Rising Star Carolline Salomão On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Jason Sheppard

…The beauty of acting is that whatever is going to get you, the job comes from within you and your life experiences. So, the more life experiences you have, the more interesting and knowledgeable you become. Be kind to yourself, cause no one else will in the industry. It’s not their fault. They need to say yes or no. And most often it’s not. So be ready and make it fun.

As a part of our interview series with the rising stars in pop culture, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing actress Carolline Salomão

Carolline Salomão is a French-Brazilian actress of Syrian Lebanese descent. Based in London since 2018, she grew up in Brazil in the countryside of São Paulo state, surrounded by farms. Later on, studied to be a film director in Paris. Back in Brazil, she graduated as a professional actress.

Fluent in four different languages (English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese), before moving to London Salomão lived in Madrid. The Spanish language opened a new market of possibilities. But when Salomão met her English agent in Paris, she realized she wanted a truly international career in Cinema, and instantly fell in love with London.

In 2020, she received her first Best Actress award for the dark comedy “Off-His Job”, currently on Amazon Prime; and two Best Duo Acting awards for “The Magnificence of You”, also available on Prime Video.

For the past six months, she’s been training with Luke J I Smith, actor and stunt performer, getting ready to film “A Beautiful Debt”, filmed in January 2022, where she plays a Secret Service agent. Salomão did all the stunts herself. Her background includes a Graduation in Classical Dance, Horse Riding to a professional level, and screen combat skills (from sword fighting to Taekwondo and Jiujitsu).

Salomão is full of sunny energy, sweet but also cheeky and likes to make people laugh. She has been called the Brazilian Sandra Bullock, or Julia Roberts because of her big smile. Her comedic timing earned her a part in “Glass” from M. Night Shyamalan. But, on the other side, she can also come across as a strong, fearless woman.

Salomão is also passionate about writing and draws inspiration from Lena Dunham, Greta Gerwig and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. She has now written two TV series and is currently looking for a production company and already aligned to take on a deal with Netflix for distribution.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I was born and raised in Ribeirão Preto, a town the size of Oslo in the state’s countryside of São Paulo, in the southeast of Brazil. My mom, a Brazilian Syrian Lebanese, met my dad, who’s a French Normand in Paris when she was studying there, and they later moved back to Brazil to have kids. I had a lovely upbringing with loads of fun and friends. I’ve always been very social, and my mother always kept me on a busy schedule. From French and English classes to horse riding, ballet dancing, tennis, and swimming. When I was seventeen and had finished high school, I moved to Paris to start my graduate degree in cinema.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I’ve always loved to read. My mom said since I could read, I would devour the books she would send my way. The thing is, I love storytelling. I personally find life boring. Trivial. But as soon as someone tells you a story, it transports you to a new dimension of colours, tastes, and feelings. Things you didn’t know you could feel, experience, and maybe never experience. I would rent films and watch them by myself between tears and laughs. Then I decided I wanted to show the world my visions, the ones I had in dreams. Cool camera angles, cool colour pallets. After doing my studies in Cinema, and another graduation and post-graduation, I found myself in acting. It was a therapeutic way of getting to know me better. The expressive power, the wild, free creative world of becoming a character, with flaws and qualities.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

After one year of having graduated from drama school in Brazil, I moved to Madrid together with an old French friend to finish writing a script we had been on for a couple of years. After three weeks in Madrid and having finished the script, I received a call from my Brazilian agent saying there was an audition for a Hollywood big production, but no self-tapes were being accepted. Everything about the production was still secretive, so I had to take the chance. I had to fly back to audition, and I did it thinking: “I have to f* get this role”. The passenger sitting next to me on the plane confirmed: “you need to get the role to make it worth the money spent on last-minute flying tickets!” In the audition room, I first introduced myself in English and then reacted to the instructions the casting director was giving me. Once I left the room, I called a friend in America and told him I wasn’t too sure about my introduction in English. He told me to just go back in there, knock on the door and ask to do it again. He had already worked as a casting director and producer, so he reassured me it would cause a positive impact: “she wants it”. I did so, and they let me back in. Then, a couple of days later, I received a call from my agent saying, “You got the part.” The director was Mr. M. Night Shyamalan, and I was part of the cast of “Glass”. They were there to film for two days with me and three other Brazilian actors. When Shyamalan met me, he told me he had laughed so much watching my audition tape that he almost cried. I love comedy and I have great comedic timing, and that got me through the door to film with this amazing director and amazing person. When I went with my guts, when everyone else played the scene like a drama, I went for a comedy, and it captured Shyamalan’s attention.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’ve been devoting the last six months to learning screen combat. I already had some experience with real fighting (jujitsu, Taekwondo) but to adapt it to the screen is a whole new game. After all the months of training, we are now filming an action piece called “A Beautiful Debt”, by Luke J I Smith, where I play a Secret Service agent. I did all the stunts myself during all the fight scenes, performing dangerous moves such as the Scorpio kick (the same one Trinity throws in “Matrix 3”). It’s a funny and brilliant British dark comedy/action piece which I’m proud to be a part of, together with a stunning team of actors and stunts working together to create magic in style. Also, we recently finished filming the second episode of the TV series “What the Fact”, now on Amazon Prime. Again, very British sort of sarcastic humour and very aligned with the present times and discussion around the COVID-19 scenario. I play a whistle-blower doctor who reveals secrets from the pharmaceutical industry. This is the second project I work on with the director. The first one is also available on Amazon Prime (“The Magnificence of You”). Finally, the next thing I’ll be filming is the TV series I wrote myself where I play the lead character, a dramatic comedy about growing up between Paris and São Paulo. After filming the proof of concept/pilot, we’ll reveal where it will be seen.

