Daily Inspiration: Meet Courtney DeCamp

Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney DeCamp.

Hi Courtney, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, there! Thank you for the opportunity to share my story! I’ll just dive right in: I knew that I wanted to be an actor by the age of four. Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, allowed few opportunities to perform, especially for someone with no experience. I had my heart set on Hollywood early on in life and that has never wavered.

After two years at Mars Hill College in North Carolina and a short stint in New York, I moved back to my hometown of Charleston. It was then that I booked my first role in a short film. I submitted myself for a local film production and got cast as background talent. The day of the shoot, however, the lead actress fell ill and I was bumped to the lead! After my first day of filming, I knew that there wouldn’t ever be another career I loved more than acting. Soon after wrapping that film, I went back to Mars Hill and finished my theatre degree.

Over the next few years, I married a pretty awesome man and adopted two amazing children. My career took a backseat for a while. Trying to audition, work, and raise two children is difficult even for the strongest of people. But that acting bug never left. It gnawed at my brain and my heart until I decided to participate in the International Model and Talent Association (IMTA) competition in 2015. After competing, I won the First Runner Up For Talent Of the Year Award. That was great, but not quite good enough for me. I attended the very next competition in Los Angeles in 2016 and took home Talent Of the Year! My husband and I decided it was finally time for me to try my hand at a career in Hollywood. I had done plenty of work on the east coast and I wasn’t getting where I truly wanted to be. So we packed our things and drove across the country.

We made it to LA in March of this year… just before the entire state shut down. Hollywood was closed to me and I had spent my entire life just trying to get there! I was frantic. The whole point of our move was for me to get out there and show the world what I can do and the doors were locked. Agents weren’t taking new talent and productions had been canceled. I desperately needed a creative outlet and turned to screenwriting. I had never written a script before but, as an actor, had read hundreds of them. I sat down in April of this year and wrote my first pilot. Two more quickly followed as well as an award-winning short script. Those scripts have made some small waves for me in the industry, getting the attention of some pretty big writers and showrunners. I found another talent that I could offer Hollywood! Since that time, I have secured an acting agent, have had a few auditions, and have submitted several of my scripts to competitions. Hollywood has opened back up and I am here and ready to jump in with both feet.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely been a struggle. I have an unusual look which is, very often, not what people are looking for. I’ve become a pro in getting rejected over the last eighteen years. There is also the struggle of being a parent while trying to break into the business and the guilt that comes along with all of that. Having an extremely strong supporter like my husband, Andy, has been a lifesaver.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have always wanted to play interesting and strong roles and that desire has only gotten stronger with age. I love doing character work. I take direction really well and do my best to bring about a director’s vision. I would say I specialize in dramatic work but have done some fun comedy, especially on stage. I’m most proud of my IMTA win. I mean, it was an international acting competition! For a nerdy kid from South Carolina, that was a pretty huge deal. What sets me apart from others is probably my ability to work with others. I think it’s really important to be kind. Treat others just like you would want to be treated. It’s so simple!

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I’ve found that being yourself makes a difference. I’m not shy about my love of sci-fi, food, etc. I also try to be kind to everyone I meet. Each job on a set, onstage, or backstage is difficult. A little compassion can go a long way.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: courtneydecamp.com
• Facebook: Facebook.com/coppertopcourt
• Twitter: twitter.com/coppertopcourt

Image Credits
Sean Kara Photography