CAYLIN SAMS TALKS AMBROGIO
"Husband and I go all out for Halloween"
Daniel John
When the first vampire meets a woman who resembles his lost love, he calls upon the gods to shield her from hellbent rivals. How did you approach getting into character as one of the gods, Artemis?
I researched Artemis in Greek mythology to understand who she is and her relationship to the other gods. This helped as a guide to what my relationships would look like with the characters in the film. Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and wilderness. We shot my scenes in 'Ambrogio' around the time they have the Spring Renaissance festival in Georgia. Artemis shoots a bow and arrow so I made sure to go and brush up on my bow and arrow skills at the festival. The role of Artemis was so much fun and different from other roles I have played. It is always a pleasure to work with Alex and his team.
In a movie of mythological origins, what is your own beginning. When did your own story as an actress begin to take form?
I landed the leading role in my school’s musical when I was in first grade. I went on to perform in high school musicals and danced competitively in college. It wasn’t until 2017 that I fell in love with on-screen acting, they were filming 'The Originals' in Milledgeville, Georgia close to where I went to school. I was able to spend some time on set. It was painfully cold and just about everything that could go wrong on set was going wrong. It was miserable and I remember thinking, “Where do I sign up?” So I started taking film acting-classes and working on short films.
Do you think your background in dance provided a strong base for the pure discipline that's also required in an actor's life?
Absolutely. Dancing taught me that I can accomplish hard goals I set for myself. It’s going to take time, but I can do it if I want to. I’m so thankful for Kelly Bell at Southern Dance Precision, she was my dance teacher growing up. She pushed me to be the best dancer that I could be. That certainly instilled in me the kind of discipline and tough skin it takes to make it as an actor.
It can be a scary dream to pursue, so easily turned into nightmare. How do you navigate and find some sense of stability?
It’s important to surround yourself with a supportive community. I’m incredibly thankful that my family has always encouraged me in the arts. It’s easy to get caught up in wondering “what’s next?” I’m thankful I was raised to appreciate what is happening right now. It doesn’t feel good to be told no so many times. It’s hard not to start a self-doubt spiral when it’s slow, society has grown accustomed to instant gratification. It makes it too easy to want to walk away from something challenging that doesn’t give itself to you overnight. I have been acting for a while now. I’m not where I want to be, but I can continue to improve because I want to, not because I’m desperate to get to the next thing. I don’t want to miss out on how beautiful life is right now. I know one day I’ll be thankful for this slow season. I’m already thankful for the lessons it has taught me.
What do you feel makes it all worth it still?
You know, I’m still figuring that out. This is really hard. The industry has a way of chewing you up and spitting you out. Each time, it doesn’t get any easier. What I always come back to though is despite everything, I still love it. I have learned so much about the world and myself through the eyes of the characters I’ve played. If nothing else, I’m thankful for the lessons learned and empathy that comes with the art of storytelling.
A love that defies eternity, what roles would you love to take a bite out of?
I absolutely love fashion and costumes, so I would really love to be in a period piece like 'Pride and Prejudice' or 'Bridgerton'. It's a dream of mine to be in an English country dance scene in an amazing costume. I would also love to be in a movie musical like 'La La Land'.
What does this spooky time of the year mean for you. Are you one to celebrate Halloween, parties, outfits, and all?
My husband and I go all out for Halloween. We just had our seventh annual Halloween-party. It always ends up being one of my favorite nights of the year. Our friends are so much fun. They go all out with their costumes and participate in the party game we make up every year. Our theme was AI Dreamcore and my favorite decoration was the “gas pump” my husband built for the drink station. He made it look like an AI gas station with neon lights, diesel and unleaded cocktail options and he rigged up pumps guests would use to “gas up” with whatever cocktail they chose. It was awesome.
Do you have any essential Halloween-films?
Every year while we are decorating for our party, we always put on the classic Disney Halloween movies. We’ll also have midnight margaritas and watch 'Practical Magic'. A couple new movies we watched this year were 'The Substance' and Guillermo del Toro’s 'Frankenstein'. I am still making up my mind about how I feel about 'The Substance'. I actually really loved 'Frankenstein'. I did not mind the changes from the book and of course you could probably guess that I loved the costumes. It’s a beautiful film.
