Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcia Carroll.
Hi Marcia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I consider myself to be a creative currently living in the Oak Lawn section of Dallas. It’s a very cool, eclectic, diverse area of the city and feeds my inquisitive nature. As a writer, director, producer, and actor, I believe in living spherically…. artistically, professionally, and personally. For me, changing things up keeps things exciting. To that end, I have spent the last year celebrating the success of my Award-Winning SAG Short film, JADED, a project I wrote, produced, directed, and starred in, which is continuing to gain recognition in the festival circuit. And I just completed shooting the documentary, Losing Grace Finding Hope, a project I directed and produced currently in post-production. It is the true story from which JADED was inspired about a story that made headlines after my best friend’s daughter, local teen Grace Loncar, tragically lost her life to suicide. What began as a therapeutic outlet morphed into a passion project that jump-started my life in a quest to raise awareness about suicide by shining a light on the loved ones left behind. Healing by way of these two projects has been a difficult but deeply gratifying journey.
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?
After losing my best friend’s daughter to suicide, our worlds obliterated into a million, fractured pieces. Navigating through that level of loss has been the most challenging experience of my life. Using a creative method for channeling the grief in the hopes of spreading awareness has brought meaning to the pain. The only real obstacles I’ve ever faced, personally or professionally, are when I failed to be true to myself. I try to live by five edicts: honor your authenticity, follow your instincts, take control and responsibility of your own experience, spread respect, and stay open to possibility. I find when I use those directives to guide my path, I’m able to progress forward in a way that not only serves me best, but everyone else I meet along the way… even during the most challenging of times.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My career has covered a lot of territory, and I credit its diversity for having gotten me where I am today. As a former news writer/associate producer/undercover investigator for both CBS and NBC News, show host for the QVC Shopping Channel, community columnist for the Dallas Morning News, acting veteran, and filmmaker, I value most my decade-long involvement as an actor and board member for the Contemporary Theatre of Dallas. I studied with Broadway Director Terry Schreiber at his NYC studio, Beatrice Straight and Jim Boerlin at Michael Chekhov Acting Studio, and at the American Academy of Dramatic Art. As a proud member of AEA/SAG-AFTRA/WIFD/WIFTI, I remain deeply grateful for work that feeds my soul.
What do you think about happiness?
I believe that living spherically is the secret to happiness: pursuing my passions, connecting with nature, travelling as much as possible, nurturing valuable interactions and experiences, growing spiritually, contributing to the greater good whenever possible, and spending the majority of time with the people who make my heart swell. You have to be able to roll with the punches, rest and rejuvenate as often as needed, accept all the things you cannot change, fight for the things you can, and embrace the experience of living.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marciacarrollburzair/; https://www.instagram.com/jadedmovie/
- Other: https://filmfreeway.com/MarciaCarroll
Image Credits
Marcia Carroll
Flygirlphotography
Andrew Redd
Sue Loncar
David Loncar
Shafer Wilkerson
Sammy Swim
Will Shafer
Emily Ivey
Carlos Antonio
Ed Burzair
Rico Heer,
Kyle Sanders
Cydney Cox
Nic Diaz
Isabella Burzair
Sophia Basiliadis
Michael Serrechia
