Rising Star Catherine Lough Haggquist On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Edward Sylvan

Start writing. Develop your curiosity about things other than acting. Join a team. Volunteer for a board or committee. Background work is paid school.

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Catherine Lough Haggquist.

Words, stories, and images have been recurring themes in the career of Canadian actor Catherine Lough Haggquist.

With over 140 professional acting credits, Haggquist is currently gaining fanfare and acclaim in the supernatural drama genre of television, with a recurring role on “Motherland: Fort Salem” as Petra Bellweather.

Equally influential off-screen, she operates BizBooks.net, a dedicated source for film, television, and theatre products and owns TheDramaClass.com — which both inspire creatives to feel welcomed, encouraged, and supported in pursuing their industry dreams.

As she enjoys the prime of her professional pursuits, Catherine Lough Haggquist continues to relish the journey and strives to be an authentic inspiration and lasting influence on the industry she loves.

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

My parents met while they were attending the University of British Columbia — my Mom arriving there from Kingston, Jamaica and my Dad from Calgary, Alberta. I am the oldest of their three kids. My father is now a retired United Church Minister. When I was little, we moved from Vancouver BC, where I was born, to small towns in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Even as a small child, it was definitely impactful to move from the relatively diverse city to towns where we — my Mom, my brothers and I — were, if not the only Black people, 4 of very few.

As a Minister’s daughter, I definitely saw the impact of effective storytelling and the power of my Dad speaking from the front of the church impacting on the lives of those and his congregation. I was about three when I started reading. By the time I went to school, teachers would often allow me to read the class a story while they got caught up on marking and other things like that and I too felt the impact of being able to tell a story to an interested audience.

When I was at an age where we began to do school plays, I was aware of the fact that the Narrator often had the most lines and found that the most appealing role to play as it usually also had the most stage time.

I was always a very curious child who had many questions and was eager to learn about things I was interested in. When my Mom realized that my curiosity was not only not encouraged, but rather perceived by one of my teachers to be problematic, she enrolled me in boarding school in Victoria BC for a year — Grade 4 — until the family moved back to Vancouver. It was an adventure of a year and I became VERY independent as a result of it. I am grateful I had that experience at such a young age as I think it really bolstered my confidence, and also made me appreciate reuniting with my brothers when I returned home.

Once we returned to Vancouver, it became clear to me that while I love the adventure of traveling, I really couldn’t see myself living anywhere else.

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

As kids, my brothers and I delivered newspapers. One of the customers we delivered to — who was involved in the fashion industry — thought I would make a good model and that modeling might open doors to travel and financial opportunities for me. He felt so strongly about my potential that he met with my parents to convince them to let me try it out and through that opportunity, I got introduced to the world of commercials and from there started to become more curious about film and television. I had never really considered acting as a career but had always been intrigued by it.

While I attended college taking general studies and working in a clothing store, I continued to do some modeling. One day, one of the other models who I had met doing fashion shows came into the store I was working at and told me that the Cannell Films people were looking for someone to be the stand-in for Holly Robinson on “21 Jump Street” and asked if I was interested. I jumped at the opportunity. I still remember my first day on that set. I was immediately fascinated and wanted to know more about how to become an actor and how to make my living in the film and TV business.

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

One of my favorite adventures that this career has made possible was getting invited to participate in a fan convention in London, England. Fans of the show “Once Upon a Time” invited me to come and be a guest at their convention. It was my first time doing anything like this and I was concerned that since I had only been in one episode, and only for a very brief time, that perhaps the organizers would be disappointed in the fan response to me being on the roster. My agent convinced me I was wanted and welcomed and so I went. Upon arrival, I was very, very, fortunate that Keegan Connor Tracy, Raphael Sbarge, Eion Bailey and Tony Amendola took me under their collective wings to show me the ropes and taught me the finer points of convention attendance.

And then I met the fans.

This was when I truly became aware of the impact of the stories we actors help to tell. I was introduced to how the fans create their own communities around the shows that resonate with them and that these communities foster for their members’ friendships, support and belonging. I was grateful for the introduction to the wonderful folks who welcomed me to London and who shared with me what “OUAT”, and what my specific, small part in it, had meant to them. I was both humbled and honoured by their appreciation and it forever changed how I viewed my work and my responsibility to those who watch it. I will never forget the kindness of the actors who guided me or how I was embraced by those who loved the world that we actors had contributed to bringing to life.

It has been said that 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?

Early in my career, I was called to an audition for “Agent #1” in a movie.

When I got to the audition, the Casting Director appeared to be having a not-so-great-day and asked the group of us assembled to identify who were the actors reading for “Agent #1”. I put up my hand and the CD looked at me and quite pointedly (and loudly) said “No woman is reading for ‘Agent #1’”. I was quite surprised by this as I had received the sides from my agent and was very clear that I had been told I was supposed to be reading for this part. I explained this to the CD who narrowed their eyes and said, “Fine, read for it then.”

