Conversations with Chelsey Goldsmith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsey Goldsmith.

Chelsey, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was proudly born and raised in Oklahoma. I attended Northwestern State Louisiana for 3 years graduating with a BS in Theatre, Concentration: Musical Theatre. Acting and performance has always been a part of my life. When moving to Los Angeles I very quickly found my place. With my sports and tumbling background I found a place called JAM(Joining All Movement). As I started hitting the open gyms there I was also deep into acting classes and auditioning. At JAM I found that this is where alot of stunt performers would train to refine skills and be apart of a community. At the same time, one of my acting classes had a stuntman. This was the perfect storm for me to find my way and quite literally fall into the beautiful, chaotic, and tough stunt world. Within 6 months of being in LA I got Taft Hartley’d (instantly eligible to join the Union), and never stopped. Almost a decade later I’m still doublin’ n troublin.’ lol

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?
Oh man…is any road you care about smooth? I believe generally there are lessons we all get to learn in our lives. No one is a stranger to hardship. Stunts, for me, has pushed me mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally. It has made me so so so aware of myself in all aspects. Not because that was the goal, but because my life or someone else’s could have been on the line. To get hit with a car for art and to be able to get back up unscathed and say, “Yeah! You want to go again?” That is the life we live and love to live. Also getting hit with a car or slammed on a wire and actually getting banged up…and THEN still saying, “Yeah! You want to go again?” Now that is something. I’ve been very lucky in my career. I haven’t been taken out of work due to injuries, but there have been plenty of days that it came really close for me. I’m not saying there are always injuries, but there is always risk for them to happen. To walk on to set and KNOW that, is a mindset I can’t explain. Not so much a struggle, but learning to look at life, professionalism, and craft in a different way. And this is why we train so hard. To make it that much easier to get back up and go again.
Other obstacles I’d say are sometimes social. You may be on the top of the world and working month after month and then it can become slow for you overnight. That doesn’t reflect your work or your talent. The films coming out may just not need your type. This is where I feel other performers are quick to blame other people, their relationship status, or location. This is also a dangerous place to start comparing as well. “That person isn’t as good as me. Why are they being called?” ” He JUST started, how did he get called?” “The only reason that person got that job is because they are married to another performer on that set.” All of these comparisons and thoughts are based out of fear. I don’t blame these intrusive thoughts that come to a human, because that’s what we are: human. It’s more about how you act on these thoughts and if you’re actively trying to heal something inside of yourself to mediate these feelings. I think people forget that we are all on the same family. If something goes wrong on a set, the first people in are going to be the ones in our own community. And all comparisons go out the window. I think this can be said for any profession. Don’t lose yourself when things get difficult to navigate, or confusing. Get comfortable sitting in the fire for a little bit and you’ll learn to hold your own flame.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a SAG-AFTRA Stuntwoman based in Los Angeles California. In stunts now, there are a few categories and I’d say I’m more in the “fight-guy” world. Most of my career has been doubling other actresses. My bread and Butter is Falling, Fighting, Shooting, Creating.
I’m proud of so many things. The little wins to my big losses are all proud moments for me because I’ve made it through them all and left better. I’m so proud to say that I have been nominated in the past for “Best Fight Scene” (for Everything, Everywhere, All at Once) in our annual Taurus World Stunt Awards. I plan to win one someday. I’m proud that I got invited to train with one of the best stunt teams in the world, 87Eleven Action Design. I will always give kudos to them and share that anything positive that comes from my success will partly be attributed to that group. I’m also proud to say that I can healthily wake up and do what I love everyday.
As for what sets me apart, I do pride myself on work ethic. My husband says I have a chip on my shoulder and maybe he’s right lol. My whole life I had been very good at picking physical skills up but I could never push myself over the edge to being the best on the team or having the finest skills. I would always make varsity, but I’d be on the lower end of the team. “A Jack of all trades but a master of none” became my bio. With this I knew that I had to work harder than anyone to keep up and surpass MYSELF. Over the years I’ve made a vigorous approach to learning new skills and quite the determination came from this. I knew that if I stay after rehearsal or come early the next day to get additional reps, that I would hit my goals. This was never hard for me because it’s all I’ve known. I enjoy this about myself and it will always set me apart. So now pouring into others that are coming after me, I tend to have a soft spot for performers who go the extra mile.

How do you think about happiness?
This is cliche and not to sound like a grandma, but most things bring me joy. The older I get the more I slow down and really….take it all in. I’m an artist in my heart of hearts so to me this means I can find beauty, love, and art in anything. These words could almost be interchangeable for me.
Happiness and love is connecting to self which makes connection others that much sweeter. Art just so happens to be the way I like to reach the masses. To have and be apart of the human experience is my goal, because ultimately I believe we are supposed to die with memories, not dreams.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/chelly.pop
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelly.pop
• Twitter: https://x.com/CHELLYP0P
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfkyF0zVRBw_vgH7FjkOGEA