Pop-Culturalist.com

Samantha Rose Baldwin is a multifaceted storyteller, bringing much-needed characters and narratives to life on both the screen and behind the camera in projects, including Consumed, Big Day, and Gossip Girl.

Through her production company, Firecracker Entertainment, Samantha is blazing a trail by creating a safe space for up-and-coming artists to share their stories without the constraints of traditional entertainment industry standards.

Pop Culturalist had the privilege of speaking with Samantha about her diverse career, aspirations, favorite roles, and how she’s paving the way with Firecracker Entertainment.

PC: You started your career as a model. What has the transition been like, moving from that discipline to acting?
Samantha: Believe it or not, the transition was not as drastic as you might think, as I’ve always found both industries to be very similar. Of course, I can only speak from my own experience, but in modeling, the expectations are strictly placed on your physical appearance, your beauty, etc. Everything else can be hidden behind the lens of the photographer’s camera. In acting, those same expectations are carried over, and the weight of being the most perfect version of yourself in all aspects is added on until everything is exposed. The acting industry is very raw and revealing, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Samantha: I find myself inspired by the likes of Margot Robbie, Kristen Stewart, and Florence Pugh—actresses who always put their work before anything else. Actresses whose physical appearance may not always meet the industry’s beauty or personality standards—yes, I realize Margot is literally Barbie—but are able to put out work so strong that you wouldn’t stop to think twice about their looks. They’re such incredibly strong women who have overcome incredible hardship in one form or another, and every project I watch from these three truly feels like a master class in the entertainment industry niche that I aspire to be in.

PC: In addition to the work that you’ve done on screen, you’ve also written, directed, and produced. How have your experiences behind the camera impacted your work on screen and vice versa?
Samantha: In getting to spend time behind the camera, I’ve had some of my most educational and beneficial experiences as an actor. When you’re able to explore all the different avenues of filmmaking, it gives you the tools to truly put your best foot forward when you’re the one who’s center stage. I now have a further understanding of what works on camera and what doesn’t, what the directors are going to be looking for, how to play to the camera to give my best performance—the benefits have been endless.

Playing to the other side, being an actor first gives me the knowledge to serve my cast better when I’m the one behind the camera. I know how an actor’s mind works and what makes us tick. I can be an “actor’s director”. Having rounded experiences in every aspect of the field is always going to show up in the end project, and I’m so incredibly grateful for the experiences I’ve had. I look forward to exploring the world behind the camera more in the future—especially in the worlds of producing and directing.

PC: You’ve been a part of a lot of incredible projects. What’s been your favorite role to date? Which has been the most challenging?
Samantha: I’ve been incredibly lucky thus far. My favorite project to date was, of course, Gossip Girl. With Shelby being my biggest television role to date, I really got to play around in one of television’s most exciting worlds. The fashion, the drama, the incredible cast and crew behind the show—it was an experience I’ll always hold close to my heart.

One of my most challenging projects, surprisingly, was an immersive theatre show I did a few months back. I got my start acting in immersive theatre in Forks, Washington—yes, the setting of Twilight—back in 2013 in an annual production put on by the town to recognize what the series had done for the town’s economy.

It’s a project I’ve done every year since and have played a million different characters in, but this year, I added a few more hats to that resume. This year, the production rebranded to really lean into the immersive aspect to put audience members in the story. This included bringing to life different scenes from Catherine Hardwicke’s 2008 film and was new territory for everyone on the cast and crew—aside from myself, who had just recently spent four months in Stranger Things: The Experience. I ended up wearing hats reminiscent of a creative director, director, stagehand, and more, all while playing the lead role of Bella Swan herself.

While I’ve acted and directed on the same project numerous times, it made me realize the impact of calling “cut” and switching hats in-between takes while when you’re on stage, you have to be in character and directing all at the same time without letting the guests in on the secret. But while it may have been one of my most challenging feats to date, from what I’ve heard, it was one of our best performances yet.

PC: You also started Firecracker Entertainment. Tell us about this venture and how it came to fruition.
Samantha: I did! This is actually another venture that came by way of Forks, Washington. During my time in the town, I met one of my closest friends and collaborators, M.B. Thurman, the author of The Summoned series. When she cast me as the face of her main character, Hadley Weston, we began dedicating time to bringing her series to life through marketing efforts like book trailers, photo shoots, and more. As we did that, our productions grew, and we welcomed in more artists and collaborators. We decided that through the world of Summoned, we wanted to create a safe space for artists to explore their crafts without being inhibited by industry standards. Thus, Firecracker Entertainment was born.

PC: As you look ahead to the next five to ten years, is there a dream role that you’d like to bring to life in front of or behind the camera?
Samantha: You know, as cheesy as it sounds, I would love to bring a new version of Bella Swan to life on screen. I started acting within the world of Twilight; my first onset experience was in a short film called Consumed, which was a part of Women in Film and Tongal’s Twilight Storytellers initiative. Most of my exploratory creative ventures were found through the small, rainy town of Forks. Portraying Bella in a present-day telling of Stephenie Meyer’s story would truly feel full circle.

PC: What’s next for you?
Samantha: My next film, entitled Where Did the Adults Go?, is set to be released in 2024. It was written and directed by the incredibly talented Courtney Marsh. The film follows the story of three siblings who reunite on the anniversary of their parents’ death, exploring the power struggle that ensues when the eldest sibling proposes selling the family home for her own personal gain. The film is beautifully told through Courtney’s vision and has already started to receive love from the festival circuit. It was one of those projects that was truly an honor to be a part of in any way, and I’m incredibly excited for the rest of the world to see what we created.

To keep up with Samantha, follow her on Instagram.

Photo Credit: Noah Asanias