I could feel my face getting flushed with embarrassment as I had been called out by the casting director in a very busy room of waiting actors. To calm myself down and collect myself, I went down the hall to the restroom. I had just finished washing my hands and was pulling my picture and resume out of my folder to present when all of a sudden, the actor with whom I had been paired started banging on the door saying that the CD wanted to see us right now! I was so startled by the banging that I dropped both the picture and resume in the sink. They were ruined and, of course, and they were the only copies I had with me.

So off I went to do my audition abandoning all hope. The CD was running the session in an unusual way and was bringing us in two at a time. I did my best in the room and I noted that the CD was directing all of their attention to the other actor in the room and none of it to me. It was made very clear to me that this was not going to be a job that I would be booking. Imagine my surprise then when I learned that not only did a woman book Agent #1 but it was the same actor who was in the room with me during my audition who had been reading Agent #2. Crazy right?!

But the lesson I learned happened a bit later as I was feeling like I would never get in to see this CD again (and was still unsure if, given the chance, I would want to) and I did get another audition with them. It was for a Guest Star role and I booked it!

So the lessons for me were:

1) A bad audition experience is not permanent, it’s a moment in time.

2) To overcome and move past a negative experience, you have to show up and keep moving toward your goal.

3) Always have more than one picture and resume with you at an audition.

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

I’m really excited to see how the third and final season of “Motherland: Fort Salem” turns out! We had so many challenges while filming but we were also so committed to a strong finish for our wonderful fan community that I am eager to know how they receive the story as it unfolds. Since we finished filming in April, I have started work on a feature film that I’m not at liberty to talk too much about. I’m having a wonderful time with a new group of people which is really nice as when you have to say goodbye to an experience as awesome as “Motherland: Fort Salem”, you start to worry that you’re not going to have something that comfortable and collaborative again. I am really grateful for the fun I am having on this new project and that, while it is a completely different type of world and story, the kindness of the cast and crew has made it the perfect “next role” for me to work on. I look forward to when I can say more about it!

In addition to this new film, I am enjoying working with my team on growing my businesses, BizBooks.net, an online bookstore that specializes in materials for the film, television, and theatre communities and TheDramaClass.com which develops and provides online workshops, classes and coaching for actors and writers.

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?

I do a lot of teaching and one-on-one coaching of actors, both in craft and career, and one of the things I share with my students and clients is that many actors are only doing half the work. And the half they aren’t focusing on is the part that turns acting from a lucrative hobby into a sustainable career. I think that a successful acting career is built on what I refer to as the four C’s.

The first “C” is Creativity and the need to feed and expand your creative inspirations and impulses by identifying what it is about the storytelling arts and crafts that excite and appeal to you. Be it music, fine arts, dance, poetry, novels, plays, films, television — consume the work that moves you.

The second “C” is Craftsmanship. Learning how to take that creative impulse and turn it into a skill that you can then use to collaborate with others. Working on the second “C” is where most actors focus their time and development and in my experience that’s only half the job. It is the next two “Cs” that I think are the keys to taking the creativity and the craft that have been developed and turning them into a career.

The third “C” is Commerce. Knowing where the money comes from and how it works in this business. What are the economics of different types of production? Where do they film and why? How do you strategically pitch and position yourself to intersect with that work?

The fourth “C” is Communication. In today’s industry, actors need to be proficient with, and savvy about, many different kinds of communication. From effectively communicating with agents and casting to collaborating with the many different production creatives we work with (directors, producers, writers, hair, makeup, costumes, camera), to the need to be an ambassador in the media to generate interest in audiences for the projects you are a part of, to managing your social media and creating a direct authentic conversation with your audience — communication is expected, necessary and chronically underprepared for by most actors. Lack of preparation can result in lost or limited opportunities.

The main benefits of developing all 4 “Cs” are: information to assist in the constant challenge of how to not take this business personally, a greater sense of autonomy, and increased confidence in navigating business relationships and decision making by becoming more proactive and less reactive.

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?

I often tell my students that the news is the first draft of history, books are the second, and the lasting imprint of events on a culture is formed by the artistic interpretations of these events by the storytellers: actors, playwrights, lyricists, directors, novelists, screenwriters, poets, filmmakers etc.

As such, since the storytellers’ versions are the most widely consumed, the responsibility of contextual accuracy, especially when it comes to representation of race, gender, orientation, and body type become even more heightened. I think the omission of so many from the images we have previously consumed make the efforts of inclusion we see happening now seem to some as reactionary political correctness, but, for those of us who have longed to see ourselves represented in fully developed, multi-dimensional ways on screen, it just feels like film and television is finally seeking to be more authentic in reflecting the world as it really is.

The continued efforts to “normalize the normal” on screen will have the impact of bringing the pockets of resistance to diversity that still exist in the broader community at large into stark contrast to the world that is truly evolving in its acceptance of people in all their many forms.

I am a firm believer that the diversity of our world should be reflected as accurately as possible in the visual art forms that are meant to inform, enlighten and entertain it.

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

While some of these I came to know early in my career, the 5 things I wish someone had told me when I first started acting are:

1) Start writing.

