Conversations with Missy: Caleb McDaniel Revisited

Related Stories

Conversations with Missy: Caleb McDaniel

Those of you that know me, know I love people. When I have conversations with artists, it is about connecting to them and allowing the audience to connect to them. Sometimes I am able to build bonds with these artists and we stay in touch and become friends. Caleb McDaniel and I have become good friends. In fact, when I saw him in person for the first time (backstage at the Grand Ole' Opry with the Swon Brothers), I think I caught Zach and Colton off guard as I proceeded to scream and throw my arms around McDaniel hugging him as tight as I could.

I have obviously not known McDaniel for a very long time, but over the past couple years, we have gotten to know each other pretty well. He is extremely funny and very talented. One of his qualities that stands out to me is his courage. The acting industry is not for the weak or "thin-skinned". Auditions can be brutal, exhausting, intimidating, and challenging or even scary. These actors go through so many auditions and and face so many fears along the way, I know I could never do it myself.

During our conversation, we spoke about these auditions and what it is like. McDaniel actually shared with his friends and family, a video on Facebook of what an audition looks like. After watching that video, I could easily see the brilliance within McDaniel. Without props, without a co-star, he was able to act out an extremely believable scene. Leaving it all out on the table for friends, family, and supporters to critique, McDaniel has earned himself a new level of respect and appreciation for his craft.

We even spoke about what it is like for so many actors as they are asked to audition for unflattering descriptive roles. Without a doubt, it takes a very thick-skin to apply for one of the roles. I praise everyone in the industry who is confident in themselves enough to audition for these roles. I encourage you all to learn more about the industry and what it takes to be able to leave yourself out in the open as McDaniel has done. 

I am very proud of my friend and ask that you all please check him out on IMDB to learn more about him as well as view some of his work. I cannot wait to see what he does next. Stay tuned for more with this talented young actor. ~Missy