Camara McLaughlin isn’t your typical theater kid—she’s an observer first, an actor second. She’d rather watch and listen, collecting bits of the world around her like puzzle pieces to fuel her next role. A true Libra, very skilled at active listening and interested in different perspectives, she takes on life in a diplomatic way. For her, acting isn’t about always being in the spotlight—it’s about understanding people, stepping into their shoes, and bringing their stories to life. And after nearly twelve years in New York, she’s gathered plenty of stories to tell.

Growing up as the youngest of three girls in West Virginia, Camara craved a way to command a room. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a lawyer—not for the legal battles, but for the opportunity to stand up and speak, to make people listen. She craved an exciting life. That desire to be seen and heard eventually led her to acting, though she quickly learned that the craft was about far more than just attention—it was about transformation.

Her acting journey began at High Point University, where she decided to sign up for some theater classes and audition for a play her freshman year. She landed the role, and from that moment, she was hooked. The validation of being chosen, the energy of an audience’s applause—it was a high she couldn’t shake. It was over from there, she had the acting bug and she had it bad. Acting became her driving force, and she pursued it with relentless passion. Even so, with every role won, there were countless auditions that ended in rejection. Still, she pressed on, guided by a simple yet powerful philosophy: “You can do what you can do—other than that, you have no control.” Instead of dwelling on the disappointments, she focused on the next opportunity, the next challenge.

Being an artist means being your own business, setting your own structure, and pushing forward even when there’s no guaranteed paycheck. It can be difficult to work on something just for the love of it, to work on something because it is important to you. Camara is passionate about earnestly pursuing her craft. She has consistently taken acting classes, even if it isn’t something that she is truly confident in, like physical acting. All of these are steps that she takes in pursuit of her art, of getting that next job, and she is willing to put in the work even when there is no immediate gratification. To counteract this, she feels better when she has a plan and action steps that she can take, taking the reins back when so much of life feels out of control. To stay grounded in an industry built on uncertainty, she finds motivation in small, tangible wins— checking little tasks off her to-do list, rehearsing a scene, or simply showing up prepared.

She thrives in structured performance spaces, where she can fully embody a character, yet she doesn’t seek the spotlight in her day-to-day life. Acting, for her, is about stepping into an organized world—a stage, a script, a role to play. One of her most meaningful experiences was performing in Sleep No More, where she felt the impact of her work in real time. Audience members would approach her, sharing how the performance moved them, sometimes in the moment, and sometimes later on social media. Getting these messages and knowing that she created an impactful experience for someone empowered her to be more forthcoming with the artists in her own life, paying forward the positivity. She recounted a time that she ran into someone at an event, and recognizing them from a play she enjoyed, she struck up a conversation letting them know how well they did and what the performance meant to her. It turns out that person was an understudy for the role, and had only performed it a few times, which made Camara’s comment that much more significant.

When asked how she knew acting was for her, Camara’s answer was simple: external validation. That thrill of being chosen, of nailing an audition, of cracking a character’s motivation and letting that guide the rest of her acting choices—having it resonate with an audience—it’s what keeps her going. Sometimes, she admits, she wonders what life would be like if she had pursued a more traditional career path. But acting is the passion she can’t quit, the puzzle she keeps solving, piece by piece. It’s so entwined with her image of herself, and in that way you cannot separate the artist from the art.

Her advice to other women in creative fields and beyond? Trust your gut. Follow your instincts. Don’t quiet your feelings just to make things easier for someone else. After more than a decade in New York, Camara knows that success in this industry isn’t about chasing the spotlight—it’s about staying true to yourself, embracing the highs and the lows, and showing up, again and again, for the work you love.