Shownotes
Episode 86 - A Parent's Guide to the Acting World with Sarah Henderson
In this episode of the Faith and Family Filmmakers Podcast, hosts Geoffrey and Jaclyn Whitt speak with Sarah Henderson, the mother of a child actor named Emma, about her journey in managing her daughter's acting career. Alongside Emma's acting, Sarah has ventured into scriptwriting, developing a feature film project where Emma is cast. The discussion touches on Sarah's experiences on set, including building relationships and maintaining proper conduct while supporting her daughter. Sarah also highlights the significance of open communication with her daughter about the industry environment. Additionally, she endorses TC Stallings' Uncompromised Christian Actor Coaching, which aided her in shaping their approach to acting while adhering to personal values. The conversation encourages parents of aspiring child actors that it's possible to support their children in the film industry while honoring their faith.
- Managing a Child Actor's Career
- Transitioning to Screenwriting
- Navigating the Role of a Supportive Parent
- Resources for Parents of Child Actors
- The Uncompromised Christian Actor Coaching Program
- T.C. Stallings: Emma's Acting Coach
- Future Aspirations and Projects
- Emotional Growth and Life Skills
Bio:
Sara is an award winning writer and mother of child actress, Emma Henderson. She is a jack of all trades with a Masters in Education and experience as a teacher, novel writer and private investigator, just to name a few. She has learned lots of important things about how to maneuver and protect her daughter in Hollywood and how to keep God first in all they do.
TC Stallings - Uncompromised: The Christian Actors Coaching Program https://www.tcstallings.life/ucac
Emma online: https://emma-henderson.net/
Emma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamemmahenderson/
Emma on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11736098/
Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/henderson79/
Sarah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.henderson.7545
Screenwriting Foundations Class:
https://www.faffassociation.com/screenwriting-foundations
The Faith & Family Filmmakers podcast helps filmmakers who share a Christian worldview stay in touch, informed, and inspired. Releasing new episodes every week, we interview experts from varying fields of filmmaking; from screenwriters, actors, directors, and producers, to film scorers, talent agents, and distributors.
It is produced and hosted by Geoffrey Whitt and Jaclyn Whitt , and is brought to you by the Faith & Family Filmmakers Association
Support Faith & Family Filmmakers Our mission is to help filmmakers who share a Christian Worldview stay in touch, informed, and inspired. If you would like to assist with the costs of producing this podcast, you can help by leaving a tip.
Enter the Faith & Family Screenwriting Awards festival
Faith and Family Screenwriting Academy: https://www.faffassociation.com/
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Transcripts
Welcome to the Faith and Family Filmmakers Podcast.
Jaclyn:I'm Jaclyn, and Geoff and I are speaking with Sarah Henderson today.
Jaclyn:She is the mother of a child actor, and so I want to learn how you actually, how do you manage that?
Jaclyn:Do you have other children, or is she your only child?
Sarah:Uh, yeah, she is my one and done, so she does get all of my attention.
Jaclyn:Alright, well, with all of your responsibilities, do you have another job or does this take up a lot of your time?
Jaclyn:How much of your time and focus does it take?
Sarah:well, it used to take a lot more before we kind of got our mind wrapped around how we were going to do it and, you know, got connected with Gene, I used to be scouring.
Sarah:Actors Access and Casting Networks and all that kind of stuff to submit her and it, was so like, it really makes you have this tightening feeling just like the stressed feeling of like, I don't want to miss a role or I don't want to miss submitting her for something.
Sarah:again, that whole, like, letting go, I mean, I just, I got to the point where I was like, Okay, God, you know, this is your plan for her.
Sarah:You've clearly laid that out, at least for now.
Sarah:This is your plan, and I'm gonna let, you know, the professionals do what they do, and I'm going to just nurture and raise my daughter and I'm going to let everybody else take care of the rest.
Sarah:so I became more hands off.
Sarah:Now, I mean, yes, I still check actor's access and I still get things every once in a while, that I'll send over to Jean and say, Hey, you know, what about this?
Sarah:um, and she might know more about it.
Sarah:but I've kind of relinquished that more
Jaclyn:Mm hmm.
Sarah:I'm a writer.
Sarah:So, I started focusing on, See, I used to write novels with a friend of mine and then after multiple rejections from those and realizing, oh, maybe I'm not a novel writer.
Sarah:Um, and seeing all these scripts come across my desk for Emma, I'm like, what if I tried?
Sarah:writing a script.
Sarah:I'm like, what if I tried that?
