Actress Charlotte Louise Spencer on ‘Evan Wood’, Theatre, And Advice To Young Girls

This actress was born for the limelight!

Charlotte Louise Spencer is truly a face to know in the musical theatre world. And now, she’s hitting her introducing film with her lovable role as ‘Rachel Wood’ in “Evan Wood”.

We had the absolute honor of talking with Charlotte on her theatre journey, what it was like to play as ‘Rachel’, and more!

Q: Have you always been involved in the theatre?

C: “I have always adored the theatre! I began training in theatre at five years old and soon began working professionally all over the United Kingdom, and I once toured with the incredible Oprah North in Hansel and Gretel. My favorite role would have to be when I played Elinor Dashwood in Jane Austin’s “Sense and Sensibility.” It is amazing to be able to play a strong, independent, and powerful woman.

Performing in the theatre will always be my biggest love. There is no better feeling than performing in front of alive audience! I also adore working in film; I love the challenge of working with new material every day.”

Q: Tell us about your introducing film “Evan Wood.”

C: “Evan Wood is about a young writer, Rachel Wood, who is desperate for some inspiration. When she finds out about her grandmother’s passing she returns home after many years and begins digging into her forgotten life and reconnects with family members she left behind. In particular, her younger brother, Evan. The story of Evan Wood dives into a lot of serious subjects, such as family, love, grief, and addiction. When I first began writing the script, it was extremely important for me to highlight these topics in the most realistic way possible. I am very proud of the way we represented drug addiction. I wanted to give the family of the victims a voice. Not only does addiction affect one person, but it also affects all the closest people around them. It can be extremely terrifying and that can often lead to family members becoming mentally and emotionally unstable. There can be a lot of self-blame and guilt, which creates tension and a lack of trust.

I felt honored to work with such a talented, dedicated, and professional team. When faced with the challenge of such traumatic topics, I believe the set has to be very sensitive to that. Our director, Niki Byrnes, did an exceptional job in creating a safe space for the cast and crew. Evan Wood was filmed entirely in 10 days, 8 of them being principal photography. We were under a time crunch throughout the whole shoot and Niki was able to produce such raw emotion so quickly. Niki really challenged me throughout the shoot and from that, I have grown as an actor. I also couldn’t have asked for better co-stars. I worked closely with Trevor Stines (who plays Josh) and Alex Sorian Brown (who plays Evan) who helped make my job so much easier.”

Q: What has been your favorite role to play so far, and why?

C: “Easy! It has to be Rachel Wood. I found such a connection to Rachel, and as a writer on the film, I was able to play so many of my own truths through her. In a way, playing Rachel almost worked like therapy for me and Itruly believe I have grown so much as myself, Charlotte, because of it.”

Q: Is there a type of character that you would love to play?

C: “As an actor, I’m happiest when I try to do justice to a character that’s complex and has many layers. Rachel is one of those characters because she’s not all that she appears to be. She is smart, hard-working, well-liked and to the outside world, Rachel seems like she’s got it all figured out. However, she is holding back because she carries a lot of weight from all trauma she has been through, and deep down she is struggling to find her place in the world. I would love to play a character who’s based on a real person. Being British, a dream of mine would be to play princess Diana and bring justice to her story. I thoroughly enjoy the research aspect that goes into my approach as I prepare for a role and I would love the challenge of being able to do that with such a powerful and historical woman.”

Q: If you could work with any actress in a film, who would it be and why?

C: “There are so many accomplished actors that inspire me – as they do all of us. I’m motivated to work alongside actors who always seem to find the kernels of truth in their roles-however good or terrifying they may be – and help audiences find the empathy and reliability in those characters in a way that appears effortless. I really admire Margot Robbie and it would be an honor to work alongside her. She is an exceptional talent who plays strong and fearless women. As well as being a phenomenal actor, she is also a producer and is helping promote women in film, whether it be female-driven content or female storytellers.”

Q: What advice would you give to young girls wanting to start in the industry?

C: “The best advice I could ever give a young actor is to make your own content! We are so fortunate to be in a time where almost everyone has a smartphone. I have seen some incredible work shot on a smartphone and we are so fortunate to have easy access to great cameras that we use every day. I often find myself writing short sketches and filming them on my phone with my friends. Even if these don’t go anywhere, I learn so much about myself as an actor. It is so important to work with a great group of people as much as you can. Work with a group of people that you trust and who you push you to be the best version of yourself!”

Q: What are your biggest goals for your career?

C: “I always want to keep pushing myself as an actor by playing complex characters. My main goal is to continue producing my own stories. Evan Wood was the first feature film I have produced and I am so proud of the outcome. I learned so much from the process and I can’t wait to use everything I’ve learned when creating my next film. Hopefully, I will continue and each film will be bigger and better.”

Q: Where can we follow your amazing journey?

C: “You can find me on IG @charllouspener and to follow the film, “Evan Wood” find it on IG at @EvanWoodFilm.”