Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Rose Baldwin.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Like 85% of the Los Angeles population, I’m an actor. What sets me apart from the rest, however, is that it wasn’t engrained in my being from birth. Growing up in a teeny, tiny farm town in Upstate New York I was never really exposed to any kind of theatre or art — my school didn’t even have a drama program. A career in the arts was the last path I thought I would find myself on.
When I was 13, the organizer of the “Stephenie Meyer Day” event (now known as Forever Twilight in Forks) that was held annually in Forks, Washington approached me and expressed interest. The event was essentially a celebration of the Twilight series and what it had done for the small logging town, complete with Twilight themed festivities and a cast of look-a-likes who roam the town and pose as the main characters — kind of like the princesses at Disneyland. They wanted me to fly out to the PNW and take on the role of Edward and Bella’s daughter for the weekend, which of course I jumped on being a young, vampire-loving teenager. This would go on to be my first real introduction to the arts.
The real turning point was when I was 16. I found myself becoming more and more interested in fashion and people (mainly in Forks) started suggesting that I give modeling a try. Fortunately, my parents were overwhelmingly supportive of anything I set my mind to. One morning they took me out of school and drove me 7 hours to down to Rochester, New York to attend my first open call with a modeling agency. I was signed on the spot.
From there I began working immediately, going back and forth between home, Rochester, and NYC for print and runway jobs. I was living the dream until randomly, I got a call from my agency asking me to come down to the office for the weekend and take a 2-day acting class because with my height being under industry standards it may be a more realistic direction for me to go in. At this point, it was all still more of a hobby but I decided what I would give it a go. However, with it being February in Upstate New York we found ourselves stuck in a snowstorm and missed the first day; so I came in late and caught the tail end of it.
About a week or so later, my agency called saying that the acting coach we worked with liked my work and wanted me to come out to LA to work with him for a week. I hesitated at first, but my mother and I decided to hop on a plane see would happen. We came in a few days early and hit up every tourist attraction that LA had to offer because we were convinced this was a once in a lifetime trip, but after studying for a week with Dennis LaValle, I was hooked. I had fallen head over heels in love with acting. Nine months later, I moved to LA and the rest was history.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been much more smooth than I had anticipated! But I had absolutely no idea of what I was getting myself into. I was fortunate in the way where I was coming to LA already with a place to live, a place to study, and a community to welcome me so by no means was I going in blind, but I knew absolutely nothing about the industry. There was a lot of trial and error in getting my first headshots, submitting myself on super small (and sometimes sketchy) projects, making quality friends, finding good representation, etc. Luckily, I had Dennis to point me in the right direction and essentially function as a mentor
I guess the biggest obstacle that I faced was adapting to the new world that was LA. Growing up where I did in New York, I lived in a log cabin down a dirt road where my only neighbor was the Amish family that lived a mile down the street. It was a huge culture shock that I only just recently settled into. But here I am now, three years later. I have a great team behind me, a steady group of incredible friends, a couple of credits under my belt, and some great stories to tell. From my perspective, it can really only get better from here!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My primary focus is acting for film and television. I often get cast as the love interest, the girl next door, the damaged girl who overcomes her problems, things of that nature. You can catch me all over the internet in short films, promotional ads, music videos, the list goes on. What I’m most often recognized for is a spot that I did on NBC’s Superstore and a small role that I was given in YouTube Red’s Cobra Kai series. But I’ll be making my film debut in the independent film Relish starting Hana Hayes and Tyler DiChiara which I am incredibly excited for. And of course, I still manage to make my way up to Forks every year.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I mean, if you’re looking to get into the entertainment industry it really depends on what type of acting you’re interested in. I’ve never been LA’s biggest fan so people are always asking me why I moved to LA and not to New York City. The answer to that is simple — I’ve found that New York’s market is primarily driven towards theatre and Broadway and while theatre is something that I would absolutely love to try, it’s not where I picture myself spending the rest of my life. The majority of film and television happens here in LA. It’s cast here, it typically films here; this is the heart of the madness. However, it is a dream of mine to book a project that films in New York and be bicoastal so I can see my family whenever I’m not working. And you know, I miss the snow.
Contact Info:
- Website: samanthabaldwin.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samantharosebaldwin/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/samrosebaldwin
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7369030/
Image Credit:
Exclusive photos for Voyage by Teresa Ammons. Stills from Lucid Dreams, Falling Back to One, and Superstore.
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