Ms Clara, star actress in the Movie WAR ROOM, advises young Christian women in an exclusive chat with Eturuvie Erebor
Tell me a little about yourself. Where did you grow up and what was it like?
I am one of five children. I have two brothers and two sisters. I am the second born. I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. It was a steel town. And so I grew up in a small, little, project area, of a steel town. We manufactured steel in that town for many years. It was a good upbringing. I was challenged on many levels, my parents loved us but both were alcoholics and it had challenges of its own. But looking at things now I understand how every experience you have in life shapes you, so I can’t really say that I would go back and change things now and I know that God knows what He is doing, so that’s pretty much it. I gave my life to Christ as a young child and was very involved in church. In my teenage years I walked away, I was a partying teenager and in my twenties I started walking back to Christ and I rededicated my life to Christ. I am a mother of one son and I am married.
What have been some of the defining moments in your life and why?
Defining moments? I would say that there were many. But every defining moment that I have looked back on, I have seen where God was right there in the middle of it pointing me in one way or another or just giving me courage to take on new territories. One in particular was when I gained admission into the University of Pittsburgh. I had always loved acting but I figured that trying to get a degree in Psychology and a minor in English would be more favored choice. I ended up getting a place but then I made up my mind that this is what I am going to do and I am just going to go for it. And I left the University of Pittsburgh, I auditioned for an acting school in New York City and I was accepted and I went there not knowing anybody but I was trusting the gift that I had been given and trusting the giver of the gift and it wasn’t always easy but I held on to that burning desire to be creative, to be an artist, to be an actress. And it is something that I know was a gift from God and I can never let it go. So with my last breath and the last minutes that I have on this earth, I want to be using those gifts to just bring glory to God because every time I step out on a stage or in front of a camera, to me, for me, personally, it is worship. It is giving thanks and praise to the giver of the gift.
I can tell that you are a very gifted actress having seen the movie, WAR ROOM. So let’s talk about Ms. Clara. Tell me, how did you get chosen for that role?
Well I believe that it was a divine appointment, an answer to a prayer. Thirteen years before I got the role, I had gone over to a women’s conference and they had a dynamic actress who would do different things and model up between the different women speaking and I just said God if you would just allow me to use my gifts the way you’ve allowed her, I’ll give you all the glory, all the honour. So wherever I was, whether I was in New York City or Los Angeles, every time I stepped out to do something, I gave God everything, because it’s personal, to me it’s between me and God. And whenever I was in church, I gave everything I had, whether it was on the worship team or writing or directing dramas. And then my family, we decided to move from Los Angeles to North Carolina, to a very small town and we got involved in a church. And I had been there for almost six years and then a gentle man said, you know the Kendrick brothers are going to be making a movie, I think you should send your picture and resume so I did and I didn’t hear anything from them. A couple of weeks went by and the gentleman said, have you heard anything from them and I said, no I haven’t, he said, well that’s okay because they are going to be holding an audition here in our church next week. So he sent me the dialogue, he said it’s for an older woman but I have seen what you’ve done here at church and I know that you can do it. As soon as I read the dialogue I could hear Ms. Clara’s voice. It was amazing, because as an actress they send you out to do research and put things together but I heard her voice immediately as I read it. And I went to my closet and I pulled out the greyest wig I had and I dressed up in a way that I thought she would dress and when I went in to the audition, I was dressed up as the character, I went in as an older woman. When I was through with the audition, Alex Kendrick asked me about my testimony, he wanted to know what my walk with the Lord was, and I shared that and then I left and when I got home, after a little while the phone rang and they were offering me the role of Ms. Clara. Now mind you, they were two weeks away from filming that movie and they still hadn’t found the person they wanted. They had interviewed and auditioned well known actresses and gospel singers but every time they would take the person back to God and pray about it, God would tell them, no. And I know why, because He was holding that for me, it was time for Him to answer that prayer that I had put up thirteen years ago. And then one of the days, I was filming on the movie and the director walked over to me and said, you know why we didn’t call you after you sent the picture and the resume? Well, just because we thought you were too young. You had enough credit but we just thought you were too young for the role. So you see God answered both of our prayers in the perfect time. And to top it off, every night, I was able to go home and sleep in my bed because they filmed the movie in close proximity to where I live and it was the first time they ever filmed outside of Georgia. So you see, it was God and it was God and then it was God again answering my prayer in such a way that you could not mistake who made it all possible – God!