I, like many actors I know, have anxiety around committing words to the page. Given our choice, we would MUCH rather give an oral presentation or do a recorded interview. That said, I wish someone had told me that writing, about ANYTHING, would be a useful skill to develop AS an actor. Not only does it develop more awareness of language structure it also builds confidence in expressing oneself and clarifying one’s thoughts. And, many actors I know who have taken this a step further and have developed the specific skill of screenwriting, are now creating their own work and by extension, work for others.

2) Develop your curiosity about things other than acting.

Many actors I coach often need to be encouraged to go down the rabbit hole of “how and why”. Curiosity is a major tool in the actors’ toolkit and, while actors are often curious about how to become a better actor, I would offer that the starting place is to develop an insatiable curiosity about how and why things and people work in the world in general. From finding a hobby, developing a new skill to just general people watching…be more curious about the world and bring that quest for answers to your acting.

3) Join a team.

Find an organized group of people who meet regularly to enjoy doing something, anything, together. And, if it is a physical activity-based group, like a sports team where you are getting some exercise and developing an ability to offer another “skills” line on your resume, even better. Acting is a solo business and can become very competitive and insular. Find a group of folks outside the business to which you belong for both the social and accomplishment benefits. Your bowling tournament win can bolster your psyche and ego when a run of “they went another way” audition outcomes can deplete them. Countering the feelings of rejection that this industry sometimes serves up with a sense of belonging and feeling valued somewhere else can be a great way to maintain balance and perspective.

4) Volunteer for a board or committee.

Find a charity or industry board or committee to join and contribute to. These are often great opportunities to network and contribute without the expectation of getting something in return. You often learn valuable skills and information for the exchange of your time and you meet some very interesting people along the way.

5) Background work is paid school.

When I first started working, everyone said to do background work (it was called “working as an extra” back then) to get some experience on set. And I did. What they *didn’t* tell me was to treat it like school that I was being paid to attend. Instead of socializing and looking for class and agency recommendations on the breaks, which IS important to do, I wish I had spent more time making notes about the terminology, the workflow, the lenses used, the hierarchy of crew departments and a whole host of other elements of the production process that I did come to learn but which would have been useful to learn sooner in my acting journey.

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

The 3 things I would offer my colleagues to try to avoid burnout are:

1) Create your own definition of success and don’t get trapped into trying to achieve someone else’s…especially the definitions offered by folks who don’t know or understand how this business works.

2) No experience is wasted so taking time for rest, for an adventure or to develop another interest is not time *away* from your art but rather it is an investment in it.

3) Surround yourself with people who tell you the truth as they will often be the ones who help you navigate towards the healthiest choices.

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. :-)

One of the exercises I do with my students and clients is to ask them to “Tell me Something New and Exciting”. They always want a clarification: About acting? From this week? What kind of something?

I repeat the request with no adjustment “Tell me Something New and Exciting”

And in surprising numbers, they can’t.

We live in the most amazing time with advantages of science, medicine, technology, travel and other things that generations who came before us could not even imagine and yet, for many of us, we can’t think of anything from our day to day lives that we can use to answer that simple question.

So, my movement would be about encouraging people to work to develop mindful gratitude while having conscious experiences. Living moment to moment, being present with people, looking people in the eye and allowing ourselves to explore the magic and wonder that surrounds us every day. Taking the time and creating mental space to intentionally witness what is going around us with an ongoing mission to always leave things even better than we found them.

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?

Without question, my husband Neil is my greatest supporter and partner in everything I do.

We have been married for 27 years and from the start, he has always encouraged me to be my best, most creative self. He understands that I feel that my work is nothing short of a calling to make the world better through entertainment, education and inspiration. And he is most definitely a source of all 3 of those for me! Time spent with him restores and rejuvenates me and he makes the often-crazy schedules of filming bearable.

An example of him going above and beyond with his support is when, a number of years ago, despite not being a performer himself, he went and took a Voice Over class to become a better scene partner to me when I was rehearsing my lines. At the time I thought it was a super sweet gesture, but it truly became a game-changer when in 2020 we moved to an all-self-tape audition format, and he became my reader for every audition. He is awesome at it! And we now approach every audition together as a team and I love it!

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

My favourite life lesson quote is from Dr Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I don’t remember where I first heard it, all I remember is it was just after I had received some feedback about my auditions and how I was so business-like during them that directors didn’t really have a sense of my personality.

While intellectually, I had always understood that this is a relationship business it had never really occurred to me that the audition is where that relationship starts. For many reasons, I wrongly thought that I needed to put myself on “mute” while presenting the character I had prepared. I had missed the part about these interviews being about what *I* was like and not just about how I could do the scene.

Once I heard the quote, the feedback made so much sense and I completely changed my audition approach with game-changing results. It has now become my approach to all of my relationships. I want people to feel good about every encounter with me and I consciously own my part in making that happen. I think the world would be a much happier place if more people took Dr Angelou’s advice.

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. :-)

I would love to have lunch with Chef Jose Andres as I think he is one of the most inspiring people on the planet right now. That he mobilizes and advances into the most dangerous of places to feed people is truly noble and I hope that one day I will be able to join him on one of those missions of kindness and that place is where we have our lunch.

How can our readers follow you online?

My Facebook, Instagram and Twitter handles are all @TheCatLH

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!