With her heart set on ‘bridging the gap in cultural representation’, French-Brazilian actress Caroline Marie has brought her unique mix of cultural heritage to the U.S. stage. Describing herself as ‘half-Brazilian, half-French, with a Syrian-Lebanese mother’, she explained her mixed heritage reflects the diversity that defines Brazil, where people of all backgrounds come together. This dynamic cultural expression is what she offers to the international stage and to the award-winning films produced in her new home town, Los Angeles, the global hub of cinema.
Here, she has taken on roles which incorporate her love for stage combat and jiu jitsu, a ground-based martial arts discipline. Her latest movie, ‘Blow for Blow’, directed by renowned jiu-jitsu master Rigan Machado, is scheduled for a debut in February 2025. Rigan is trainer to Hollywood stars such as Chuck Norris, Ashton Kutcher, and Scarlett Johansson!
The upcoming film will portray an impressive cast, including UFC world champion fighter Paulo Costa, as well as a host of other renowned American actors and martial arts legends.
She believes her heritage as a French-Brazilian is an asset to the entertainment industry and says she hopes to affect change in the way entertainers of mixed culture are received by the industry and perceived by the public. To achieve this, she brings a diverse range of skills to the table. She is not just an actress and stage combat expert, but is also a professional ballet dancer and a skilled horse rider with experience in show jumping, acing jumps of over a meter high! These skills allow her to approach roles from different angles, bringing depth and authenticity to every character she portrays.
Caroline realised her passion for acting at a young age, calling it a ‘true calling’. While her career began with humble beginnings through dramatic arts training in Paris and Brazil, she worked her way through prestigious institutions in Brazil, France and the UK, before firmly establishing herself in Hollywood.
She already has a line-up of new projects for 2025, including the highly anticipated thriller ‘Corruption At The Border’, which addresses the grave issues of drug and human trafficking along the U.S.-Mexico border. The movie sees Caroline take on the role of a woman helping young female victims who are forced to transport dangerous drugs.
She says she tends to avoid playing victimized characters because they don’t align with her personality. Instead, she gravitates toward strong-willed characters, or those who are driven by a desire to fight for themselves or others.She believes cinema has the power to change the world and save lives, and this is what she aspires to do through her profession.
However, the talented actress does have a lighter side, believing laughter also has the power to impact society. One of her strengths as an actress is comedy. A defining moment in her career was being cast in Glass by M. Night Shyamalan. She says the competition was fierce, with auditions held in Brazil for almost ten days. However, she landed the role, with the director telling her she was chosen for her comedic timing, even sharing that he almost fell off his chair laughing at her audition tape.
In her time in the UK, she hasn’t just played lead roles in three feature films and supporting roles in four others; but has worked on various short films and TV series, many of which can be found on Prime Video. One of her proudest accomplishments was being part of the ensemble cast that won a Best Cast Ensemble award for the series What the Fact. Additionally, she was honored to receive Best Actress awards for two other projects, also available on Prime Video.
She continues to make her mark in the entertainment industry. A production company has recently shown interest in a dramatic comedy TV series she has written. Furthermore, she says: “Soon, I’ll also be starring as the lead in a mix of Emily in Paris (Darren Star) meets Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), with hints of Girls(Lena Dunham) and Frances Ha (Greta Gerwig). All these creators are my heroes, especially Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Lena Dunham, and Greta Gerwig, because, like them, I want to act and create my own work. Much like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon did with Good Will Hunting, I aim to both write and act in my own creations.”
Possibly the most memorable moment in Caroline Marie’s career was arriving in Los Angeles—the heart of Hollywood. Being here and being given a chance to leave an impact on the international world of cinema is her dream and she is excited to see what her adventure holds!