June Carryl can recently be seen in Season 2 of “Mindhunter”. We got to chat with her about the show, being a playwright, and more. Check it out!
upfrontNY: When did you know that you were interesting in pursuing acting?
June Carryl: I think I actually got my first inkling after seeing my sister—who is not an actor, by the way—do a brilliant job as a little old lady in a casket, I think her junior or senior year for speech class. She just disappeared into the role and I just thought it was magical. I didn’t have a lot of confidence, so it was at least a year before I even set foot near it. I was in grad school for English Literature (after failing miserably as a Poli. Sci. major) in a playwriting class and we all got drafted into our midterm project. I loved it and did another play and then my teacher told me that grad school and my PhD would always be there. I needed to get myself to A.C.T. in San Francisco for their ten week acting program. I followed her advice and have stuck with it ever since.
upfrontNY: You are also a playwright. What do you enjoy most about writing?
June Carryl: Writing a line that makes people laugh. I tend to blather a lot and am still learning, but when I come up with a line or a scene that brings people to laughter, it makes my heart happy.
upfrontNY: If you could have anyone perform in one of your plays, who would you cast?
June Carryl: Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong’o. Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Craig, Idris Elba, and Octavia Spencer.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about “Mindhunter” and what it has been like to be a part of the show?
June Carryl: It was so challenging! It was AWESOME. Experience of a lifetime. It was a whole production so trained on the goal of telling this story right—like every detail. David Fincher is amazing. He goes as hard as he asks everyone else to go. And he’s intensely supportive—whatever you need, you know he’s got you. He, Carl Franklin and Andrew Dominik are just great teachers. Everybody was just on point!! It was exhilarating. Really nice people. As intense as it was, people really seemed to just take care of one another. It is also really important history and unfinished. The group of women I am a part of, are heroes. Literally. They took their pain and turned it into action. I can’t imagine being that strong.
upfrontNY: What can you tell us about season 2?
June Carryl: I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch it yet, too scared. I’ll just be judging myself, but I’ve heard it’s even better than last season. I play Camille Bell who is a mother, kind of a challenging personality—doggedly unimpressed, really capable, and gets things done.
upfrontNY: What is it like working with Netflix?
June Carryl: It’s fun. They seem to just let folks do the work.
upfrontNY: What has been some of your recent shows or movies you have watched on Netflix?
June Carryl: “Another Life” is completely stressing me out!!! “Bird Box” has stayed with me.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about “Under The Silver Lake”?
June Carryl: It’s part noir, part surreal. It was fun getting to play a sheriff for a hot minute.
upfrontNY: You have an extensive TV acting resume. Do you have a favorite memory from being on set?
June Carryl: Making Yvette Nicole Brown laugh on THE MAYOR. She is really funny and incredibly generous. We were improvising for the scene and started riffing on how ridiculously gorgeous Idris Elba is. It was almost obscene. Again another really nice group of people, and she made me feel so welcome it was amazing.
upfrontNY: What genre do you prefer to work in?
June Carryl: Not sure. There’s nothing like making people laugh, but a role where you get to rage at heaven is equally powerful.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about your charity work with Plan International?
June Carryl: I saw the picture of a girl standing next to a desk on my Yahoo feed one day and just thought, “this is something I can do”. So I started giving. Check out their site because they are an incredible organization and do so much good work: https://plan-
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