Meet Charlotte Hendrickx

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlotte Hendrickx.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My journey started with a tutu and a pair of ballet slippers. At the age of six, I had my first ballet class. I can’t remember whether I’d asked my mom to put me in ballet school or not, but I do remember putting on my dance-suit for the first time and thinking ‘I’m a real ballerina now’ I didn’t realize at the time, but it was the very first step into the world I would feel most comfortable.

I fell in love with dancing, it made me feel free in a way I can’t describe. Dancing became my kind of yoga so to speak. Every dance had a story with a beginning a middle and an end; it was the perfect way to express myself. According to my mom, the passion for acting rushed through my blood since I was born. Apparently, I was acting all the time. On my way to school, in supermarkets, while waiting at a traffic light, during lunch or dinner. I was literally wandering in my bubble of imagination, 24/7.

The first ‘real’ stage experience I can remember was as a dancer in a school production. I went to a highly recommended school with great expectations, strict rules and discipline. There were unfortunately no acting-classes, but every once in a while we had the chance to let it all go and get creative. So whenever that opportunity occurred, I took it and I enjoyed it every single time. These moments are the ones I cherish most from my time in high school. Don’t understand me wrong. I have no regrets going to OLV College at all, since I learned a lot, both as a person and a student. They taught me keeping up the hard work pays off. I thank them for that each day, but I guess it was never the place where I truly belonged. I mean, I was restricted in my creative way of thinking. I just wasn’t like most of the students there. Some fellow students would go crazy at a night out, felt the need to show off with the newest technologies or enjoyed spreading worthless gossip. It probably was just teens-behavior and I presume they are all doing well now, but I didn’t see the point. Call me the oddball out but I was spending my time reading books in a cozy corner, watching countless movies and traveling the world. Whether it was the class and elegance of Paris, the wildlife and beauty of Tanzania or the surprising discoveries and challenges in India… Not only have these ‘unique voyages’ given me a taste of the different cultures of the world.

These experiences enriched me as a person and made me who I am today. And they surely gave me the knowledge to incorporate personality into the characters I have to play. Even though I was an artistic Maverick, I never thought about changing school. I started something so I was going to complete. I dragged myself through the last two years with the motivation that I would be able to do whatever my heart desired, once I finished school. I graduated in 2016 and started my first year at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in August 2017. I guess you could say that’s where it really all began for me. If I ever had doubts on whether I should be doing what I’m doing, they were quickly washed away the moment I arrived in LA. The joy I feel when I get to wake up every morning, realizing I can do what I love most in the world, is priceless. This is true happiness!

I graduated from the Academy in May this year and I’m getting a taste of life outside of the schools safe gates now. So far it tastes wonderful! I’ve been fortunate to be involved in student projects and expand my craft as an actor by being on sets. I’m excited to see what the future holds!!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have no reason to complain. I have amazing friends and a family that supports me. I had the opportunity to go to the one and only amazing American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where many of the biggest actors learned their craft too. I was able to follow my heart and pursue it which is a privilege not everyone gets.

But no road is without bumps. Of course, you struggle and definitely in today’s world where money controls one’s life and people with bad intentions lurk around every corner.

So, yes, I’ve had the occasional struggle too. It’s not always easy starting the journey. There are so many questions you ask yourself walking into a business this uncertain and if that is not enough, I moved to the other side of the world, far away from my comfort zone. That was both the easiest choice and the hardest one I had to make. However, every struggle is just another bridge that needs to be crossed, a new challenge, so we go for it!

Tell us about your work – what should we know?
I’m an actor so I am strictly speaking a business on my own. Alive and kicking!

I studied and had my conservatory training to become an actor. So that’s what I pursue and work on every day. But the beauty of the job is that it’s a team effort. You get in contact with a lot of different tasks and jobs within your world. Acting remains my greatest passion but I have found an extra interest for first AD work. Most of the work I’ve done since I’ve been out of the Academy has been in this position. I enjoy it because it gives me the chance to understand how a set works and you as an actor depend on them as much as they depend on you.

It has given me the opportunity to understand what it’s like to be on the other side of the camera. I’ve been able to observe the actors in such a way that I learn the do’s and don’ts.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I dare to make my own decisions and I’m not afraid of failures. For me, they are actually no failures, but lessons to be better prepared for a next challenge. The fact that I’m European and speak several languages helps me forward too.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
I’m proud of everything that I’ve done so far, but I guess if I had to pick one moment it would be the moment I was brave enough to decide in only a few weeks time, to leave my base in Antwerp (Belgium -Europe) and choose to travel to the other side of the world, Los Angeles. I stepped into a world where job certainty is not guaranteed. But I believe!

A professional mentality, combined with a large dose of willpower and persistence, can go a long way. Either way, you look at it… I’m living the life I want to live!