My first time acting was at school. I was cast in Romeo and Juliet and loved it. My Drama teacher gave me an award at school and I remember thinking I enjoyed that.
I then didn’t do any acting for a while as I wanted to be a Media Executive or a teacher so I forgot about it. I went on to do A Level Drama and really enjoyed it years later.
indieactivity: Did you study acting?
Kandace Caine: I went to do my degree at Kingston University. I then did joint hons in Media and Cultural Studies and Drama. I really wanted to get into the Media industry but realised I was getting As for my Drama modules of my degree and only Cs in my Media and Cultural studies modules so I knew I was better at the Drama side. A friend on the course asked me what I wanted to do after studying and I said I wasn’t sure maybe get into working for the Media. She then told me about Drama schools. She said but you got the highest grade for the acting module in are class so why don’t you apply for Drama schools. She told me about ALRA and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and so I applied to both and got in to Mountview.
I enjoyed filming Birds With Attitude Proof of Concept . Directed by @taz.skylar Mark Bromley and myself created this idea 2 years ago and finally brought it to life. Hopefully the feature will be happening next year . Thank you t… https://t.co/VJ1myslHOP pic.twitter.com/UE4vVBPN4J
— kandacecaine (@kandacecaine) June 24, 2018
I went to Mountview and did the postgraduate. I was the youngest on the course. It was hard work going to drama school but when I got my first acting paycheck I realised why drama school was so challenging. They were preparing me for the outside world.
indieactivity: What acting technique do you use?
Kandace Caine: I have studied all the different practitioners from Stanislavski to Artaud to Brecht and I think it just depends on the project.
When I have to play a character that is based around a real life story then method acting is usually more suitable but if I am doing a play based on physical theatre then I would go over Berkoff style it just depends. Roy Williams Plays are usually very physical so it truly just depends on the project.
indieactivity: What wrong impressions do actors hold about acting?
Kandace Caine: I think acting is not necessarily about worrying about what a character is wearing. I have made that mistake when I did a one woman show in LA and I was making so many wardrobe changes that the reviewer said if only she continued to just act and not worry about her costume changes then it would have been a better show.
Acting is about truth and taking the audience on the journey with you. It’s not really about how many followers you have on social media or what you look like.
indieactivity: Do you take courses to improve your craft?
Kandace Caine: Yes I have taken many courses. I went on to study at this amazing school in London on weekends called WAC ARTS in Belzise park. So many amazing actors, singers, writers, directors and teachers have come out of this school. It has a full time Diploma course and it has weekend classes that focus on monologues, Shakespeare, African and Caribbean performances . It is a truly amazing school and a few people have gone on to win BAFTAs and been nominated for Oscars and are always getting work in the entertainment industry.
indieactivity: What acting books do you read?
Kandace Caine: I read Ivana Chubbuck power of the actor which was great. I also like to read different playwrights books from Roy Williams book Clubland to Debbie Tucker Green’s book Random, to Margaret Atwood’s Handmaids Tale to all plays on romance. I am a sucker for romance.
indieactivity: How do you keep fit as an actor?
Kandace Caine: I like to go walking and keep busy from work. I love walking and playing tennis.
indieactivity: How do you prepare for a role?
Kandace Caine: I like to read the script many times and I like to know about the writer and their background and why they thought of the idea.
indieactivity: How do you create character?
Kandace Caine: I like to think about what the character really wants. What is their objective? What makes them tick, cry, laugh and exist.
indieactivity: How do you stay fresh on a production set?
Kandace Caine: I like consistency so I usually don’t like to be taken out of my zone. I like to stay in role if possible for as long as I can on set.
indieactivity: Describe a memorable character you played?
Kandace Caine: I played a teenage girl who was very confused and feisty in a play called A Concrete Jungle Full Of Wild Cars in 2013 directed by Che Walker and written by Mariama Ives Moiba . This character Jasmine was full of energy and real street and from London but she had another sensitive, loving side to her that I tried to explore in the rehearsal process through looking at the characters upbringing.
indieactivity: Explain one creative choice you took on set?
Kandace Caine: There was a role I played where I had to cry and stay feeling sad. I did use method acting as I remembered when I had felt loss and that loss just helped me always produce tears. I felt so sad and stayed consistently dismal.
indieactivity: What do you want most from a director?
Kandace Caine: Clarity and patience
indieactivity: What actors do you long to work with?
Kandace Caine: Naomie Harris
indieactivity: Why?
Kandace Caine: Naomie Harris is someone I would like to work with. She is an incredible actress and seems to play all different roles and uses different accents and really is a character actress which I love. I was cast in a television pilot for her mother who an incredible writer four years ago. The TV Pilot was called Babylicious. She walked in when we were filming at her mother’s house and I was just starstruck. I said nothing.
I was the character Babylicious. It was a cute idea. We filmed the proof of concept with myself and Jo Martin who is also a wonderful actress.
indieactivity: What advice would you give to actors?
Kandace Caine: To not listen to people telling you to get a real job and not follow your dreams. You have to keep going. If you get a real job that helps you develop as an actress or actor then so be it but if this is really what you want to do then find ways to keep working. If that means writing your own scripts then so be it. I produced theatre shows last year for the National Theatre Studios and the Barbican Theatre and I recently produced my own movie that I act in and co-wrote called Birds With attitude, but I realised as much as I love producing acting is my first love . It has been an interesting journey but I am really enjoying the process now.
indieactivity: Briefly write about your career?
Kandace Caine: I started off in theatre and performed in theatre tours, plays in community halls, schools and theatres anywhere I could perform I would. Then I started doing voice over and got myself a voice agent in London from applying for voice over myself and then a voice over agent signed me. I then went on to do short films and commercials. I then got the Human Centipede 2 which took me to America. I then went to America and started playing around with comedy and created a one woman show called She’s Coming to Murica! and a YouTube channel called the Kandace Caine Show.
I then started doing acting competitions in Hollywood that I kept winning. I would perform different monologues and battle other actors through monologue rounds. This is how I got my manager in Hollywood. Jennifer DaRe was one of the judges for a competition and she signed me the next day. She gets me auditions for Fox television, Nickelodeon, ABC ect. I now have been cast in a Trilogy called Ian Reams Saga which is about Dragons and characters going into a portal. I play Abbi one of the lead characters. We shoot this in America this year.
I have also been a producer on a short film called Queen of Ata. We have filmed it but now are in post production. We are still trying to raise £1000 for the post production. We film the feature film Queen of Ata next year which we have full funding for.
I also created my own Film called ‘Birds With Attitude’ it is a mix between the film Set It Off and The Inbetweeners it is set in London. We just filmed the proof of concept then we will try and raise the money for the feature film. I will hopefully film it next year.
It has for sure been hard work as an actress but it for sure has been worth it. I wouldn’t change the journey at all.
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