Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Sweet Magnolias’ Carson Rowland

Every moment that actor-musician Carson Rowland has experienced in his life has shaped the man and artist he is today. From getting his big break on Nickelodeon’s I Am Frankie to landing a coveted guest spot on ABC’s American Housewife, Carson has learned more about himself and life with each new project he adds to his already impressive résumé. That growth and maturity is on full display in his latest role as Tyler “Ty” Townsend in Sweet Magnolias, Netflix’s new series set in small-town South Carolina.

Carson’s character Ty is struggling on his journey to manhood while dealing with his parent’s divorce. It’s a breakout performance for the talented up-and-comer who’s showing off yet another side to his artistry. Pop Culturalist caught up with Carson to chat about Sweet Magnolias, his career, and his brand-new single, “leave my lonely alone.”

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Carson: My mom was very instrumental in developing my passion for the arts. When we were really young, she put my brothers and sisters into a musical theater performing group. When you’re four or five, you do it because this is what your mom put you in as an extracurricular activity. But when I turned around six or seven, I realized I really enjoyed doing it and I wanted to pursue it. By the time I was nine, I was doing professional theatrical shows, and I did that for a while. I loved being on stage and performing in front of everyone. It’s an unparalleled experience.

PC: You might’ve just answered this next question. But when you look at your career, who or what has had the biggest influence?
Carson: Definitely my mom. But when it comes to inspiration, I’m really inspired by experiences, whether that’s personal or whether that’s somebody else’s experience and how they influence that person’s perspective on life and their philosophy on different things. That fascinates me. I love talking to different artists and creators about their perspective on life. Everyone views life differently. That’s so fascinating.

That’s where the best comes from. I’m going to quote Martin Scorsese. He says, “The most personal is the most creative.” I love that because everyone sees the world in a different way. I’m fascinated by the fact that we can go through similar experiences and come out as two completely different people.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Carson: I have two. The first is when I got a call from my agent that I booked the Nickelodeon series I Am Frankie. I’d been auditioning for a while, and that was my foot in the door. I was sitting on my couch, home alone. I was thinking to myself, “This could potentially change my life.” That’s what it did.

The second was at the first table read for Sweet Magnolias. The only people I knew who were cast at the moment were Brooke Elliott and Heather Headley. I’m a huge Broadway fan, so knowing that Heather Headley—a Grammy winner, a Tony winner—was going to be in a show with me was mind-blowing. When I got to the table read, I was obviously so nervous. I’m meeting Norman Buckley, a legendary director.

I got there early, and I sat down. All of a sudden, all the actors started walking in. It was a transcendent moment because I’m going to be in a show with people that I’ve looked up to my whole life. It was humbling and an amazing experience. I’m so blessed and I’m so thankful to be working on a show with so many talented people.

Sweet Magnolias

PC: Speaking of the series, tell us about Sweet Magnolias and your character.
Carson: Sweet Magnolias is set in a small town in South Carolina. The story centralizes around three women and their struggles, whether that’s emotional or physical, and how it’s eased because they have this great friendship. That’s the theme of the show. It’s about friendship and how you can overcome anything through friendship.

My character is going through his own struggles. But he doesn’t realize what you need to get through that is a good foundation and friendship. He’s a young kid trying to be a man and trying to get through this by himself. He’s finding out that it’s not working. If he takes his mother’s advice, things would go a lot better for him.

PC: Ty is struggling with his parent’s divorce. How does that impact him and his journey in Season 1?
Carson: That’s a very instrumental event. It’s a heartbreaking thing that can happen in life. He doesn’t know how to deal with it. I don’t think many kids his age do. That’s a defining moment in his life. He’s trying to help his family, but he doesn’t know how. He blames his dad. He blames his mom. He doesn’t know how to process everything. It defines who he is as a character.

You see that he has good intentions. He’s a sweet character, but he can come across as brash and harsh. He has so many different emotions that he doesn’t know how to deal with because he doesn’t have that friend support system like his mom does. He’s young and he’s immature. No one really knows how to deal with that life-altering event when your parents divorce.

Photo Credit: Eliza Morse/Netflix

PC: Which of Ty’s relationships was your favorite to explore in Season 1 and why?
Carson: My favorite relationship by far is with his mom. It’s a key relationship throughout the whole show. It’s Ty’s most important relationship. Throughout the divorce, there’s so much going on with him and he doesn’t know who to blame. He takes his anger out on his mom a lot. It hurts their relationship. His mom keeps reaching out to him, and he keeps blowing her off.

There’s an amazing scene that I can’t wait for people to see where there’s this healing between the two characters. The writers did a brilliant job with that scene. It’s so moving. They’ve had this conflict for so long, and then finally Ty lets go of his pride and breaks down. It’s a fantastic work of art that I’m so excited to watch.

PC: You touched upon this a little bit earlier, but you got your big TV break in I Am Frankie. What did you learn on the set of that show that you brought over to Sweet Magnolias?
Carson: Yeah. Like I was saying before, experiences define everyone and how you see the world. Getting to work with fantastic actors and filmmakers on I Am Frankie was great preparation for Sweet Magnolias. I learned more behind the camera than I did in front of the camera.

I grew up and matured as an individual and as an actor. I figured out how to deal with certain things, and I think that translated over to Sweet Magnolias. I think that’ll continue to happen with every show that I’ll be on after this.

PC: In addition to being an actor, you’re also a singer. Tell us about your new single, “leave my lonely alone,” and the inspiration behind the song.
Carson: I released “leave my lonely alone” on May 1. It’s a really personal song. I have a bunch of songs that I’m going to release on my EP, You Know Who You Are. I wrote all these songs based on experiences and events that have happened to me.

“Leave my lonely alone” is written from the perspective of one of my friends’ experiences. I can’t go into detail because it’s a personal experience for them. I don’t explicitly say that in the song, but I used their emotions and vicariously wrote through them. It’s a very emotional song. It’s a very dark song. The whole song is about someone needing help but refusing it.

PC: If you had to pick one song off of You Know Who You Are that best encompasses you as an artist, what would it be and why?
Carson: I wrote a song called “Paranoid.” It’s a musical manifestation of who I am. This is completely different from the acting side of me. Acting and writing my music is a completely different experience. Writing is very personal. This song is my take on society at large.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Carson: The Office

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Carson: The first thing that comes to my mind is Nacho Libre, which is the definition of guilty pleasure movie. I’m pretty sure I can quote that thing just because I’ve seen it so many times as a kid.

PC: Favorite book?
Carson: The Catcher in the Rye

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Carson: Hamilton

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Carson: I love the artist Eden, and he’s not very well-known, but he’s brilliant.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Carson: Oh my gosh, this is a question. I want to say Joaquin Phoenix because he’s my favorite actor, but I don’t think that would fit. Maybe Dan Stevens. I think he can conjure up some of that chaotic energy. Let’s see. Yeah, maybe DiCaprio? That’s kind of a long shot.

To keep up with Carson, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify. Catch Season 1 of Sweet Magnolias on Netflix today!

Photo Credit: Joris Bacani