Charlotte Larsen [Interview]

Hello Folks! As many of you know, this our tenth and final year of bringing Trainwreck’d Society to the world. We’ve done hundreds of interviews, all equally fascinating in their own ways. A lot of the time we have creators from projects we already know and love, which is always great. But, one of the other fun things to do is to learn about some folks we may not have been aware of for some reason. I’ve spent years working with some of the best PR firms in the business, and discovering new talent across the globe to showcase here at TWS. And today is no exception! We are headed down under today to share some words with trailblazing producer of film and television, Charlotte Larsen!

Charlotte has managed to bring some very intriguing projects to light, especially some based in her homeland of New Zealand. She is a bright, creative soul, and we are so excited to have her grace our digital pages today. So, Folks, please enjoy some wonderful words from the great Charlotte Larsen! 

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 What inspired you to get into the world of entertainment? Was it something that you aspired to do since your youth? Or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day?

I wanted to be an actor since I was a child. At age 10 I got my first role in a play and really enjoyed it. I did more plays in school and decided I wanted to be an actor, so I went to college to study theater and film. After that, I started a production company and fell into producing through that.

 What was your first paid gig in the world of film and television? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this project that still affects your work to date?

My first paid gig was when I started my company. I wasn’t really paid a fee for the work, but we made money on the project, which went back into my company to grow it into bigger things. It was a tv talk show series called FixTV, which was great fun to work on!

 Having worked in both the New Zealand market of film and television, as well as the states, I am curious to know how they compare to one another? And how would you say they differ?

The film industry in NZ is a lot smaller – a lot less people in the country! Usually this means you know everyone you’re working with even if it’s the first time working with them. In the US, there are so many shows and films and small indie projects and big studio projects that unless you are making your own work or are a permanent hire for a company, you usually don’t know anyone who is on the project. That’s both a good and a bad thing – the diversity of people you meet each time makes the experience different and you really get to make a new mini family with every new project!

If you were handed the opportunity to create the biopic of any legendary figure in New Zealand history, who would it be? Why?

Taika Waititi! Well, he’s not really historical yet, so if I had to choose, I would say maybe Kate Sheppard. She was our most famous suffragette, making New Zealand the first country in the world to give women the right to vote!

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to share with our readers?

I have several projects I’m trying to sell right now. I work a lot with my best friend and roommate, Michael Benzaia, who is a very talented actor, writer, singer and dancer. I am in awe of his drive and talent, and we have a few projects we are developing. My favorite is a TV drama series called Neon Lights which I hope we can get made sometime very soon! After that, I am just hoping to be able to get to London to see my mom, and to New Zealand to see the rest of my family!

What was the last thing that made you smile?

It was either a dog I follow on Facebook called Tucker Budzyn (he is also on Instagram), or something Michael said/did, because he’s always doing something silly and fun!