What are some of the similarities between Ms. Clara and Karen Abercrombie?
Well when I first started the movie, or before I even got involved in the movie, I had my own little prayer area, a room that I go to, to do my devotion and to pray and honestly I thought that I was really getting down, that I was going deep but after I got more involved in learning Ms. Clara and trusting the Lord to guide me to this character so that I could say what He wanted me to say, I came to understand that as Karen, I was only scratching the surface of prayer. So my experience in performing this role, allowed me to go deeper and get a better understanding about prayer in general across the board and the depth.
So when it comes to prayer, would you say that it is one similarity that Ms. Clara and Karen Abercrombie share?
Oh yes, I’ve always prayed, but once I got involved in this role and better understood prayer and I did that through this character, oh my gosh, my prayer life is so much deeper, so much sweeter and I understand the whole strategy of prayer and the importance of prayer more than I ever had before.
Was it your first big movie? If yes, how has it impacted your career?
I have had smaller movie roles but this definitely was my most important for sure. People have been sending me scripts, a lot of people want me to play older women but other people are just offering me some really beautiful stories to be a part of and I am forever grateful. There was a time when I was praying, it was about three years before I got the role, and the Lord spoke to my spirit and told me to be patient. And now out of this role, so many wonderful things have been coming my way, so many roles that I am so grateful.
So you can say it has impacted your career positively?
Oh, oh, in amazing ways, absolutely, absolutely.
What are some of the challenges of your profession as an actress?
Well some of the challenges is that sometimes you’re busy, sometimes you’re not. Or you may be great for the role but sometimes it is given to someone who is a relative of the director or someone who maybe is not as talented or suited for the role. There are so many different things that come into play when you are going out there to audition, so many things out of your control and that can be very frustrating but it’s interesting, I have come to understand better and say okay, if it’s for me I will get it. Period. If that is what God wants me to have I will get it. Period. And it wasn’t always that way, I have learnt patience, patience, patience.
So what is the most rewarding project you have worked on and why was it rewarding?
Well I would say WAR ROOM, certainly, because God chose me to be an instrument to wake up the church, and the world, to bring the subject of prayer up and out, and just to teach people, to show people how powerful a tool prayer is, life changing, life giving tool, prayer is. So that God would allow me that opportunity, oh my God, I had no idea when I said that prayer thirteen years ago, that this was how He’d answer my prayer. And another thing, when you’re out in Hollywood you get caught up and concerned about oh my gosh I’m getting older, I’m getting older, if I don’t get some great roles before I get older, I won’t have the chances I need but God took me as an older woman, 58 / 59 and gave me that role and on top of that, He gave me the role playing an 80-year-old woman, as if to say, girl, I have got you, don’t worry about this, I’ve got you covered.
He is a humorous God, isn’t He?
Yes, yes, yes. And then I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to work on a small film where I played an angel. And the story is basically about some people that want to go to church and serve but because they have disabilities, they are not afforded the opportunity. So just to be a part of bringing that story up to the forefront, and it’s a lovely story, that really touched my heart and it speaks volumes so I was grateful for that opportunity as well.
So is this something that is going to be coming up soon, possibly this year or next year?
Actually, what we did was a short film version of it and now the producers are going to take it to people and try to get a budget put together so that they can make a full feature movie out of it.
That is good, we’d love to see more of your movies.
Oh, thank you. Thank you.
What project do you consider a classic “war story,”; why was it so difficult; and in hindsight what would you do differently now?
