Clare Margaret Donovan shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Clare Margaret, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
What a beautiful question that really makes you think! Losing track of time is such a gift because it makes the time stretch out; being present in a moment allows you to live in it longer. I’m lucky that several positive things do this for me: reading, hiking, talking with friends and family over wine, dancing in my kitchen while I cook…I just try to live a Nora Ephron movie worthy life I suppose!! I find myself in those moments, small and large, because they’re the moments that ground me in my family, my friends, my beautiful surroundings on this Earth, and my creative visions.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! My name is Clare Margaret Donovan. I am an actor (SAG-AFTRA member) and writer, repped by The Osbrink Agency and TFG PR, that splits my time between LA and NYC. I am an alum of the 4-Year Theatre Conservatory Program at the Los Angeles High School for the Arts (LACHSA) and a recent graduate of DePaul University’s Comedy BFA Program in partnership with The Second City Chicago! During my time in Chicago, I was lucky enough to perform in a variety of productions ranging from my one woman show to sketch to musicals to improv at Second City, The Annoyance, and Zanie’s.
My most exciting endeavour at the moment is a short form comedy series titled “Road to Healing” that I both wrote and acted in! My little brother, Maxwell Acee Donovan, directed and starred in the series as well, giving us the chance to put our sibling team dreams into action! Season one drops in early 2026, look out for news on our Instagram @roadtohealingseries!
During this project, produced through my family’s production company: https://madinhollywoodproductions.com/, we were able to create a completely green, sustainable set which is in perfect step with our environmentally focused non-profit: Nature’s Negotiators! We’ve had exciting successes with NN in the world of environmental sustainability and grassroots efforts regarding climate change, including a partnership with The Jane Goodall Institute and new green set initiatives with LA Climate Week. https://naturesnegotiators.org!
Other recent acting credits include the West Coast Premiere of “Hooded or Being Black for Dummies” at the Echo Theater Company, a dark satire that earned praise from the NAACP and LA Times, as well as “The Breakdown” on Amazon and “Solve”. Writing credits and further materials can be found at https://linktr.ee/ClareDonovan!
In all of my work, I strive to tell grounded stories of connection that inspire some laughs and some reflection. I adore quirky characters who find themselves at odds with the status quo.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Anyone who knows me will not be surprised in the least that for me, this person is of course my mother! She is the queen of the world to me and she consistently rocks my world by understanding me better than anyone, usually even including myself. Thank goodness for her insights on everything from acting to love to travel decisions! Since the very beginning (literally), she has seen me for all that I am and advocated on my behalf, allowing me the ability to exist as myself. She’s the reason I get to follow my dreams and function in society!
When did you last change your mind about something important?
In our current world, it is extremely hard to function whilst being a witness to the horrific occurrences that come each day, nor should we. We cannot ignore these things or become desensitized. However, it’s also important to realize that we have to take care of ourselves in order to ultimately be able to help, especially as an artist. If I let myself become completely swept away with the madness, I would never be able to dig my way out of the hole long enough to create meaningful art. And for me, that platform is the way I hope to spread healing. So to answer the question, I had been feeling such burn out, largely as a result of the state of the world, that I had to change my mindset to one of radical hope. There’s so much room for each of us to make a difference, even on a small scale. These grassroots endeavours will change the tide and finding community to help us on that path is essential. That’s much of our mission at Nature’s Negotiators and something of a personal mission for me as well.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I have to say that the environment is something we have to be committed to as a global population every day, every minute, forever. To me, it is an issue not only of human rights, but all rights of all beings. If we cannot live on Earth and we’ve made it impossible for any other species to either, nothing else really matters. That cause is essential to everything, everywhere. Which is why it’s so important to remember that we have hope and we have time (though it is becoming more limited)! We really do have the ability to make changes as individuals and as a population through grassroots efforts and large scale movements. People can get involved with us and Nature’s Negotiators on Instagram @naturesnegotiators!
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
I know that it’s a rough patch of time for me when I don’t feel an excitement to get out of bed in the morning. I think in life in general it’s so important to have at least one thing a day that makes you want to seize it. Even if the thing you’re looking forward to is not getting out of bed! For me, I spend Sunday mornings squarely cozy in my comforter reading and scrolling on Pinterest. When it comes to career, of course you can’t expect every instance of work to feel fun or even fulfilling. Having your job and your art rolled up into one can sometimes make play feel like work (and vice versa!). That being said, taking note of the many many times I recall being excited to go to work gives me a real insight into what truly feeds me creatively (so thank you for asking the question!)! Anytime I have time carved out to work on a writing project in a setting that inspires (oftentimes a spooky coffee shop does the trick), anytime I am working with people I respect in a collaborative setting (like a workshop of a play), and when I am insanely beyond excited to bring a character and a story to life. With “Road to Healing”, I just knew I was going to get to laugh so much every minute of the shoot, that I barely slept with anticipation of getting started. I was blown away by my friends who brought such passion and genius to the project as actors and crew members and I was also so lucky to get to work with my family on this. I was so proud of my mom being a badass producer, my dad killing it with crafty, and my brother getting to showcase his exceptional directing eye as well as his acting chops. That was a highlight of my career and my life! And now, thinking about the release and others getting to watch the work has me tap dancing already!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/ClareDonovan
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyinhollywood/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-margaret-donovan-56324523a/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUcp4wE3NgH1XdNcbo2TRRXA6UeqlPWMn&si=lrGuQo7pCtg8EOsD
- Other: http://naturesnegotiators.org/, https://madinhollywoodproductions.com/
Image Credits
Johnny Marlow, Gebby Simpson, Mitzi McKinnon, Personal Photos
