No Shortcuts. No Filters. Just Carolyn : How Carolyn Michelle Smith is Carving Her Own Lane Across Film, Television.
- So FN Dope Magazine
- 2 days ago
- 9 min read
There’s a quiet power to the way Carolyn Michelle Smith moves—on screen and off—grounded in truth, shaped by experience, and driven by purpose. Whether audiences recognize her from The Chi, Russian Doll, or And Just Like That…, her latest turn in the critically acclaimed Familiar Touch signals a defining moment in a career built on intention. In the film, Smith delivers a deeply human performance as a care worker navigating the fragile emotional terrain of an assisted living facility—an experience that echoes her own real-life journey caring for her late mother. As awards season begins to circle and her presence continues to expand across television, film, and mentorship spaces, Smith stands at a compelling intersection of artistry and impact—an actress not just rising, but resonating. Here is what Carolyn had to say in our recent interview.
SFND MAG: Hi Carolyn! So nice to meet you. Thank you for taking the time to interview with So FN Dope Magazine! How are things going?
Carolyn Michelle Smith : Heyyy! Great to meet you, as well. Things are really good... So excited to connect!
SFND MAG: Tell us a little about yourself and how you got started acting?
Carolyn Michelle Smith: Yes, well I got started roughly around 9 or 10, I’d say. I started working with a children’s theatre company just outside of Atlanta, in a small town called Doraville, GA. We mostly did musical revues and showcases, and performed for families in the community. It was definitely a formative experience for me. Then I found myself really drawn to theatre in high school while living in Maryland, and decided to pursue it as a major in college at Fordham University, and then grad school at Juilliard. I’ve always been drawn to great storytelling, even as a child. Probably around 7 years old I was pretty convinced I would be an artist. I just loved creating opportunities to reflect on people and the world. Very early on I felt that was the function of a great story: To invite you into a vivid world with characters that are open and transparent. A space where transparency could be a mirror.
SFND MAG: Familiar Touch is already connecting with a lot of people. What was it about this story that pulled you in, and how did your own experience as a caregiver shape the way you approached the role?
Carolyn Michelle Smith : Honestly, we’re honored folks are resonating with it so deeply. That was our greatest hope. Sarah Friedland the writer/director and I’d known each other for about 9 years before shooting. We connected after working on a pilot together. I think what pulled me in the most was that I was navigating my own caregiving journey for my mother with Dementia at the time she and I met. Sarah had been supporting her grandmother with Dementia so we had a lot to share in terms of experiences. When she mentioned she was writing this, she shared that she was writing a role for me in it because she knew how deeply I connected to the experience…and I definitely did, on a soul level.
SFND MAG: The film handles dementia and aging with so much care and honesty. How did you find that balance—being emotionally present without pushing things too far?
Carolyn Michelle Smith : Honestly, so much of it was anchored in the truth of my own experience with my mother. Navigating life as a caregiver is all about one's relationship to balance. Our jobs are to be emotionally present for our loved ones while managing many stressful aspects of our own lives. Playing Vanessa felt so natural because as Carolyn I related so deeply to having to find that balance, while allowing for my mother to feel seen and heard. Also, Sarah our director and I shared an understanding that care is not always coddling. Care is really about creating space for that person’s humanity. That’s what Vanessa offers Ruth over the course of the film.
SFND MAG: You share the screen with Kathleen Chalfant, who’s such a powerhouse. What was it like working alongside her, and did that collaboration change anything about how you approached the character?
Carolyn Michelle Smith : Kathleen was honestly a Dream to work with! I’ve been admiring her work for years. When Sarah reached out to me and asked if there were any actresses in that age range whose work I adored, Kathleen was #1. Not only is she gracious, and a consummate professional, but she’s also a staunch activist and fights for what she believes in. It also doesn't hurt that she’s hilarious and very warm… Truly a gift working with her. And I don’t know if it necessarily changed anything about how I approached Vanessa. If anything, Kathleen was as present as Ruth is forced to be due to her condition. Because Kathleen was always honest, true, and in the moment, it allowed for us to share some wonderful discoveries together.
SFND MAG: With the film getting awards-season attention, does this moment feel like a chance to pause and reflect—or are you already looking ahead to what’s next?
Carolyn Michelle Smith : We’re deeply honored to be in consideration of awards this season, and YES- it’s absolutely a moment to stop and reflect. I graduated from Juilliard in 2012, so it's been a solid 14 years that I’ve now been in the Industry. It's special to be able to look back at a body of work and feel proud. I’m especially proud of this film, though, because it's an honest glimpse of what navigating Dementia can be like, but also a part of my own Journey. I think as actors we’re always unconsciously open to what’s next, but I’m quickly learning that it's also important to savor the moment: “Life is made of moments, savor each one…none are worth ignoring”.
SFND MAG: When people sit down to watch Familiar Touch, what lessons do you hope viewers ultimately take from this film?
