December 29, 1999

Small town roots in the Big Apple

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       Taking fame, fortune, glamorous locales and a movie star husband in stride, Carol Schneider is still a down to earth, warm person. Despite her years living in New York and performing on stage and television, the former Traverse City resident is not carried away by the mythology of celebrity. She still honors her roots growing up in a small town and knows what it is like to work her way up as an actress in New York.
      (Besides, truth be told, Schneider knows the fame is fleeting and the fortune is really food on the table, rent and - when lucky - some extras. 'Glam locations' this year ranged from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Hartford, Connecticut, and her movie star husband, Andrew McCarthy, is just a regular guy whom she has known for decades.)
      A 1980 graduate with honors from the Interlochen Academy for the Arts, Schneider cut her acting teeth at the Old Town Playhouse, then called the Civic Players. She landed her first role there with a part in 'Little Mary Sunshine' and so impressed a teacher from Interlochen with her performance, he told her to look him in a few years to come study there. She also played in 'Romeo and Juliet' and many musicals during the late 1970s at the Playhouse, combining her love of dance and acting.
      "When I worked with the Civic Players as a kid, that's where I fell in love with the theater," Schneider recalled. "Interlochen was absolute heaven for me. I remember getting up in the morning and having to go to dance class at 7:45. Walking through the snow to the studio, I could hear the violins and other musicians playing. That was beautiful."
      Her parents, Bob and Shirley Schneider of Garfield Township, appreciate that their daughter has not lost sight of what matters, despite her acting career. They always encouraged her, perceiving her dramatic talent from an early age.
      "Carol was always pretty well grounded," Shirley Schneider said. "She's always been a thoughtful person and a super daughter. Growing up in Traverse City certainly helped her career, especially having Interlochen nearby."
      Before acting became her focus, Schneider studied dance and was determined to be a professional dancer. From an early age she danced with the Meg Nutting Dance Studio in Traverse City and traveled to Detroit and Chicago for more training. Even after receiving a Young Artist Award for Drama upon graduation from Interlochen, she still was determined that dance would be her career.
      So after graduation, Schneider turned down scholarship offers from three colleges and headed to New York to study dance with the Joffrey School. She was amazed to be sharing class space with Ron Reagan, President Reagan's son. Schneider soon began studying acting at New York University and eventually decided to be an actress who could sing and dance instead of a professional dancer. The combination of her talents makes her quite marketable.
      "I have used my dance skills in my acting quite a bit over the years," said Schneider, who just completed a starring role in 'A Christmas Carol' for the Hartford Stage in Connecticut. "I have always worked as a professional actress, though. I have done many plays an some art films nobody sees and recently did a voice-over for a documentary on Helen Keller."
      She met her husband in those first acting classes in 1980 and they were friends for years before getting married this October in New York. The star of the well-known movies 'Pretty in Pink' and 'Weekend at Bernie's,' McCarthy also just finished a starring role in the Tony-award-winning play 'Sideman' on Broadway. Despite their high-profile lives, both Schneider and McCarthy are determined to have a regular, quiet lives when possible.
      "We have a lot in common and we totally talk shop," Schneider said. "We're able to listen to each other and talk to each other about work and we both love the theater."
      Recently, her professional direction took a turn when her interest was sparked during research for the Helen Keller voice-over role. She began writing and filming a documentary on deaf-blind people and started writing a short story about Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan.
      Both projects are on hold for a while so she can fulfill her stage commitments, where live performing is her true love and a sure income.
      "I love being on stage, it is like running a carnival at breakneck speed," said Schneider, who also began teaching acting this year at the Actor's Conservatory. "It goes for two hours and nobody stops the whole time, it is so invigorating to do."