Alumni news
Carlson Young ’09 At 5 years old, Carlson Young ’09 decided she wanted to be an actor. She begged her mom daily to let her follow her dreams. “Of course, my parents [Susan and Marshall Young, Sr. ’81] had no idea how to go about that. And thank goodness they didn’t because I got to have a completely normal childhood and high school experience.” Today, Young has a leading role as high-gloss, queen-bee Brooke Maddox in MTV’s Scream television series, which began filming season two in early 2016. A Fort Worth Country Day “Original” and a legacy student, Young developed her acting chops at FWCD. She had her best friend and classmate, Annie Philpott ’09, take a digital picture of her at age 14, which she subsequently sent (without her parents’ knowledge) to the Kim Dawson Agency in Dallas. The rest is history. “When the agency called and expressed interest, my parents were like, ‘Who on earth is calling this house?’” Young said. “As I pursued that opportunity, my FWCD teachers were always supportive and very accommodating. I’m so appreciative for that, because finishing at FWCD was important to me.” Theatre was always a draw for Young. She played Vivian, one of the leads in FWCD’s eighth-grade play, an original titled Binky Rudich and the Two Speed Clock. During her freshman year, she started doing commercial work and taking acting classes in Dallas. As a sophomore, she played Amy in the FWCD original musical, Return to Planet Zoloft. “After sophomore year, I couldn’t commit to many high school productions because of Disney’s As the Bell Rings and its shooting schedule,” Young said, “but I did take Ms. [Melodee] Halbach’s theatre elective class all four years. I really loved that.” Since graduating Country Day, Young spends her time in Los Angeles. She deferred a year from college at Southern Methodist University to pursue acting. Her Disney experience led her to a great manager and agent, who helped her make 48
the falconer
LA connections. Soon after arriving, Young began working consistently with small guest star roles and independent movies. At the end of that year, she decided she was right where she needed—and wanted—to be. She did a semester of online college classes and then transferred to the University of Southern California as a part-time student. “I chose to major in English and creative writing because it is the perfect counterpart to acting and auditioning,” Young said. “The English Department at Fort Worth Country Day and all my teachers influenced me so much. “I focus on poetry and screenwriting, with the hope of one day writing, acting and producing my own material,” she continued. “The combination of working professionally and pursuing my degree has been an amazing experience and really keeps things interesting.” Young has only one semester of coursework to finish her degree. Young’s hard work paid off when she booked Scream, her first regular series role, in summer 2014. “It’s wonderful to be on Scream. I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity and feel extremely lucky,” she said. “I auditioned the regular way—screen tested, the whole nine yards. When I got the call, I couldn’t believe it. It’s definitely an important turning point in my career. Everything I’ve done to date has been resumebuilding and leading up to something like this.” Widely known as Jacqueline in the “Substitute Teacher” sketches of the Key & Peele TV series, Young has had guest spots on CSI: Cyber, True Blood, Pretty Little Liars, Heroes and Grimm. “In Grimm, I played a Klaustreich, a magical creature that morphs into a cat,” she said. “This is hilarious because anyone that knows me knows I’m a completely insane cat lady!” Young will always be grateful for FWCD. “My FWCD experience as a whole has definitely made a profound impression on me,” Young said. “I am so glad I had the opportunity to attend Country Day. I feel like I was granted one of the best educations, and I made some of the best friends.” WINTER 2016
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