancing age 2 and had a pretty normal upbringing until age 5 when I joined Bonnie and Betty (a UK model and acting agent). I got my first job within a month, and it just kept coming from there. I attended the local primary school and now attend the local secondary school. I have a great group of friends who are all supportive of my career and treat me just like everyone else.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
My earliest memory is watching Hairspray the musical at age 2 and tap dancing to the amazing songs. This is what really started my love for the arts. My mum started me at dancing after watching me do this and that’s what set my career path in motion.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your entertainment career?
I’m not sure about interesting but definitely the most surreal moment in my career was out in Portugal when filming Damsel we stayed at a stunning Vineyard. Dinner was in the main room, and everyone ate together so I sat down to dinner with Millie Bobby Brown, Angela Bassett, Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson, and Juan Carlos. It was the most amazing moment to be part of and it was such an amazing meal.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. 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?
Luckily to date I have never had any embarrassing moments on set while working. However, I have a very real fear of forgetting to do my research on co-stars and not knowing or realizing who a very well-known person is!
That and forgetting my lines.
So far I’ve managed to avoid both situations.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people? Currently I am focusing on the release of Damsel and my first premiere and all the exciting things that come along with that. In the future I would like to use my influence to help others, especially children in my hometown.
Most young people your age don’t have to balance work and school. Can you tell us how you manage to balance your schoolwork, auditions, and time on set?
It was always part of the deal with my parents that in order to continue on my chosen career path I had to stay on top of my schoolwork as well. Over time it has become easier to manage but one thing I do is use my experiences in acting as part of my learning. If I have to stay in a different country for any period of time I try to make the most of it by attending museums and galleries and visiting local architecture, monuments, or historic sites. Lots of the things I’ve done while being away have helped when I have returned to the classroom.
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?
There are so many people I could say here. My parents who noticed my love for the arts from a young age and my agent Bonnie for seeing what my parents did and taking me on board. Without either of those none of the things I am part of now would be possible.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s jump to the main part of our interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
1 . Roles with no dialogue are just as important as roles with dialogue
I had a couple of smaller roles when I was younger that had no dialogue and as an actor I thought this reflected on my abilities but really my roles were just as pivotal to the story line — even without saying a word
2 . School and learning can be anything you want it to be
School used to mean being in a classroom setting but through my work I have had the amazing opportunity to learn that school can be anywhere and anytime. I have learnt so much not only on my travels but just by being able to work alongside people from all walks of life.
3 . It’s not as easy as it looks
As much as I love the opportunities acting has provided me it is definitely not as easy as it looks. There is so much time and effort that goes into getting those opportunities. It is hard being away from family and friends for extended periods of time and the days can be long and grueling (especially in big costumes in hot weather)
4 . Rejection doesn’t mean you are not good at your job
Rejection is part of the arts industry but when you join the industry at such a young age it can be heard to learn that being told no isn’t always about your ability. It could be something as simple as hair color, eye color or missing teeth. Luckily I had a great support network and never worried about being rejected as usually it meant something even better was around the corner.
5 . A dream we dream alone, is just a dream
Support is a huge part of the success of anyone in the arts industry. If my parents, agency, school, family, and friends didn’t believe in and support my dream of wanting to be an actress I would not be where I am today. It is impossible to navigate the industry alone so for anyone looking to start, seek a support network that will help you but make sure you believe in yourself first.
You are a person of enormous influence. How do you think you can use social media as a platform to be a positive influence to your fans, and for society at large?
There are so many stories of how social media can be a negative place but personally I think the positive will always outweigh the negative. Not everyone is always going to like your opinions or choices but that’s ok and being able to accept other people’s opinions and choices without judgement is an important part of making social media a positive experience for everyone.
Personally, my platform will always be a space to share my work and share the joy of life in general. I hope to be able to join forces with some causes that are close to my heart in the future and begin sharing some of their messages and awareness.
If you had the ability to choose to work on any TV show or film, or work alongside any co-star, or with any director, what or who would that be, and why? You never know who might see this article, especially if we tag them. 😊
Tv show and Director- I would love to work on Wednesday with Tim Burton because I love the show and have always been a fan of Tim’s work.
Film-I would love to work on a Jurassic Park film, It’s my dads’ favorite.
Co-star- I would always choose to work with the Damsel cast over and over as they made it the best experience for me but if I had to choose somebody I hadn’t worked with before it would definitely be Jim Carey. I have admired his work for a long time and think he is somebody I could learn so much from.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Instagram — @brookecarterofficial
TikTok- Theebeecarter
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
