236. French-American Actor Trusted Her Childhood Love of the Stage
Carine Montbertrand
At age 14, Carine Montbertrand recalls, “I remember watching a dance performance and it was so exciting. I said to myself, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I did the conventional going to college and stuff like that, which I’m glad I did. But, ever since then, even if people in my family didn’t want me to do it, I still knew, deep inside, that’s what I was going to do, whether I said it out loud or not.”
Carine Montbertrand is a professional actress based in New York. She has performed off Broadway and at major regional theaters throughout most of the United States, including Alaska. Born in France, she is a dual citizen who grew up in the U.S. with an American mother and French father. She is an award winning narrator of numerous audiobooks, and an acting teacher specializing in Commedia dell’Arte mask and physical theatre. This includes teaching acting at NYC’s Rikers Island as part of Stella Adler’s outreach program for incarcerated women.
How Did You Start Using Your Talents?
“I went to the theater at a young age. I remember seeing “Waiting for Godot” at Wellesley College with an all-female cast when my mother was a student there. When I was in late elementary school I started being in plays. One of the first plays I was in, I loved it so much that I memorized the entire play, all the parts, and I taped it. I think that may have been a precursor to my later foray into narrating audiobooks.
The Most Impactful Turning Point?
At age 14 or 15, Carine recalls, “I remember watching a dance performance and it was so exciting. I said to myself, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I did the conventional going to college and stuff like that, which I’m glad I did. But, ever since then, even if people in my family didn’t want me to do it, I still knew, deep inside, that’s what I was going to do, whether I said it out loud or not.”
The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?
“There are a lot of influences in people’s lives, and one of the strongest is your parents. And then there is fear. Even for those of us who are doing what we love, there is fear. There is also a lot of pressure to have a certain kind of American Dream. If there is something you love to do, I think you have to throw yourself into it.”
Steps to Success from Carine Montbertrand
• If there is something you love to do, start putting yourself into it: take some classes, learn all about it, let it grow.
• Get good at the thing you want to do. It takes work.
• Surround yourself with people who are your champions.
• Be honest about whether it’s working out in a way that you like, and whether you actually like it.
• You don’t really know until you try something. And you won’t have to regret never having tried.
Connecting With Carine Montbertrand
Email: CMontbertrand@gmail.com
Website: carinemontbertrand.com
Facebook: facebook.com/carine.montbertrand
