Award-Winning Actor Cody Carrera Scoops on How It Feels to Be A Multi-Talent

Let’s just say that if, by some circumstance, one had to endure having multiple personalities, then award-winning actor, singer, songwriter, and director Cody Carrera would be one of them. Seeing images and videos of him is nothing in comparison to meeting the man in person.  Cody is everything we have seen and heard about him. He is an ongoing success in the making.  He has always been at the forefront. He was taking big steps in shoes that were somehow too small. His first working performance began at his local community theater in Hayesville, NC, at the age of twelve, and he attended the prestigious Stagedoor Manor in the Catskills, performing in “Pirates of Penzance” as “Lewis.”.  These small yet significant roles became the template for the making of a super shooter and one of the things that propelled him into stardom. As one might imagine, the field of entertainment can be quite unstable at times, and so Cody kept himself busy during the actor’s strike with other projects like making music. He approaches both music and acting in the same way. When learning the ins and outs of night shots for GLEE, he had to level up. Shots were an all-day ordeal, done from sunup to sundown. A big fan of Glee himself while going to school in New York and being a musical theater nerd, the show hit home for him and was the pulse that kept him breathing and alive while he continued to hone his craft. The difference he found in working on the actual show versus seeing it on the screen was profound.

Episode 2 of “Glee” aired after the Super Bowl, gaining 26.8 million views. There was something special about that show, and it broke the record for the use of extras and casting, pushing Cody’s career even further.

He curated an entire team consisting of him, his representatives, and him again.  He told our cameras that he wears many hats, all of them interchangeable, when it comes to production, and with regards to music and recording, he had to learn how to create and manage a budget. Of course, his being a multi-talent goes without question. An independent artist with all the trimming. He writes, sings, acts, and directs.  Having skills and multiple disciplines is not exempt from scrapes and bruises.

It took him five years to complete his album, which he did a lot of. Different things had to be done that he didn’t know had to be learned. There is no way to fake it until you make it.

Recording and producing an album was the hardest thing that he had ever done. He funded all the albums himself and did everything, including all the songs. The first EP was Fire, and he ended up recording three songs after that. The album was a total of five songs that all seemed to work together, and so that became his first album. After learning all the songs, he had to go back and remaster and remix them. Record, create a budget, and direct. His potential, to say the least, was enormous.  Not being a math person and managing a budget must have been insane for a first-timer. He had always had a dream to do an album, so he took his time.  With absolutely no experience, he had to learn to do a shot list, a lookbook, and distribution. Cody describes the experience as feeling like a lot of moving parts. He set up his website and ordered CDs and vinyl. Vinyl has certainly had a resurgence because of DJs and house music. He said he doesn’t use a lot of vinyl; however, he did order some and sees its value. “I do own a small collection of vinyl and get them from thrift stores and because so many things are digital people just want to have something tangible and nostalgic.”.

When asked what artist(s) consistently inspire him, he cited Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. Speaking of voices, our cameras asked, with such a vigorous schedule of sessions, what he does routinely to take care of his throat and voice. He told us that although not good, personally he likes drinking everything cold, including his coffee. However, his voice teacher said that rather than making that grunting sound when clearing his throat, he drinks water instead. He went on to say that his inspirations for acting would be Sarah Paulsen and Meryl Streep. He specifically likened Sarah to Meryl because of the fluidity of their personalities. Sarah can look pretty and is not afraid to look ugly and disgusting when necessary.  His muses for directing are none other than Sofia Coppola and Steven Spielberg.

Partnering with SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) students who were taking a music video class at the time proved to be a powerful move for his current artistic challenge.  It was the first time that he directed a short film with scripted content, and SCAD chose two of his songs, “Slander” and “Shattered.”. Although he stepped back, he thought the students had taken the project and made it their own. “Slander “dropped this past Friday, December 15th, and the second, “Shattered,” on December 24 of this year. Shattered has a special meaning for Cody, who dedicated the song in part to his father, who was born on December 24^th and passed away on December 26^th.