What is the best thing that I love about my work?  The best thing that I love about my work is the chance to portray different people, different characters, different time periods and different life situations.  I consider myself to be a character actor and as such, I do a wide range of characters.  I have played, quite literally, everything from an angel to a devil and from a fetus to a little old lady.  My historical characters have included Mark Twain’s daughter Jean Clemens, the actress who played Joan of Arc, the Greek wife of the man who discovered Troy, and a matriarch during the Civil War.  I love performing both drama and comedy, and I am pleased that I have had the opportunity to do both.  I have also enjoyed playing both contemporary and classical roles.  Here is a contemporary monologue written by Billi Sarafini: Chelsea Clark Stacy  

What is my idea of happiness?  Happiness is being able to find fulfillment through your career, your recreational pursuits and your relationships.  In terms of my career, I need challenges which include interesting roles that make me stretch.  My recreational pursuits include reading, talking long walks and playing Pokemon Go!, and my relationships include many good friends and family.

What is my greatest fear? My greatest fear is not being able to accomplish all of my life goals.  In terms of my career, this includes increasing my presence in film and television.  I have performed in well over 120 NYC films, plays and television shows, and I have a fair amount of film work.  However, I am actively seeking more film work, as it has been far too easy to get caught in NYC theater.  For an almost up-to-date list of my films, please view my IMDb at Chelsea Clark – IMDb

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself?  I hate that I am a perfectionist, and I am rarely satisfied with my performances.  I avoid looking at my filmed work if possible, because I can always find somewhere that I should have said this differently, or I should have done that differently.    

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire?  I am impressed by every single person who worked on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, cast and crew.  They put their hearts into the production, which is evident in the viewing.  I am well aware that a good film consists of work by many people, and sometimes the actors are the least important people on the set.

What is my greatest extravagance?  I buy food and I buy metro tickets.  That’s about it.

On what occasion would I lie?  Answering this question right now is an example of me lying.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work?  Bad scripts, i.e., scripts that contain too many unnecessary words and repetitions, scripts that are uninteresting, scripts that do not include good roles for female characters.  I also don’t like when a film breakdown says that they want an actor who can improv, because it means the writer is too lazy to write the script.  I enjoy writing myself, and have written and produced a film, a sitcom and several monologues.  Here is one of the monologues that I penned: The Wood Files – YouTube

When and where was I the happiest, in my work?  Whatever production that I’m working on currently is where I’m always the happiest.  I do have some favorite performances, which include playing Helen of Troy/Sophia Schliemann in Joseph Krawczyk’s off-Broadway MAN WHO FOUND TROY and playing a recurring character in Steven Soderbergh’s THE KNICK.  But I have also enjoyed playing such wacky characters as the Witch Double (a.k.a. Shapeshifter/Crow): see Review: In “Witchland,” There’s Danger in What Lies Beneath – Witchland for a review of my silent but memorable character.  I also enjoyed playing a psychiatric patient in my most recent play, RAWSHOCK, which got excellent reviews, including https://thefrontrowcenter.com/2024/10/rawshock/ and https://theaterscene.org/2024/10/rawshock/.  One of the reviewers called me impeccable!

If I could, what would I change about myself?  I don’t think it’s necessary to change yourself.

What is my greatest achievement in work? My greatest achievement in work is continuing to be persistent in my career as an actress.  Never giving up, forging ahead.

Where would I most like to live?  I would like to live wherever I can have steady and interesting work.  At the moment, that happens to be in NYC, as I am never without a job.  

What is my most treasured possession?  My most treasured possessions are my family and friends.  I have friends in the acting world, and I also have non-acting friends, and they are all special and important to me.  Of course, my family is crucial, and my family includes my dog, Lady, and my cat, Sprite.

What is my most marked characteristic?  My determination is my most marked characteristic.  My descriptors are “intuitive . . . versatile . . . quirky . . .  facially expressive,” and I have been described as “a consummate professional . . . profoundly reliable, punctual and trustworthy.” 

What is my most inspirational location, in my city?  The backstage of a theatre, any theatre, anywhere.  

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city?  Due to the pandemic, they keep getting rid of the places where I like to eat and drink.  But currently, I like Tasty’s Diner in Astoria (3304 Ditmars Blvd.), which has been closed but is hopefully reopening soon.  It’s not too loud, the people working there are always nice and the food is good.  I am not much into the bar scene, particularly as most bars are so loud that all you can do is sit and grin at people — bars are not for conversations.  I prefer a place where I can actually see and hear the people around me.

What books influenced my life and how?  The Lord of the Rings influenced my life to the greatest degree.  A lot of books are about remaining positive and promise that things will work out if you do.  However, the Lord of the Rings is about keeping a positive spirit in the face of inevitable failure.  To me, that has always been inspiring because the focus is on how you approach life and not on the outcome, positive or negative.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day?  The soundtrack of Lord of the Rings.  It’s good music, Howard Shore.  You can’t beat it.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? Batman, because every city needs a hero.  And my own Gotham City has Batman.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life?  People who take the extra time to be kind to one another.

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? I have a lot of movies I’d see only once, and never again.  But I also have my favorites, like THE STING.  You just can’t beat that movie.

What role play stories in my life and work?  As an actress I am a storyteller, and that is my life and my work.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me?  You just have one life to live and one story to tell, so make it a good one.

Which people or companies would I like to work with? Marvel Studios; Peter Jackson; Steven Soderbergh (o.k., I already worked with him . . .); casting director Avy Kaufman; and other folks that I have already worked with, including playwrights Mark Rosati and Joe Krawzyck and director Eddie Lew.  And, of course, there is Ken Wolf of Manhattan Repertory Theatre, who I have also worked extensively with, and my acting teacher Roger Simon.

What project am I looking forward to work on?  Whatever is the next one.  Currently it’s another play for The Fringe NYC, coming to a NYC theatre in March or April, 2025.  It’s called Minotauromachy, and it’s about 6 of Pablo Picasso’s women.  We did a reading last March, 2024, and the author’s website at MINOTAUROMACHY describes the play and its roots.  I enjoy plays about historical figures, and it’s fun to play Dora Maar, who was lively and spirited — at least, until she came in contact with Picasso.  Here’s the clip from my video audition: Dora in Joanne Wiley’s new play MINOTAUROMACHY

Where can you see me or my work?  On stage in NYC, on my youtube channel at Chelsea Clark Actress – YouTube, by ordering at amazon.com, on television or at the movies.  You can also visit my instagram or pinterest at chelseaclarkactress.  

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me?  Keep going until you can’t go anymore, and then keep going even though you’re dead.

Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Sandra Bullock and Kate Winslet.  They are all heroines to me as they are wonderful role models who play strong female characters, respect themselves, are entrepreneurial in the male-dominated entertainment industry while retaining their femininity, and live unique and interesting lives.

How can you contact me? chelseaclarkactress@aol.com or through my manager