CAITLIN O’CONNOR – Orbiting Fear, Rejection, and Success

Photographer VIKTORIJA PASHUTA @viktorija_pashuta
Stylist PARKER BLAINE NORIEGA @parkerblainee
Makeup ADRIANA BENA @muadrianabena
Hair ANASTASIIA TEREBOVA @anastasiia.terebova
Production Assistant CASSIDY COCKE @cassidy.ac
Stylist Assistant KAELYN WOLKENSDORFER @kkwolk

Born and raised on opposite coasts, Caitlin O’Connor’s upbringing of East Coast grit and West Coast glamour has shaped her into the versatile talent she is today. With her parents meeting in Los Angeles—her mother coming from Uniontown, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh and her father from Kauai—O’Connor’s early life was a blend of diverse influences. Following her parents’ divorce when she was five, she temporarily bid farewell to Los Angeles and resettled in Pittsburgh with her mother.
  The star of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has tackled numerous challenges from her childhood to pave her own way. Yet, despite interviewing A-list celebrities like Cardi B and Post Malone, her journey to the screen was far from straightforward. Overcoming a deep-seated fear of public speaking, O’Connor’s resilience and continuous efforts have propelled her to fame in the best of ways. With the industry constantly evolving, O’Connor understands the importance of versatility. “You have to have your hands in a lot of things,” she asserts. As an actress, host, and model, she’s more than a gorgeous face with great talent. She’s a hard worker who did not let a 16-hour time difference prevent her from speaking with us. While the rest of South Africa was asleep, she was excited to give us a glimpse into her world.

In a sense, you’ve always been bi-coastal. From your childhood in Los Angeles to living back east, and now back in LA. Were you always set on being in the entertainment industry?
Growing up, I really enjoyed going to dancing school and hosting Christmas programs at my elementary school. I also knew that I really loved reading to people and reading the teleprompter at the Christmas shows, but I didn’t think I was in any condition to do what I do now.

What was stopping you?
I had major stage fright. It wasn’t until I was going to school at UCLA as an English major taking a public speaking class. They gave me a subject I felt really strongly about and it was like my stage fright went away. I somehow pulled words out of my body because I felt so strongly about giving this speech. When I feel passion or conviction about something, I can always work through my stage fright. That was the first step for me to come into my own, just being in college trying to figure myself out basically.

Do you feel that your upbringing has equipped you with any skills or experiences that helped you in pursuing a career in the industry?
Surprisingly, I was too shy to put myself out there growing up, even to try out for musicals or to do a play. I was shown videos of Hollywood and the people in my family who were in the industry told me many things, including how you’ll face a lot of rejection, or you’ll have a lot of nos. I really went into my work knowing that I’m not going to be everybody’ s cup of tea and that’s okay.

How do you prepare for a role with the thought of rejection lingering in the back of your mind?
I pride myself on studying as much as I can and knowing as much as I can when I go for a job. In the end, I just do my best.

The industry has been turbulent recently, with many of your colleagues sharing their thoughts on social media. How has this affected you?
I wish I had choices that get sent to me when it comes to auditions. I’ve been through a strike in 2008, then COVID, then the writers’ strike last year, and the actors strike two years ago, all during my career. So, I’m looking for that long stretch of time where I can really take off.

Since this issue is themed “Supernova,” let’s put some explosive dreams into the universe. You are a vision of success and despite the pandemic and strikes, you’ve managed to stay ahead of the game and have your finger on the pulse. Now, it’s time to manifest your ultimate goal. So, what is your dream role?
Oh, I love that, thank you! I did an interview recently with E! News and this favorite show of mine. I love watching Wild On on E! and I just wanted to see the world. But I really love the TV show Suits! Put me in coach!

That’s a great one because they’re rebooting it as an LA spinoff.
Exactly, and I’m LA-based, so let’s go! However, outside of TV shows, my favorite role ever is Lena Headey in the original 300. That’s an amazing role and I would love to play something along those lines one day.

She was a dynamic force in that movie and made you fall in love with how badass her character was. Do you have martial arts or stunt training?
I’ve done some stunt training. My dad was a teamster and I have stuntmen in my family. One of the more famous stuntmen in the industry is my cousin. He goes by Tippy Toes. While I don’t mind getting physical, I like my health insurance and don’t want to use it up.

What were some obstacles you encountered while growing up that helped strengthen your resilience?
My upbringing lends itself well to facing rejection for sure. In high school, I was bullied at one point. I switched high schools, but not because I was bullied, I was just a shy kid and that was a challenge. Also, the strikes and all of the breaks in union work for me.

What are some unknown skills you can use to bring your inner Lena Headey to life?
I’ve done archery, combat, and fight work on camera. I have some videos on my Instagram.

What kind of hobbies have you picked up along your journey that some might find strange?
I’m a Tetris addict! I have rediscovered Tetris on my phone and I’ve got this little Nintendo, which I’ve always wanted as a little girl. I wasn’t allowed to have it. Joe ordered it for me actually. It’s a Nintendo 3DS and now I get to play Tetris on these long flights.

While chatting with a friend, they mentioned their idea of success is simply waking up each morning without feeling stressed. How do you define success for yourself ?
I really like that. When you get to a point where you wake up in peace. Yeah, I can see it. I like that it makes me rethink what I think success is. On that note, for me, success is a consistent feeling of contentment and being able to see the world with friends and family. Every few years I feel like I develop a new opinion on what success is for me. I do know that I love working, modeling, and hosting, but that could change later down the line.

Since you’re always in front of the camera, have you ever thought about being behind it?
I have! I really loved being behind the camera the past five years and seeing a film go from pre-production to post-production to the red carpet premiere. Seeing that whole process can be pretty stressful, but that is very rewarding to me. I would really like to produce more feature films. I’m working on one right now with some of the team behind Wining Time on HBO and I’m super excited about the concept that we came up with.

Who is your dream stylist?
My dream stylist is Maeve Riley. She’s dressed powerhouses such as Jennifer Hudson, Coco Jones, and Eva Longoria.

What is one beauty product you can’t live without?
I would have to say my hair extensions because I have thin hair. I love good quality extensions.

If you had a reality show, what would you name it?
The Caitlin O’Connor Show: Always Hungry, Sleepy and Needing Love (in some way).

What’s your go-to song when you need a good cry?
“Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele. It works every time.

What’s your go-to song for a pick-me-up?
“Money Trees” by Kendrick Lamar.

If you were granted a superpower for 24 hours, what would it be?
I would be invisible. I need to know who’s lying to me or what’s being said about me before I enter a room.

You have the whole day to yourself—no meeting, no phone calls, just you. How will you be spending your day?
I’m in bed with some desserts that I’m not telling anybody about. Something like ice cream or cookies from Uber Eats because they bring it right to your door. Most importantly, we’re eating and watching Unsolved Mysteries.

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