Check out our interview with actress Kate Mansi who can be seen starring as Hunter Clarkman on the upcoming series “Casa Grande” premiering on Amazon Freevee on May 1st (available on Amazon Prime). “Casa Grande” is a gritty bilingual Neo-western limited series. The show examines the everyday realities and conflicts between California’s migrant workforce and the landowners who reap the benefits. It has been described as a “Hispanic-influenced Yellowstone” and is directed by Latin filmmaker Gabriela Tagliavini.
Kate is best known for starring on “Days of our Lives” – she won the Daytime Emmy for outstanding supporting actress for playing Abigail Deveraux on the series. A California native, Kate can also be seen starring opposite the Lawrence Brothers in their rom-com feature “The Office Mix-Up.”
Follow Kate @katemansi
How did you get started into acting?
I was a dancer first. In high school my theater teacher (Mr.Bill encouraged me to audition for the school play
How do you prepare for a role?
There’s so many ways into a character and usually it hits me pretty instinctually depending on the role. But as a former dancer music is such a huge part of my way in so I’ll use a specific song or album to set the tone. For Hunter it was a lot of Sharon Van Etten.
Tell us about the new Amazon Freevee upcoming series “Casa Grande?”
Casa Grande explores the idea of the ‘American Dream’ through the framework of a traditional upstairs downstairs story- but it’s set in rural America. It juxtaposes the uppercrust Clarkman family and the socially invisible migrant workers who make the Clarkman ranch possible. The dysfunction and problematic issues within the family dynamic and on a larger scale, within the concept of the American Dream itself. The loneliness among a family so seemingly close and how that informs each member of the family in their behaviors and decisions.
What we can expect for your role as Hunter Clarkman?
Hunter is the adopted daughter of the Clarkman family. She’s a lone wolf – edgy, scrappy- she’s a survivor. There’s an intensity to her and a singular determination I related to immediately. As an orphan, she’s fought against the odds of people’s perceptions of her place in the world- and positioning herself to go after what she wants within her family hierarchy and refusing to let anyone put her in a box. There’s an unwavering refusal to accept the projections people put on her and an absolute thrill she gets from people underestimating her and then proving them wrong. Hunter is relentless. She’s a badass. And I love her.
Now tell us about your very successful run in “Days of our Lives” and about winning a Daytime Emmy for outstanding supporting actress? That’s amazing!
Good Segway!- I booked Days right out of college and will always be grateful for that experience for so many reasons. I left at the height of my character’s peak because I wanted to explore different ambitions, and though the Emmy is an incredible gift- that last year of work I did with that role was treasure enough for me. It gave me the time and space to solidify who I was as an actor and a professional. Leaving Days, I have to say that’s where I felt most similar to Hunter – because even if it’s subconscious, the industry can have a certain idea about the limitations of soap actors. And that’s just not something I know to be true for myself or will ever subscribe to. Like Hunter, I knew when my ambitions were pushing me in a new direction, and I wasn’t going to let people’s perceptions of me limit me or dictate my place in the world either.
If you weren’t acting, what would you be up to right now?
In a parallel universe I’d be a psychiatrist. I deeply love the study of human behavior.
Can you name 3 actors/actresses you would love to work with?
Julianne Moore
Edie Falco
Mike White
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
Finding new parts of myself through exploring different roles and the impact that has. Like when you meet a new friend you know intimately, you’re forever changed.
What’s your advice for the newer actors?
Take the time to know yourself first. Get incessantly curious about your own behavior – what makes you tick and how.
What’s next for Kate Mansi in 2023?
So excited for Casa Grande release! And something in the works I can’t discuss yet but very much looking forward to diving into.
What is your own definition of happiness?
Peace of mind. Authenticity. Living in the place where your outsides match your insides
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
I’d like to get another day with my grandmother in this scenario.
Do you support any charity?
Philanthropy has always been a big part of my upbringing. I traveled to Haiti and DR in college at Pepperdine to work at an orphanage w there for a bit and that greatly impacted me. Proud supporter of Hope for Haiti.
Additionally I’m involved in Glenn Close’s nonprofit Bring Change 2 Mind which works to destigmatize mental difference.
The Artemis Agency is a social impact agency working to bring together like minded talent and clients and I’ve had the pleasure of being connected to various nonprofits through their work as well.
Where we can follow you?
IG: @katemansi
FAVORITES:
Book: Mary Oliver poetry. Joan Didion’s “The Year of Magical Thinking”. And “Set Boundaries, Find Peace” by Nedra Glover Tawwab
Quote: “if your nerve deny you, go above your nerve” – Dickinson
Movie: Last fav movie I saw was Triangle of Sadness. But Grey Gardens is a longtime favorite of mine also
Tv Series: Sopranos
Favorite Food: Salad with grilled veggies
Travel Destination: Currently planning a trip to Cape Town this summer! Otherwise my fav travel destination is to go up to my cabin in the woods, hike and be in the mountains
Sports Team: Mets
Photo Credit: Mitchell Wojcik