Sarah:you know, now everybody's like don't sit around and wait for something to happen,
Jaclyn:Right.
Jaclyn:Yeah, exactly.
Sarah:So, I was like, well, I'll write a script and cast Emma, you know?
Sarah:I'm like,
Sarah:let's do that.
Sarah:So, I got together with one of my friends and, we wrote a feature.
Sarah:That, we have a director connected to already, and we have a shopping agreement, and some of the streaming services are reading it right now, which is insane.
Sarah:I can't even that that's where we are, but Emma's cast in it, so that will hopefully, film in November in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Sarah:So,
Jaclyn:Wow.
Jaclyn:Congratulations.
Sarah:you, that's pretty crazy.
Sarah:so yeah, I mean now it's like Emma and I are kind of in the same world, in a way, to where I can write stuff, and she's actually gotten kind of excited wanting to try and write her own stuff too, so,
Jaclyn:Oh, good for her.
Sarah:so yeah, and we just, uh, keep working and learning new things and lots of experiences, you know, like you said in my bio that I've been a private investigator, lots of things that, uh, that I've done that, can come out in
Jaclyn:Oh, yeah, yeah.
Jaclyn:You can draw from life.
Jaclyn:Yeah, for sure.
Geoff:You said, you're kind of in the same world now, but of course you've been in the same world ever since she started acting.
Geoff:And one of the things we haven't talked about we did discuss helping look for roles and such, you're with her on set.
Geoff:Now, Jaclyn actually son who did background acting, and he was a teenager, but she still had to be there with him on set.
Geoff:So it would have been somewhat different, but perhaps most of our listeners would recognize know that a child isn't on set alone.
Geoff:Tell us about that.
Geoff:What are the challenges?
Geoff:Challenges either for your child or challenges for yourself?
Sarah:Yeah.
Sarah:Um, I was always afraid, um, cause you hear these horror stories of the backstage moms, you hear the moms that are like, you know, that run the career for their child.
Sarah:And so I was like, oh my gosh, how can I not be that?
Jaclyn:Right.
Sarah:know, I'm like, but I'm also not going to let you out of my sights.
Sarah:on set, because you hear the other horror stories.
Sarah:So I'm like, I have to be here and figure out how to not be annoying.
Sarah:And, I found that, just standing around being quiet, as long as you're not, putting yourself in a position where you're in everybody's way, or you're asking a lot of questions, or you're trying to direct your child.
Sarah:In front of the director like you can't do those things
Sarah:i've just found that I mean I build relationships with the crew.
Sarah:I do whatever I can to like you know get them something if they need something or whatever if i'm gonna make a coffee run be like do you need anything and you know getting to know the other actors and I'm here like, yes, I'm a mom and yes, I'm going to be on set when she's on set.
Sarah:But when I'm not, when we're just hanging around, if you need something, if you need me to run get something, I will.
Sarah:and so
Sarah:I found that it's easy to just strike up conversations with people if you're interested in what they're doing.
Sarah:And I'm very interested in behind the camera stuff.
Sarah:So.
Sarah:You know, everyone just kind of wants to, talk about themselves, really, so, if you talk to people, and let the director
Sarah:be the director.
Sarah:and,
Sarah:just be present, you know, seen, not heard, then, um, you're not a troublesome person.
Sarah:Yeah.
Sarah:Parent, it's when you start becoming like, Oh no, can we do that again?
Sarah:Because, um, her hair was, in her face or can we, can we, you know, just trusting that they're going to get the shot that they want and making sure your child is prepared beforehand.
Sarah:all of that stuff, when it comes together and you allow your kid to do what they're gifted to do in front of the camera and allow everybody else to do what they're gifted to do
Sarah:behind the camera, then you just stand there and.
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:That's great advice.
Geoff:Are there actually some things you can point other parents to that would help them with that, task?
Sarah:Yes, absolutely.
Sarah:so, I was doing some searching, trying to figure out how to be a good parent.
Sarah:mom to a child actor.
Sarah:online.
Sarah:And I was going back and forth between two different programs that I had found.
Sarah:one was kind of dealing more in the secular world, how to, you know,
Sarah:be the mom of a child actor.
Sarah:And then the other one I found was, called Uncompromised Christian Actor Coaching, and it was, run by TC Stallings.
Sarah:And I.
Sarah:Had seen a few of his movies.
Sarah:So I knew who he was, but the program seemed to be more addressed to adult actors.
Sarah:And so I was like, well, I'd like to learn all this stuff.
Sarah:And so I messaged him and I said, Hey.