There is always an uphill when you’re doing art but there is a project that I wrote and it is the story of a woman who used to be an up and coming singer and a brilliant composer but life has changed for her and now she is living out on the streets of New York. I wrote it about 17 years ago and put it in the theatre and it had really good response but what I did was I took it off the shelf and did a re-write on it and my plan is to take it to a New York City theatre in 2017. But because of the subject matter, sometimes people don’t want to be reminded of that. But the reason I wrote it is just because when I was living out in Los Angeles, there were so many homeless people living in the streets everywhere and at one point I found myself just looking past them. I couldn’t see them anymore, or else, when I did see them, I would speak in my mind, and say, oh, maybe you’re all out here because of drugs or alcohol or whatever. And I didn’t want to feel that way anymore, so that’s why I wrote the story in the first place. But then I just got overwhelmed about taking it to the next step that I laid it down for years. But it’s an important story because I don’t want people to look at people homeless and just be able to speak negative. Or even a black person, I don’t want them to look at black people and think everybody’s the same or white people thinking that everybody’s the same or Hispanic people thinking that everybody’s the same because everyone’s got a story and we’re not in a position to judge, only God can judge. So anyway I picked the script back up and I finished it really. I did some re-write and now the struggle or the war is taking it back and putting it in a New York theatre and I am trusting God one hundred percent to bring me all of the people that I need to get it done properly.
How would you say your career impact the body of Christ in particular and the world in general?
Well wherever I served, whether it was on the worship team or writing dramas or creating dramas or taking something the pastor wanted me to turn into a story, I can always say that I did it one hundred percent. And I also believe that that is the reason He gave me WAR ROOM. You see to whom much is given much is required. Also whoever is faithful over little will be faithful over much that is what the Lord God said and there was never a time that I can look back and say that I did anything half-heartedly with the gift that I have been given, when I was serving in church where nobody knew me, where I was just another woman in the church. But I gave everything in me, so now God has given me a bigger stage. And with that and everything else that I do, I just want to glorify Him. I don’t care if one person sees it and it changes their life, or a million people, I will still put my all into it because I do it unto the Lord first and foremost.
What is your typical day like?
Well, I get up, first thing I do is I get a cup of tea and then I have my devotion and do my prayer and after that for the most part I either go to the gym or I take a power walk around where I live. And if it’s gardening season then I may go out to the garden and pick weeds. And then I may come in and do some writing or check my emails or send some information out, you know, some office work and then the day begins. That’s pretty much my typical day.
How would you rate your profession on a scale of 1-10 on the basis of your spiritual development?
Well, that’s very interesting, because many times it’s how the spiritual helps to develop the other things and I think they work very closely. My career choice was one that I know the Lord put in me. He equipped me to do what I do but it was on me to go to school and train. There’s plenty of the dark stuff out there, there’s plenty of violence out there, there’s plenty of the sexual out there. I just want to bring love into this world. I formed a production company and it was part of my choice in doing things right. I wanted to create a thread, we all have a common thread, all people on this earth have common thread and it is through those common thread that I want to connect us and make good stories. Everybody wants love, they want food to eat, etc., so we create stories for the stage and the big screen that everyone can watch, the entire family, and be touched by and inspired by.
Did you always expect to be an actress at this stage in your life or was there some defining moment that placed you on this path? But going by what you’ve told me so far I can guess that the answer is yes.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes; because do you know what honestly? It’s what I do best. It’s how He equipped me and I love it
Having watched the movie, WAR ROOM, I can tell that you love what you do and you are good at what you do.
Thank you.
So what are the most critical skills and talents required for your profession?
You have to train to develop whatever it is He has given you. You have to train. It is a tool that you have to keep sharpening. You continue to grow; you continue to sharpen the tool. You continue to keep it in shape because you could lose it.
I guess it’s like the man who was given one talent and did nothing with it and eventually he lost it.
Yes, he did. Yes, he did. So you continue to use it and take care of it. Your body, keep it tuned up because the better you feel, the better you can minister with that gift.
Are there any limitations on your personal and/or spiritual life because of the nature of your work?