You have been blessed with 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?

Listen, it’s a scary choice for a career because there will always be ups and downs. But, people who choose this life path do it because they have no other choice. Because inside them there’s a calling, at least the ones that stay for the long run. Because it isn’t easy, I can’t lie. But it’s worse without it, if it makes any sense. Bottom line is, if you came to this world with a mission of sharing your creativity, if you feel that’s your life path because it’s meaningful, then nothing can stop you from achieving that goal. If you stick long enough around the door at some point, they’ll let you in. Resilience. Patience. Never take it personally.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

This is an amazing and exciting time to be part of the film industry, being from a diverse group, being a woman. Because all the attention is now on it. Let me put it this way, if you walk in London, you’ll meet a diversity of people. Endless nationalities. And it’s a vast group of people. It defines the landscape, the social relations. It makes sense to have them portrayed in the culture we live in because it’s real. A little digression; when I moved to London, I felt at home for the first time in my entire life. Can’t explain why. What I can say, though, is that London is open to foreigners. To their accent, culture. Londoners are polite and open-minded people. When I signed with my first agent in London, he told me that the market was opening more and more to ambiguous and exotic nationalities. I auditioned for lead roles in British TV shows that are on Netflix. I got auditions playing a native American with Spanish background, a Brazilian, a Mexican. I auditioned for Warner Bros. and cast, but then the part was removed from the script. What I mean is, the market is opening more and more, but in England, it’s still much less than America — of course — because America, similar to Brazil, is built on diversity and immigration. But if I would then answer your question, I’d say:

1. BECAUSE IT’S THE REALITY we see daily, and apart from sci-fi, films should be a portrait of society — reflect it like a mirror, even if a broken one.

2. IT’S SHOW BUSINESS. Let’s talk business: the audiences are global audiences now. Who would have imagined that a Korean TV series (“Squid Game”) would break all the records of Netflix with no famous actors or such? Just a good story? So, the more our heroes are multi-ethnic, ambiguous, the more people feel represented as they watch the streaming platforms. I’m French, Brazilian Syrian Lebanese. Catch me if you can! People can’t tell where I’m from. That’s a valuable asset for an actor in this new international scenario where the world gathers around streaming platforms and connects on the internet.

3. IT’S ABOUT ACCEPTING THE DIVERSITY OF THE WORLD: because a global world is not about everyone becoming the same, but it’s about getting to know and appreciate diversity. After all, that’s the beauty of life itself. So, Gal Gadot, from Israel, is Wonder Woman. Her accent is nice. She has a good soul. She’s real. We like Javier Bardem, Salma Hayek, Penélope Cruz, and Alice Braga because they’re unique. They bring new flavours, sounds and melodies. I’ll stop here. I’m getting poetic. Lol.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

Uh… This is hard… let’s see…

1. BE YOUR OWN AGENT, otherwise, you think that because you have an agent; you don’t have to do anything else. Wrong. You need to be out there, branding yourself, letting the world know what you can bring to the table. Find like-minded people. Whenever on set, make new friends and connections.