Sarah:My daughter's the actor, but I think it's important for me to know these things.
Sarah:Can we do, this program.
Sarah:And
Sarah:so he said, absolutely.
Sarah:Yes.
Sarah:So, I got the program and the full thing.
Sarah:first half of his program is, kind of like spiritual skills coaching, like how to know your purpose.
Sarah:Um, is this really what you're supposed to be doing?
Sarah:Is this what God has for you?
Sarah:All that kind of stuff.
Sarah:So the whole first half of his program just deals with that and deals with the
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:Very foundational.
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Sarah:And then the second half of his program deals with the acting coaching skills.
Sarah:and again, it's for like adults, you know, I mean, there's some skills that I was able to like, help Emma, you know, go through, but most of it was like, Not compromising in a scene where, like, maybe you're supposed to kiss somebody, like, he even shows, different strategies with camera angles, and, he has his wife with him and shows, like, this whole hand process, covering your mouth thing, so that if you, if it's, not something that can be taken out of a scene, like it's important for like a husband and wife to like actually share a kiss, how you can do it without compromising, your relationship with your spouse.
Sarah:Um,
Sarah:so after you do all that,
Sarah:After you go through the coaching, there is a private Facebook group, that you can join, that you get a code to join.
Sarah:And that has been the most, I mean, all of the teaching was very great, but that group is such an amazing group, of actors of, all over the United States and in all different, avenues.
Sarah:there's, you know,
Sarah:people that are in comedy, people that are, just starting out, people that have been, in multiple films.
Sarah:but it is a place where It is safe and you can get loving feedback.
Sarah:TC will come in and do, Zoom lives, with the group every once in a while and we'll all get to like ask him questions and things like that.
Sarah:and so
Sarah:It's been such a
Sarah:foundational part of how we have decided to be so uncompromised.
Sarah:And it's not that you have to stay in faith based world, which is, great if that's the route.
Sarah:But it's like any kind of movie, how you can be uncompromised.
Sarah:in Hollywood, you know, because, I mean, it was, what encouraged Emma to change the line in her script, to what she wanted it to be, you know, what she felt comfortable saying, and as she gets older, And she's more comfortable with other things because I've even had to be careful in faith based projects for kid roles, because, you know, I mean, like very great stories that need to be told, but I don't really want my child to be a trafficked child, you know, but There's going to be movies that deal with human trafficking or whatever.
Sarah:You know what I mean?
Sarah:Like it's not something that, I'm comfortable with, her being in.
Geoff:So is T.
Geoff:C.
Geoff:Stallings an acting coach as well, outside of this program with regards to Compromise, does he help actors with regards to their acting specifically?
Geoff:I don't know.
Sarah:well within the group, he's very good at commenting on, like if you upload an audition, because it's a private group, so it's like if somebody's doing an audition for a role, and they've got some time before they need to submit it, you can put it in the group, and we can all kind of comment on like, you know, whether or not you need better lighting sound, you know, oh, make this part, more believable, blah, blah, blah.
Sarah:And TC always is very good at making comments on those things in the group.
Sarah:Um, he will do, um, every once in a while, he'll do Zooms where all of us can be, in a room together.
Sarah:And he talks a lot about
Sarah:the, industry and what's going on and, talks into each, of our lives.
Sarah:but on the side, I mean, he's, he's very busy himself.
Sarah:He is, Emma's personal coach, but he doesn't, um, set
Sarah:out to be.
Sarah:a coaches to people.
Sarah:he's a, good friend of ours.
Sarah:and so he has been coaching her for the past two years.
Sarah:And so because of that, actually, because like he coaches her and his son, his son, AC, um, who's actually, in the new Kendrick brothers movie, so because he coaches both AC and Emma, he's decided that there is a need, for like a UCAC youth.
Sarah:So we're in the process of making that
Sarah:you branch out.
Sarah:So we've got the UCAC, you know, where it's welcome to all adults and acting field or whatever.
Sarah:Um, even writers, I mean, like I benefit from it, you know, and I, I don't know what to do in front of the camera.
Sarah:so I'm like, what do I do with my hands?
Sarah:But, um, but like, even people that, are interested in more like behind the scenes stuff.
Sarah:It's, very beneficial, but he's going to start branching out and doing this youth thing as Emma kind of being the ambassador, I guess, of it, you know, that like he's helped her and AC and they've both recently had a feature film.
Sarah:And so we can get more youth involved, in it to help kind of set the stage for young actors coming up?
