Check Out Barrett Carroll’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Barrett Carroll.

Barrett, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in two contrasting worlds. My home life was filled with a lot of deep religious indoctrination and abuse. For many years I wasn’t allowed to have friendships, read any books other than the Bible, speak without getting permission or even go to school….in fact I never attended school at all until college. My father had convinced himself as well as others that he was a prophet sent by God to stop the “Enrollment process of the mark of the beast.” And yes, it was as ridiculous as it sounds.

Having him as a father came with unwavering expectations of obedience and submission toward him. The strange irony of my story is that aside from religious dogma, paranoia and cycles of abuse in my family line…there was also a deep love of art and entertainment that ran through our veins. Both sides of my family were filled with musicians, actors, authors and poets for generations including my great uncle “Don Warden” who was Dolly Parton’s manager for over 50 years. While the majority of my time was spent on an acreage with a barbed wire fence around it preparing for the end of the world, I was allowed to do commercial work, sing at various events and work in the theatre….as long as I returned home, worked for my father and read the Bible daily.

That early exposure to the arts really saved my life in so many ways. Although I was watched like a hawk for many years and my exposure to others was limited, I eventually began to push back and carve out my own path. I had seen enough of “the real world” to recognize that the way I was growing up was certainly not “normal.” Along with the various forms of abuse I experienced at home, having a creative and expressive outlet really helped me find ways to escape into my own imagination and dream of a better future. I was a nonheterosexual, singing and dancing kid, growing up in an end-times cult in Oklahoma. It is in my very nature to push against “authority” and express what I feel….sometimes in rather “theatrical” ways. I promised that little boy that I would one day live in a big city filled with adventure, authenticity, creativity and a lot of love…and eventually, after a LONG journey, that is exactly what I did.

Eventually, I attended Baldwin-Wallace University in Ohio for Musical Theatre but only for a year. I loved my time at Baldwin-Wallace but due to a few life events and the culture shock of going to school for the first time, I made a hard decision to leave. I continued working in entertainment and ended up booking a couple of films out here in LA and came out to film them as well as auditioning for a few bigger projects. Once I completed filming, I returned home to Oklahoma where I finished my degree but this time at The University of Central Oklahoma. After some more crazy life events and a brief contract at Disney World in Florida, I once again returned to Los Angeles where I continued working as an actor and content creator….along with a million other things.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think “smooth” is pretty boring. There have been countless struggles I have had to face in order to get where I am now. I don’t think I would have done it much differently though. I am very proud of who I am now and what I have accomplished. I am still figuring out a lot…as we all are but I think it is most important to remember that I AM living the life that I once dreamt of. Now, I get to dream up new things. It is important for everyone to not just see where they are going but appreciate how far they have come and appreciate everyone who has crossed their path so far. As someone who has experienced and still struggles with trauma, I find creative expression the most healing thing for me. We are all creators in different ways and when life gives you the highs and lows, the good and the bad and everything in between… I think those are the very tools we get to use in order to create. Hopefully, our creations inspire others and remind us all that we are never really alone.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have worked mostly as an actor both on camera and in theatres in LA, NYC and around the country. I have been fortunate to appear in a lot of music videos as well as a guest star on some tv shows and starred in a few feature films. During the height of covid, I started using social media more as a tool to help abuse victims and share a bit of my own personal story more and that led to some diverse opportunities ranging from teaching to speaking engagements and all sorts of other things. Most recently though, I wrote and illustrated a best-selling children’s book called “The Acorn’s Journey” which I am extremely proud of. I am currently auditioning again, doing a lot of writing, still making content, doing stand-up comedy and just keeping myself open to new creative opportunities.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Perseverance and remembering that it isn’t all about me. Along the road to wherever you are going, it is important to remember how far you have come and all of those who will come after you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.barrettcarroll.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/barrettdcarroll
• Facebook: TikTok.com/@barrettdcarroll
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/Acorns-Journey-Barrett-D-Carroll/dp/0578398508/ref=sr_1_1?crid=XLZXPF003878&keywords=The+acorn%E2%80%99s+journey&qid=1657665107&sprefix=the+acorn+s+journey%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-1