photobookmagazine – Katherine McNamara is an actress, singer, and dancer with an impressive repertoire. She is best known for her roles in “Shadowhunters,” “Arrow,” “Mazerunner,” and most recently “Walker: Independence”. Walker,” follows Katherine McNamara’s character Abby Walker through her journey as a widow seeking revenge for the murder of her husband. Behind the scenes, McNamara is an advocate for women and children. She is an ambassador for Girl Up and a spokesperson for Stomp Out Bullying. Currently, you can see Kat McNamara as Terry in “Charlie Day’s Fool’s Paradise” out now in theaters.

What drew you to the entertainment industry?
I ended up in this industry quite by accident. In fact, I wanted to be a developmental economist for most of my childhood. However, I was a ballet dancer from the time I was 2 or 3, but only as a hobby. I never considered it as a career until I bumped into a family friend at the grocery store who needed a dancer for a community theater show they were directing. I was the kid who would try anything so I was excited at the thrill of the unknown world of theater before me. I fell in love with the complete process. Then, when I stepped on stage on opening night, I had a moment of clarity that hit me like a brick wall, I knew in that moment I was put on this earth to tell stories. I wanted nothing more than to find a way to continue to be a part of the magic of creatives of all kinds and talents coming together to create a whole greater than the sum of their parts, to step outside of reality, and tell a story. Fortunately, I was able to do just that – and I am so grateful for that chance encounter.

Who was your biggest inspiration?
My biggest inspirations have always been the women in my family. From my earliest memories, I have been surrounded by strong, kind, intelligent women who not only are passionate, driven, career women but also are the most caring mothers, sisters, friends, aunts, cousins, etc. I was and still am so grateful to have had them as an example to present to me the idea that it was never a question of “career or family.” With their tireless ambition and boundless love, these women have shown me by example and experience that if you are willing to work hard enough for it, it is possible for you to create the life you desire – no matter how unorthodox or impossible it may seem.

How do you prepare for a role? Are there any specific methods or techniques you use?
Yes and no. I would say that generally speaking, yes. I do everything I can to explore a character, the environment in the physical and societal sense, relationships, the internal life, the person’s past and internal life, anything and everything. However, the ways in which I go about exploring and attempting to access a character are always specific to who they are and what feels right to best approach this person in this world. This is one of my favorite aspects of my job – I get to be a chameleon – to transform physically, emotionally, mentally, and otherwise to become these different individuals and see how and why they make the choices they make.

Which project has been the most challenging for you? Which has been your favorite?
This is always an interesting question to me. I have always loved being a student and, to me, being a creative and an actor specifically requires one to constantly be learning whatever is required to bring the character to life and tell the story fully. This could be a skill, a language, a lifestyle, an accent, how to put on a specific piece of wardrobe, or how to survive a day on set in a particular environment to name a few As such, each job brings with it its own challenges and I find it difficult to rank one above the others. Each one has given me the opportunity to grow and develop as a professional, an artist, and a person.