Today, we’d like to introduce you to Caleb Wilkinson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up in central GA, being an artist never seemed like an option to me. My childhood was mostly filled with playing some sort of pick-up game or going to our local Sonic with friends to pass the time. During my senior year of high school, a casting call for Baywatch popped up on my Twitter stating they were looking for background actors.
I submitted my info not thinking anything would happen, and the next day I got an email saying they needed me to be in Savannah the next day. So I did what anyone would do, I faked a sick note to school and drove 2 hours to Savannah. That day, being on set felt like a dream. A 10-hour day filled with tanning on the beach, free food and snacks, and being around Zac Efron and Alexandra Daddario. I got on the bus that night with a $160 paycheck and a feeling I’ve never felt before since I was a kid.
Enter college, where I got accepted into my dream school, The University of Tennessee. I had no clue what to study, however, STEM seemed more of my speed since I was good at science and math in high school. Around my sophomore year, we were required to take an elective and I chose a theatre class knowing it would be easy and also would boost my GPA to get into med school.
Taking that class quickly brought me back to the feeling of being on set for Baywatch, everyone in the class felt like they were family to me and I was slowly beginning to see more of my time shift from science homework to rehearsals and play reading. You could find me in the library trying to find any book I could on acting or plays. So I eventually picked it up as a minor and finished with a major in Biochem. Then comes the time to graduate where I am stuck with two paths to choose from.
I made a scary but rewarding decision to chase after my dreams. And so I was debating between Austin, TX, and Atlanta, GA to begin this path. One of my acting mentors up in Knoxville strongly urged me to move to Atlanta as things were booming down here. And so I heeded his advice, but my transition has not been an easy one.
With COVID-19, SAG strikes, and many trivial matters in between, I have been met with hardships but have truly enjoyed the adventure I am on and will continue to be on. I truly feel like Atlanta has such a strong artistic community that has greatly uplifted me and given me a sense of much-needed community.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
That’s funny. I don’t imagine any path that is absent from struggle, but it can be very freeing though in some weird sense to realize that life is suffering. I came across a quote the other day “If you live properly, fully, you can discover a meaning so profound that it protects you even from the fear of death.”
Now if this is all true, I don’t know. But I think we all have the ability to become the hero of our own story. We can all be worthy of our own suffering and meet it courageously. And in so doing transcend our current state into a life of meaning and purpose, which I believe should be the ultimate goal.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an actor first, with most of my work being on-camera work. A lot of my free time can be found doing self-tapes, studying class work, or watching a film/play. I actually did my first play last year and found it to be the most enjoyable acting medium. It was an original piece called “The Wishing Place” by Beverly Austin put on by Essential Theatre. Working with Essential Theatre was such an enjoyable experience, they really took the time to show me the ropes and allow me such freedom to play on stage.
2023 was also a big year for me in growth and trying new things. I wrote my first screenplay as well, a short film. It’s a comedic piece about a guy who attempts to marry his boss’s daughter in hopes of getting a promotion. I am in the process of trying to get it made and hope to find some fun, great collaborators to bring on board.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I feel like we are currently undergoing a big shift right now, and I don’t know what it is or what things will look like in 5-10 years. I am excited but somewhat anxious about where things go though. I do think A24 is producing some very interesting and unique films and am excited to see where independent filmmaking goes in the next years.
It’s also tough to know what I envision my future to look like as an artist, but I find that I just want to get better and work with great people. I have a tendency to get in my way, by overthinking my next step or trying to manifest a certain reality. So I find keeping a simple mindset like this one allows me to stay open to new and exciting experiences that present themselves to me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @calebcwilkinson
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePC_QyjdMwc7Ev-GrMJouw
Image Credits
Dwayne Boyd, Dan O’Brien, and Casey Gardner Ford
