Medium
Robin Karfo On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career in TV and Film
[as originally published on medium.com]
As a part of our series about creating a successful career in TV and Film, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Robin Karfo.
Robin Karfo is an actor, writer, and coach with an extensive career spanning almost 50 years in television, theatre, and film. She is best known for her on-screen performances opposite Emmy- and Oscar-winning actors in such productions as Grey’s Anatomy, CSI: Cyber, NCIS, How to Get Away with Murder (opposite Viola Davis), and NYPD Blue. Additional on-screen credits include ER, Judging Amy, The Guardian, Crossing Jordan, Without a Trace, Criminal Minds, Dragnet, and The Bold and the Beautiful.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where my sister and I were raised by our mother after my parents divorced when I was about three. I was surrounded by my Greek grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. They were quite the colorful bunch, full of life and personality — never a dull moment. Brooklyn, back then, had this small-town feel, if you can believe it. It was a melting pot — different ethnicities, races, and religions all mixed together. I loved that about it. I think growing up there gave me a deep appreciation for our differences and how they make the world so much richer, you know? And of course, New York is the place for people-watching. As an actor, our job is to create and inhabit characters, and Brooklyn was like a living, breathing treasure chest of them. Growing up there gave me an internal library of voices, faces, and stories to draw from in my work.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
Fate definitely played a role in all of this. I could have so easily missed the boat on becoming an actor if it hadn’t been for one teacher who saw something in me and took the time to help.
In junior high school, my English teacher, Mr. Biancoviso, noticed me after seeing me perform in a few school plays. One day, he pulled me aside and told me about the School for Performing Arts in Manhattan — a public high school where students majored in acting, dance, or music. I had no idea something like that existed. I still remember that moment: my first audition. I had no clue what I was doing, but I wanted it, and somehow I made the cut. I got in. Looking back, it’s incredible to me how one teacher, one person, can completely change the trajectory of your life just by believing in you. I’ll always be grateful to Mr. Biancoviso for seeing me when I didn’t yet see myself. That moment changed everything.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I’ve had so many incredible adventures in my career. Starting out, I spent nearly a decade working in New York theaters, mostly Off-Broadway. I loved every minute of it, but transitioning to TV and film in Hollywood was a whole new adventure in itself. It still blows my mind to think back on walking onto those iconic LA sound stages and working as a guest star opposite Emmy- and Oscar-winning actors on legendary shows. Let me tell you, working with Viola Davis on How to Get Away with Murder was an absolute ride. She’s a powerhouse — so present and so generous. I loved every second of it.
Another great experience was when I received a grant to produce my solo theater piece in San Francisco. I was gifted a director, producer, composer, musicians, videographer, crew, and a theater to bring it to life. I played three roles simultaneously, performing live on stage while interacting with life-sized video projections of my alternate characters. It was empowering and an absolute blast to speak dialogue I had written myself. That piece, Cages, ended up being nominated “Best Original Script” by the Bay Area Critics Circle. It was the first theatrical piece I’d ever written, and seeing it come to life like that was pure magic.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I was pretty young, performing in the play Stage Door. I’ll never forget this moment. I was wearing a long moo-moo — a flowing, peasant-style dress — and everything was going fine until I turned upstage to deliver a line. Suddenly, I heard this roar of laughter from the audience — way bigger than the line deserved. It didn’t take long to figure out why. The back seam of my dress had split wide open, and I was unknowingly giving the audience a full view of my backside. Yep, my ass was out there for all to see. The lesson? If your butt feels drafty, don’t turn upstage.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
We’re waiting on the release of a feature film we shot in Toledo. I love doing comedy and it had been a while. A lot of the TV I’d been doing was more dramatic, so this was a welcomed change. I can’t divulge details just yet, will have to wait for the formal press release.
On the coaching side of things, I’m working on launching an on-line, self-paced course to help actors navigate the business of their career. I had been acting for decades before a teacher addressed that part of the equation. Focus was always on craft, craft, craft — as it should be. But there has to be the balance of knowing how to survive and flourish as an artist, how to be the CEO of our “company,” even if we’re just a one-man-band. Artists are my favorite people on the planet, so to be able to draw from decades of experience and hand them the fruits of that experience makes me happy.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
For those just starting out, here’s something I’ve learned: if we let go of the pressure to become superstars in three seconds flat, the whole journey becomes a lot more enjoyable. Life is a game — full of goals, barriers, wins, and losses. And being an artist, in any form, mirrors that perfectly. What’s helped me is realizing that the same creativity we pour into our art can — and should — be applied to building a rich, vibrant, and multi-faceted life. Balance is everything. Yes, we need to focus, to be persistent and strategic about our work, but we also need to live. As actors, our job is to represent life — whether on a theater stage, a sound stage, or wherever the work takes us. But how can we recreate life truthfully if we cut ourselves off from it? We’re not monks, and the cave called “acting” can’t be the only place we exist. Life feeds our art, and art feeds our life. The more we engage with the world — its beauty, its messiness, its joy — the more we have to bring to our work. And in the end, that’s what makes the journey worth it.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I believe the answer is simple. As artists — whether in film, TV, theatre, music, dance, or visual art — our purpose is to depict life in all its beauty, complexity, and truth. How can we do that authentically if we don’t honor all life? For centuries, humans have come together through art to witness, understand, and celebrate life. Life itself offers us an extraordinary banquet of diversity, and as artists, we have a responsibility to reflect that. Every culture, every race, brings its own unique strengths, talents, and stories to the table. Everyone deserves a seat at that table. As creators, let’s embrace the full richness of humanity — because that’s how we create work that truly resonates and endures.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
Don’t underestimate the power of what someone, including yourself, can do to change the trajectory of your life or career, like my teacher did with me.
Treat your career as a business whose CEO is you.
Don’t look at acting as a competition. Don’t view it from the standpoint of “keeping up with the Jones’s.” Enjoy the ride and the community you’re a part of.
There’s rarely an “overnight success.” Get ready for the long haul and enjoy every beautiful minute of it.
If you haven’t already, consider creating your own content. It could be as small as a monologue or as ambitious as a screenplay or TV series. Don’t underestimate your skill as an actor. Your talent can easily bleed over into such avenues as writing, directing, or producing. Dream big… READ MORE