Meet Mackenzie Cain

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mackenzie Cain and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mackenzie, why did you pursue a creative career?
I chose to pursue a creative career because it felt like an extension of my being. Like a limb that I had learned to live without before realizing it was there all along. As a child, I developed a range of interests in sports and various academic fields, but I always found myself coming back to the arts. Whether that be creative writing, dancing, singing, or taking a paintbrush to a canvas and making a mess, I felt most connected to myself when I had the space to be creative. Eventually, I stumbled upon the opportunity to join a school’s drama club, and it all fell into place from there. The idea of storytelling through acting, of becoming and embodying a new person and showing their story to an audience, completely took me. From then on, I chose again and again the art of acting. From the stage, I branched out into acting for short films and eventually found myself acting in an independent feature film. All the love that I have for storytelling has served as an outlet to get me through my hardest times, as well as float me through the good ones. All of this is to say that, of course, I chose to pursue a creative career despite the challenges I’ll face.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Reaching my current position was not easy! Outside of networking and meeting other creatives who are just as passionate as I am, I had to learn a lot about the craft of film and how different yet similar acting for a screen is from acting on a stage. I am most proud getting to act in an independent feature film called “Love & Madness,” which is currently in post-production and is set to be released in late 2025 or early 2026. I had the opportunity to learn so much through that film and the character I portrayed. I had jumped straight from theatre acting to auditioning for the feature. When I got the callback and went to tape an audition in person, I made the mistake of not looking at the reader while delivering my lines but picking a random eyeline as you would for a stage audition. I was kindly corrected, and we went from there! More than that, however, I have learned how to harness my emotions and turn them into something tangible through acting. It took trying many different techniques until I found my biggest emotional cues. By really being able to connect with the writer or director of the story I am acting for, I have found that finding a common ground or experience takes me completely through the character. It gets me to where I need to be emotionally. If the world were to know one thing about my story, it should be that I am always learning, always curious, and always excited to be a part of anything that I do. That is what makes being a creative so fun! There is always something new you can learn from others as well as from yourself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love to just get out and sit in any coffee shop in downtown Atlanta! My favorite as of now would be Cafe Lucia, so a trip or two would be required. I grew up in the Woodstock/Acworth area, so downtown Woodstock is also a nice place to walk through without worrying too much about parking! I would have to visit The Sweet Read, which is this little bookstore with desserts and drinks to enjoy while you’re there. I once browsed through the bookshelves and found a Barbra Streisand biography, “My Name is Barbra.” Safe to say I sat for a while. Lastly, I love finding spots to go for a walk in the woods. My favorite place to go out is Olde Rope Mill Park in Woodstock. There is plenty to see, and you can even walk through the nearby train tracks.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be where I am today, nor would I be as certain of myself and my journey without the help of my cherished friends and loved ones. I would love first to shout out my mother, who has always been my biggest supporter and good-sense giver, Monica Cain. The woman who has seen every show I’ve put on and watched my growth as a performer firsthand. I would also love to sincerely thank the friends that I have made through various film projects that have taught me and encouraged me more than they know. I am so thankful to have been lucky enough not only to find a job that makes me feel fulfilled, but to enjoy my work because of the people that surround me. A good workplace makes a world of difference. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenzie__anissa/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenzie-cain-9961a6310/

Image Credits
Cameron Patrick, Maddie Cobb, Daniel Palacios, Darius Ollison, Chrysander Mandragora, Leah Yi