At one point in my life when I wasn’t strong in knowing who I was in Christ, there were, but now, no. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. And like I said before, I don’t care to do violent things or sexual things. Those things are off the table and when I am not doing other good things, God has given me the gift to create projects that I can then act in or create opportunities that I can tell biblical stories because I love taking stories and bringing them to life as I tell them. And I look at things artistically and I know that He’ll always provide a way for me to represent Him and worship Him at the same time so I do not fear.
What job would you choose if you didn’t do what you do now?
I would be teaching acting to children. I did that one time. I started a children’s theatre company. I had my son at 39. And once I had him I was already living out in Los Angeles doing some things. Things were picking up for me but I had been on my knees for many years praying for a child and when God finally allowed me to conceive I knew that I was going to be a hands on mother. I wasn’t going to put my child in day care, I was going to be his mother in honour to God for the gift that God had given me. So in the meantime I was looking for ways to make a little extra money. My husband was working and bringing in a good income but I also wanted to contribute but I didn’t want to leave the house and leave my son. So for a while I did daycare where I took other people’s kids into my home and it also was great for my son because he is an only child and he could have a social activity as well. And then after that I opened up my children’s theatre company and I had a space in my house where I would teach the class and the kids would come to me after school and my son would come up too. It just allowed me to be creative and to love on other people’s kids and share with them a gift that saved me, I know it did because a lot of kids where I grew up became drug addicts and alcoholics but that gift was my saving grace from God.
What do you find most satisfying about your career?
Being able to be creative and see how people receive the gift God gave me. Sometimes when watching they forget their problems or I do something that would lift their day up. Or just being able to use the gift freely that I’ve been given.
What are some things you don’t like about your job as an actress?
Well, sometimes you’re auditioning and you really feel that you’re right for the job and then you don’t get it. And many times it’s the waiting time and then sometimes you have creative differences. It has its ups and downs, sometimes you’re busy, sometimes you’re not and that’s just the way it is.
And I’m guessing for someone who loves her job as you obviously love yours, you would want to be busy, going from one project on to the next.
Yes, as long as it’s a really, really, wonderful project. But then I also like to take time off too because I’ve got a husband and I like to go fishing with him, or just sit by the water with him or do nothing. Or just read a book because I love to read books. And I am a nature lover too, I love hiking and I love the woods.
So tell me one thing about yourself that most people don’t know.
Well, I love gardening without gloves and in my bare feet.
Who is your role model and why?
Oh my gosh, there are several. Mother Teresa because she was just able to lay her life down one hundred percent. And dedicate herself to feeding the poor. You know she was brave. And then Martin Luther King, not only was he willing to step up for a people but he chose to do it in a way that was foreign to many people. He chose peace, regardless of what his message was, it was a message of peace.
What advice do you have for young Christian women and how would you suggest they plan for their futures?
I will say this and I wish that I would have known what I know now but when I go to speak, I always say, be clear on who God really is for yourself. You need an intimate relationship with God. And in that, you come to know who you really are, how powerful, how valuable you are and had I been clear on that then, I would not have walked into some of the road that I walked into as a teenager. I would not have been willing to offer to do anything out in Hollywood because I wanted that big role or I wanted the director to see me or a producer to see me. When I put God first, everything in my life changed drastically. My perspective about everything, about who I was and everybody around me, changed drastically and I want all young girls to know that they are amazing, with great purpose and priceless.
Thank you very much, Karen for that advice to young Christian women. Finally, if you weren’t here answering all these questions, where would you like to be?
Where would I like to be? Oh gosh, I could be hiking in the mountains or I’ve always wanted to fish in Greece. Or sitting beside a waterfall reading a good book.
That does tell me a bit more about who Karen is. Well, the interview has come to an end. Thank you for your time and thank you for granting this interview. I am certain that young Christian women especially those seeking a career in acting will be inspired by this interview.
You’re welcome and thank you for inviting me to this interview.
Story and images taken from DOZ Magazine Issue 11 September 2016. Ms Clara’s photos were taken by Photographer Tony Searcy. The stylist is London Kasmir.
