Conversations with Mia Caporale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mia Caporale

Hi Mia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My love for art began before I even started first grade. My parents nurtured my creativity early on, encouraging me to explore arts and crafts at my own pace. Expression through art has always been second nature to me.

I grew up in Cincinnati—far from Hollywood—but filmmaking was part of my world. My dad ran a small studio specializing in commercial advertising, while my mom worked in wardrobe. We were constantly shopping, and I developed an early love for fashion. I even entered drawing contests to win the dresses my mom wouldn’t buy me—and I won! After school, my sisters and I spent time at the studio, watching entire productions come to life. We hung out in the basement woodshop while the crew built sets and spent shoot days tucked away behind the scenes with actors, makeup artists, and wardrobe stylists.

The studio felt like home, so it’s fitting that I landed my first commercial at age four—completely by accident. I wandered onto set, charmed the client, and suddenly found myself modeling regularly throughout my childhood. I loved it, not just for the experience but for the sense that I was contributing to my family’s work.

I got used to leaving school early for jobs—until I did something all girls do at some point: I cut my hair. At 12, I debuted a Twiggy-inspired cut that I adored, but 1960s fashion wasn’t exactly in style for Cincinnati teens. My “stock plummeted,” as Cher and Dionne would say, and my modeling opportunities slowed down.

That summer, while my older sisters took jobs at an amusement park, I was too young to join them. Instead, my dad invited me to intern at his company. I learned the ins and outs of production, from castings and client meetings to call sheets and editing. My dad even had me practice editing radio spots just to sharpen my skills. He paid me in clothing, and I was very happy.

In high school, my focus was art and stage. I loved Shakespeare and played Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At home, I was constantly creating—working with oil pastels, acrylics, and eventually oils. Influenced by Vogue and Elle, I sketched future fashion trends and used art to process whatever emotions I was navigating.

When it came time for college, I wanted a school that would develop both my performance and visual art skills, but my grades weren’t strong enough for my dream schools, and I applied too late. So, I stayed local, majoring in art and minoring in musical theatre to explore dance and vocal work. I also continued working on student films and grew my hair back out, hoping to start modeling and acting again.

I built a successful commercial career in Cincinnati, but everything changed with one phone call. A friend of my father needed a house sitter in Los Angeles while he was away filming. Within a week, I packed a suitcase, broke up with my boyfriend, and moved.

LA was a fresh start. I was suddenly a little fish again—no connections, no name recognition, and a résumé that might as well have been written in hieroglyphs. But I didn’t let that stop me. I’ve always been social and resourceful, and I built a living in hospitality, working for tips while investing in my artistic pursuits. I collaborated, networked, and, before I knew it, I was modeling again—producing quality work with talented photographers and friends.

Finding the right representation in LA has been a challenge. I rarely see auditions outside of the sides I work on in class every week with Annie Grindlay. Then the pandemic hit. I found myself locked in a small room with my two dogs, fresh from another breakup, unsure if I could afford acting school. To work through the uncertainty, I turned to art. It was the one thing I could do without anyone’s help, and it brought me peace. Encouraged by a friend from art school, I applied for an exhibition at USB: RAFFMA, and a drawing from my Eve Post Eden collection was accepted. Since then, I’ve sold several more pieces from the series.

Emerging from the pandemic, frustrated by the lack of auditions and having just lost my third car (through no fault of my own), I decided to look for a script to produce—because, why not? In September 2023, my friend Rob Federic sent me The Séance. I loved it. It had everything I wanted- mystery, intrigue, with heavy themes of loss and devotion while keeping the location simple, something I thought important for a first time film. I had questions. I wanted it to make the film right.

With Rob’s blessing, I got to work—securing the perfect location, coordinating catering with former employers whose business models I admire, and even recasting a dropped role by tapping into my acting class. That’s how we landed the powerhouse that is Marcus DeAnda. Just for funsies, we pulled off something incredible. The Séance has now screened at eight festivals, earned 11 nominations (including my own for Best Villain at the Grindhouse Festival), and secured four wins. I can’t wait to share it once its festival run ends—and I think it would make an amazing series.

For now, I’m in that familiar waiting period, hoping for my next artistic project like I’m waiting for a bat signal. In the meantime, I paint. I paint because I love it. I paint because it intrigues me scientifically. I paint because, like everyone, I’m always working through something. While I continue adding to my Eve Post Eden collection when inspiration strikes, my passion is abstract work with oils and alcohol inks.

No matter where I go in life, I’ll always create—whether on canvas, in front of a camera, or behind the scenes.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has definitely had its challenges, but it’s also been incredibly rewarding. Every obstacle has been a learning experience, and through that struggle, I’ve found growth. I’ve always been confident in my path, but I also recognize that the challenges are what shape and strengthen my foundation.
If I had to pinpoint my biggest challenge, it would be finding a team that believes in me as much as I believe in myself. Having the right people in your corner makes all the difference, and I have some good people around me but I’m still working on building that ideal support system.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a multi-hyphenate—an artist, actress, model, and most recently, an executive producer and filmmaker. My Eve post Eden collection has garnered a small celebrity following on Instagram, been exhibited, and partially sold. My canvases feature figures veiled in gas masks—a striking motif reflecting my fascination with the hidden self, the masks we wear, and the truths we conceal. These figures, both unsettling and strangely familiar, invite the viewer to question the nature of identity and the fragile boundary between reality and illusion.

My film, The Seance, has been making its rounds through eight festivals, earning four wins. The story is born from the desperation of grief, as three strangers seek the help of Madam Ena to reconnect with their departed loved ones—only to realize a dark entity has more control over the séance than Madam Ena could ever conjure. It’s a thrilling watch—short but packed with surprises.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
One thing to know about me—I love to swing dance, and I still haven’t let go of my dream to be a trapeze artist. There’s something about the freedom of movement, the thrill of defying gravity, and the artistry in both that keeps me inspired.

Pricing:

• Just ask me for pricing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.miacaporale.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/miacaporale www.instagram.com/artworksbymiacaporale www.instagram.com/eveposteden

Image Credits

Credits go to photographers Taylor Johns, Nick Holmes, Ran Pink and Bob Grand Lubell photography, movie Poster by Erica Bolotski and Artwork by Mia Caporale.