2. DON’T GO TOO FAR OUT YOUR ACTING COMFORT ZONE: okay, maybe these aren’t the best words to describe what I mean to say, but I believe it’s important to understand that you will go into comedy… into more introspective characters, feisty… there will be emotions and feeling that you’ll be able to have access to more easily. I’m not saying don’t explore the ones that are less comfortable. I say: explore. But when you realize where your natural talent and soul lie, enhance that. Make that shine. That’s how you’re going to kick the door open. THE REAL YOU. Some people just suck at comedy but are brilliant for heavy dramas. Some are good in both, like Robert De Niro. But how many heavy drama movies did De Niro make in his career? Many, until he started playing comedic characters. What I mean is, it’s a freaking competitive world out there. Take what you do best, but on the opening page of your branding speech, and then go from there. Otherwise, you’ll be trying to play roles you don’t feel excited about or don’t understand and can’t bring much to the table by connecting the character to your own life experiences.

3. BE PATIENT: that’s a sine qua non with acting. Loads of waiting. Loads of talking. An actor must learn how to keep his fire burning throughout the filming period. Or an audition. Being nervous or getting stressed is a waste of energy and one can’t act well if drained, except if you’re playing an emotionally drained character, in which case, marvellous!

4. DEEP TRUST: you’re your only enemy. No matter what the person in front of you does in the audition room, or during a shoot, it’s about you trusting your state of emotions and believing inside you, it is compatible with the character you’re portraying. That comes out in your eyes and the energy fills the room. It’s that simple in a way. It comes from a calm lake within, calm on the surface, but deep and powerful when you go in. So, once it’s the “action” moment, forget everything else and, from that original point of calm, become the character energetically.

5. MAKE REHEARSALS FUN: with creating a character, there are so many diverse ways different people navigate. I believe in making yourself believe in the character. Give it enough layers that you trick your mind that the person is real. Natalie Portman says she thinks of someone she knows, a real person who is like the character she’s trying to create and takes something from how a person behaves, like that she believes more in the character herself because she can relate it to reality. But, let the character come to you. How? Making rehearsals fun and interesting, let yourself discover yourself in character. The best way to be relaxed and creative is when you’re happy, having fun. So, enjoy the process and let the magic begins.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Have fun. Have a life. Yes, you need to work harder because those who work harder win. That’s it. That’s what I believe, at least. So, you work hard, but party hard too. Find a place of fun and relaxation. Don’t make your life miserable because otherwise, you’ll hate the acting career. The beauty of acting is that whatever is going to get you, the job, comes from within you and your life experiences. So, the more life experiences you have, the more interesting and knowledgeable you become. Be kind to yourself, cause no one else will in the industry. It’s not their fault. They need to say yes or no. And most often it’s not. So be ready and make it fun.

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. :-)

I would stop the censorship of ideas. My movement would be freedom of speech. Ideas are dangerous things to people in control, so they operate on a fear mode programming method, and people out of fear forget to think by themselves. I believe the more freedom of speech we have, the more we go back to the true democracy where all ideas heard and discussed and not classified as hate speech, or politically incorrect and cancelled. I believe that whenever people censor each other, there are creating a dark future for the generations to come. Furthermore, I’m worried about censorship on the internet. The big techs. I think it’s important people think for themselves and above all allow no one else to decide what they can say or read. In a world where a dictatorship like China grows by the day with facial recognition control, social media control, |I think we need to remember what freedom means and how dangerous the communist ideas have proved themselves throughout history.

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?

Well, there are friends along the way with whom I’ve been able to work together making films, and I think these friends helped me achieve success. Since I’ve arrived in the UK, I have two good friends with whom I make films, and together we grew a network of reliable people and gathered unique skills. Then I’d say my parents, especially my mother, who once told me life is not worth living if we are not aiming to achieve our dreams. She dreamt of being a fashion designer, although she became a businesswoman and said I shouldn’t repeat the same mistake. I miss them. But love travels time and space and warms your heart no matter how far you are, and I always have them and their support with me, so when I fall, they pick me up on the spot.

Can you please give us your favourite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“You decide if you are the hero or the victim of your life.” Well, again, life isn’t a fairy tale and when you decide to be an actor, then it’s about deciding how to take all the rejection, how to take all the failure. If you take it as a hero, you think yes, heroes go through problems and more problems in the films, but it’s because only they can face those problems, and every time they do, they grow. We see it, but the hero doesn’t, necessarily. So, I keep reminding myself that everything on my path is not blocking me but is building me, preparing me, so I’m ready to be who I’m here to become. And we are evolving.

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. :-)

M. Night Shyamalan. Because it was amazing to work with him, and I’d love to meet up, and work together again! He’s a humble, funny, intelligent human being. Proof that in this industry there are also incredible people with work ethics and respect and appreciation by everyone involved in the process of film-making, making it feel like a family business.

How can our readers follow you online?

My Instagram @salomao.carolline.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!