Sarah:And how to be uncompromised and hopefully stop that, trend of, you know, things happening with young kids in Hollywood, you know, giving them a voice and power
Sarah:to be like, no.
Jaclyn:Mm hmm.
Jaclyn:That's awesome.
Jaclyn:what's next for you guys?
Jaclyn:Do you have any specific goals or dreams, aspirations, anything like that?
Sarah:well, I am, just walking through every door that God opens as far as my script goes.
Sarah:so that would be amazing, for it to come to fruition.
Sarah:And then that would be a role that Emma would be cast in.
Sarah:Um, I'm working on trying to write a TV series based off my private investigating experience.
Sarah:adventures.
Jaclyn:Oh,
Geoff:That sounds fun.
Sarah:yeah, but it's very different to write TV versus feature.
Sarah:So that's kind of been a, a new, a new venture for me.
Sarah:Um, I've helped produce and direct, a few shorts that my co writer, of my feature, um, she has written them and I've helped produce on those.
Sarah:So I've gotten to see a lot more of the behind the scenes and, and how all that stuff works just in some shorts.
Sarah:And so those will go in the, you know, the film circuit here pretty soon.
Sarah:and for Emma, we just keep working, you know, I mean, TC, he trains her, twice a month and he trains her like she's an adult.
Sarah:She works on, you know, difficult emotions and It is hard for kids to like branch into, the kind of emotion that you might need for some scenes.
Sarah:It's easier to, cast them in very kid roles.
Sarah:But, she really enjoys the challenge of bringing the emotion to a scene.
Sarah:like she loved, table read and having to give different emotions, you know, I mean, things that
Sarah:she's had some tragedy in her life that she's had to go through and she pulls from that.
Sarah:And,
Sarah:um,
Jaclyn:hmm.
Sarah:and so she really likes working on that kind of stuff.
Sarah:And so TC works with her on,
Sarah:how to really tackle those kinds of scenes and how to handle things.
Sarah:If you need to cry and you've got to cry like 15 takes, you know, like how to do it,
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:Yeah, it's exhausting.
Sarah:yeah, all that kind of stuff.
Sarah:So, you know, we're just, we're ready for whatever comes next and, you know.
Sarah:praying that, like she said, you know, God has a plan, reason she didn't get into point.
Sarah:So, you know, there's a reason.
Sarah:so hopefully we'll see what this fall holds.
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:And you know, even the process of learning how to access emotions and feel emotions that's an incredible life skill, actually.
Jaclyn:I mean, not just for acting, but a lot of the time we avoid feeling, at least, you know, in our culture growing up as parents, we want to shield our kids from having difficult emotions or whatever, but The reality is that life is full of a range of emotions, and some of them end up being very deep.
Jaclyn:And if we have no experience dealing with those difficult emotions, it can bring us to a very dark place at times.
Jaclyn:And so, for her to have the experience knowing that this emotion can come and feel very heavy, but at the same time, it doesn't last forever.
Jaclyn:because I know for myself, like
Jaclyn:I get very emotional as I'm writing, like, the emotional scenes.
Jaclyn:I feel it with my characters.
Jaclyn:so I have to let myself be in that moment while I'm writing it and, you know, sit in it.
Jaclyn:thinking like what is the best way to navigate this scene and, getting comfortable with being in those emotions, um, that's not easy.
Jaclyn:And so, yeah, I'm hearing so many amazing skills that she's learning.
Jaclyn:And yes, it will serve her as an actor, but it will serve her as a person as
Sarah:Yeah.
Sarah:Yeah.
Sarah:Everything that, she has learned and gone through, like I said, if it goes nowhere in, you know, like if she's not some A lister at some point in time in her life, everything that she has
Sarah:experienced and gone through and the people that she's met.
Sarah:I mean, nothing's been passed over.
Sarah:She is, you know, forged great relationships.
Sarah:She has learned a whole lot on how to be around adults.
Sarah:I mean, being an only child, she, deals with basically adult conversations all the time.
Sarah:You know, like only children kind of grow up a little bit more than if you have siblings, but yeah,
Sarah:she's, able to just handle things and be mature about them.
Sarah:And, we're just very, And we're very open and honest about feelings here.
Sarah:like, give time to feel something, you know, I mean, if you're going to feel something, feel something.
Sarah:and then we can trust that God has a plan for it.
Sarah:And you know, our faith is a huge foundation And everything that we do, regardless if it has anything to do with acting or not.
Sarah:And so that is something that is firm and strong here, no matter what we go through.