Carolyn Michelle Smith : I hope they understand that if they’re blessed to meet their twilight years, connection and feeling seen will always be vital. That we don't lose our sense of self, and what we hold dear. That it's important to feel as if you “matter to someone”. None of those desires go away at that point. If anything, they may in fact grow stronger. It's also important that viewers develop a deep respect for the noble work of caregivers. It’s common to watch depictions of caregivers in the media and they may seem negative or flippant about their work. Having reverence and respect for the sacrifices these professionals make in order to care for our loved ones is important.
SFND MAG: At the same time, audiences are seeing you in a three-episode arc on Brilliant Minds. What do you enjoy about coming into a story for a short run and still leaving a strong impression?
Carolyn Michelle Smith : It’s always such a joy to get to work with such an amazing cast and to see how your contributions become a part of the greater storytelling. The cast of “Brilliant Minds” has been wonderful to work with as well as the show’s EP Demane Davis. Also, we’re all always learning from each other as artists, so it's wonderful to observe how everyone works. Seeing the story told is like this lovely mosaic that comes together at the end.
SFND MAG: Viewers know you from projects like The Chi, Russian Doll, and And Just Like That…. When you look at your body of work, what helps you decide which roles are worth saying yes to?
Carolyn Michelle Smith: Well, it may be helpful to know that as actors we don’t get a ton of choice when it comes to the roles we get to play, especially early on in our careers. If anything, I’d say the roles choose us. When I have the honor of playing a role, what’s most important to me is shaping the humanity of this character. I want to craft an individual audiences may see themselves in, and unconsciously root for. For “The Chi”, I auditioned for the pilot in 2018 and then in 2021 connected with Lena Waithe while working as the Co-Director for the Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab. During that time, she became acquainted with my body of work, and generously wrote the role of “Deja” with me in mind. At the time I’d been asking questions about the state of Black Love in America, and the shifting dynamics within modern romantic partnership. When the role came around, I had so many ideas about why independent black women choose to partner, and found myself curious about some of the invisible wounds they carry. Deja was certainly reflective of that. For roles like “Russian Doll”, and “And Just Like That”, upon getting cast, I was also in a space where many of the questions the characters were navigating were themes, concepts, or subject matter that were naturally on my mind as well. There's a kind of synchronicity that happens in casting that I think as actors we don't always understand, but at the end of the day is fully in service of the story.
SFND MAG: Your training—from Fordham to Juilliard—is about as rigorous as it gets. How has that foundation supported you as the industry has shifted more and more toward screen work?
Carolyn Michelle Smith : Ironically, in addition to solid arts training both schools encourage students to develop a strong, entrepreneurial spirit. During my time attending both schools, on-camera work was admittedly not a huge focus. In my final year at Juilliard, we had one semester-long course on-camera and that was it. However, what has been foundational for me was not necessarily related to skills acquired, but the mindset built for sustaining long days of shooting, or long periods waiting in between projects. It was the mindset that encouraged me to shape my own artistic reality and to pour into my network. We forget that EVERY business is a People Business. And there’s something always to be said for a strong work ethic and following the golden rule. Treating others how you’d like to be treated is ultimately one of the greatest foundational rules I’ve learned not just from school, but throughout my life.
SFND MAG: You’ve built a career that blends acting, producing, and teaching. How does being an educator influence the way you show up as an artist?
Carolyn Michelle Smith: Oh yes, I love this question. The reality is that there are more similarities in both spaces than people realize. It takes a lot of curiosity and service to be in both spaces. As actors we are in service of story, as educators we are in service of learning. In both spaces curiosity about people is key because it allows you to ask deeper questions, and ironically both spaces require a healthy relationship to improvisation and spontaneity, trusting one’s gut. Its about meeting the need in the room. All spaces, including producing require that.
SFND MAG: Your Trinidadian heritage and first-generation upbringing feel like important parts of your story. How do those roots shape the kinds of narratives you’re drawn to today?
Carolyn Michelle Smith : As a First-Gen artist I believe we view the world through a very prismatic perspective. Stories connected to new beginnings, adjusting to new spaces, themes of “home” all resonate deeply within me because I saw my family navigate these things daily. I also felt unique in that I rode the line between two distinctly different cultures: Trinidadian and American. The values In influences the kinds of narratives I’m drawn to because both deeply shape my identity. Much of my work as an artist is identity-led.
SFND MAG: Looking at where you are now—artist, educator, advocate—what does success mean to you in this season, and how do you hope people experience the work you’re putting into the world?
Carolyn Michelle Smith : In all three spaces what’s most important to me is that people feel SEEN through the work that I do. I think at the end of the day that's what we all crave as human beings. If I can offer that to our audiences, to my students, and through my advocacy that’s a kind of success no one can take away.
SFND MAG: Before we wrap the interview, we always like to ask this question. If you could name another actor dead or alive who you feel is the epitome of being So FN Dope who would it be and why?
Carolyn Michelle Smith : I’ve always been a big fan of Beah Richards for her work as a writer, activist and actress. She was a quiet icon, but gave of her talents so generously and paved the way for so many of us to come.
SFND MAG: Carolyn this has been such a pleasure. Thanks again for interviewing with us. We are looking forward to seeing a lot more of you in the future.
Carolyn Michelle Smith : Thanks so much, it’s been a joy to connect in this way. :)
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