Meet Calvin Picou

Today we’d like to introduce you to Calvin Picou.

Hi Calvin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I moved to LA when I was eighteen to get an actor’s education from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I’ve been here for more than ten years now and I’ve continued my training with various theatre companies and acting studios. I auditioned for my first movie ‘Young Americans’ the week after I finished my conservatory training, and I booked it. Since then I’ve worked with a writer/director named Omar Salas Zamora, and his company The Arbor Company.

Aside from theatre, I’ve worked most consistently with Omar and The Arbor Company. He’s a very generous and collaborative auteur. Since the pandemic began I’ve landed a leading role in an original series called “Here Comes Your Man,” which has two seasons so far. In season two I actually learned to play guitar and sang music that I wrote for the show. It was a daunting challenge because I’d never had a music lesson.

I’m very excited to be releasing a movie I co-wrote/co-directed with Omar called ‘Adam In Fragments’, which will premiere November 13th on a streaming service called Dekkoo. I’ve always been interested in directing, but this first feature collaboration with Omar behind the camera sparked something inside me that has made me excited to pursue filmmaking more actively.

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?
I’m happy in my work and I’m proud of what I do, so my aspirations to act full-time are -thankfully- still intact. That being said, I’ve yet to find the right business partner for the representation side of my career. That’s been the biggest hurdle I think. Finding the right agent is a bit like dating, I think. Signing with a new agent and then figuring out somewhere along the line “this isn’t working out” is discouraging. Then when you’re back on the market you can feel apprehensive to even look for “the one” at all. Then when you’re in meetings it can feel like you’ve got a scarlet letter on your chest when they ask the question “Have you ever had an agent before?” I’ve seen agents cringe in meetings when I tell them my “dating” history. It’s the terrible double standard of wanting someone who’s fresh but experienced. I’ve got loads of experience and collaborators who will sing my praises, but I’m by no means green. I do still work with a lot of energy and enthusiasm though, so I’m optimistic.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m very drawn to character work. It’s necessary for an actor to commit to knowing themself so well that they can work off of instinct, but the work that really excites me to wake up early and stay up late is finding that deep personal connection to a character with a different set of life experiences.

Exploring their life as told through the script and filling in the blanks with my own observations and curiosities is what it’s all about for me. I like being different from myself. That being said, it always- always- has to come from a somewhat risky experience of the present moment, or else it feels false and overcooked.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
When I was fourteen I was sent to military school. Most parents who threaten their kids with military school discipline aren’t serious, but mine were. The ironic thing was I happened to be the least problematic kid there, so I had more trust in captivity than I ever did at home.

That experience is crystallized. I matured and grew into my personality, surrounded by so many new people and eclectic cultures. I probably would have stayed but they didn’t have a theatre program, and that was a deal breaker for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.calvinpicou.com
• Instagram: @calvinpicou

Image Credits
Shawn Kelly, Omar Salas Zamora, and Chris Jon Photography