Sarah:And it's just helped her, With taking on roles and, being able to dive into more difficult parts and it opens up time for questions and, you know, like,
Sarah:why would my character do this?
Sarah:Or why would somebody do this?
Sarah:You know, I mean, like, when we go watch movies and we, you know, it's, it's different now that you've been on a set and you can, like, dissect, you don't sit and watch a movie normally now,
Sarah:ever.
Sarah:And, uh, You're dissecting everything, you know, um, and so she's doing that too.
Sarah:She's like, so she's going to be like a great, continuity person because she's like, her hair is not in the right place.
Sarah:It's over there when they cut back, you know what I mean?
Sarah:She notices all those things
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:My son did too when he started working background.
Jaclyn:He would notice all the things going on in the background.
Jaclyn:I wasn't even paying attention and he was like, Do you see what they're doing over there?
Sarah:yep.
Sarah:she picks it out in every movie we go to see now.
Sarah:So it's like, okay, just enjoy it.
Jaclyn:Yeah, yeah.
Jaclyn:, are you paying attention to the story,
Jaclyn:? Geoff: Well, this has been such a great conversation.
Jaclyn:Um, for parents of children who are actors, a lot of valuable information, but also parents who may have children who want to become actors, perhaps they're having that discussion, or they're just starting.
Jaclyn:things they can learn and things they can put into practice in their own families, and uh, lots of things to think about.
Jaclyn:think about, and I really appreciate you sharing today.
Jaclyn:Uh, are there any, final pieces of advice that you'd like to pass on?
Sarah:Um, well, I do want to give, the TC Stallings website, that's, tcstallings.
Sarah:life.
Sarah:and so if you go there, then they have the UCAC course that you can click on right there and get going with that.
Sarah:that has been the biggest game changer, in our family on just helping us guide and, you know, the right direction.
Sarah:and I mean, for parents that have kids maybe interested in acting or in the Hollywood world and stuff, and just are struggling with the stress of it all Um, I just really think it's important to just make sure that there's great open communication between you and your kids.
Sarah:You're constantly checking that this is something that they want to be doing and that they are able to feel comfortable talking to you about something they may have heard on set or seen on set or whatever that maybe
Sarah:they think, I don't know if this is okay or not okay, you know, because they're going to be surrounded by lots of adults.
Sarah:that's one thing, um, when we were on set, they did, try to, maintain their language around Emma.
Sarah:But didn't always happen.
Sarah:but it opened up a conversation with Emma and I to say, look, this is not a Christian film.
Sarah:This is not a Christian crew.
Sarah:There may be Christians here and we are Christians, but like,
Sarah:we cannot put those expectations.
Sarah:They are doing a great job in trying to keep their language in check, knowing that that's important in front of a child.
Sarah:We are all.
Sarah:And we are all sinners and we all, you know, like make mistakes.
Sarah:So we can't have these expectations that if I'm going to be on set, everyone's going to be, you know, perfect in every single way.
Sarah:and so it just, opened up communications with her and I about how to talk about that and, what the reality is out in the world.
Jaclyn:Yeah,
Sarah:expectations there.
Jaclyn:that's a great age to be able to, you know, start teaching how to be in the world and not of it.
Jaclyn:I'm just hearing so many amazing things today, and opportunities and, you know, Yeah, I know, like, there are some scary things, so definitely, you know, you, need to guard your child and teach her how to stand up for herself and learn how to say no and all the things that you were saying and, and learn to take rejection and not take it personally, but.
Jaclyn:Yeah, this has been fantastic, and I really hope that there are parents that are listening that, you know, if they've been on the fence of, can I do this, in a way that's going to honor God, that they would be able to hear that, yes, if your child has been called to acting, you definitely can support them in a way that will honor God.
Sarah:And I would love, you know, if there's people that want to reach out to me, um, my Instagram is Henderson 79.
Sarah:or if you want to put my email on the link, I'm more than happy to talk to any parent that is on the fence or struggling in this, crazy world of film and, uh, you know, give any advice that I, you have experienced or can potentially help somebody with.
Geoff:we'll definitely put the links that you've provided in the show notes so people can follow up with you or Emma and, contact you if you wish.
Geoff:and thanks again for your suggestion and your with regards to TC Stallings.
Geoff:We'll find that link and put it in the show notes as well.
Jaclyn:All right.
Jaclyn:Thank you so much.
Jaclyn:God bless.
Sarah:Thank you.
Sarah:It's been great.
Sarah:You guys are awesome.
Geoff:It's been fun.
Geoff:Thank Bye bye.
