Sa'Raya Paris Johnson is a young rising talent who’s already built an impressive acting resume, with acting credits in Ryan Reynolds & John Krasinski’s IF, Meagan Good’s Lifetime thriller Death Saved My Life (2021), and New Amsterdam series. Now, she is all set to star in the main role in the upcoming dramedy movie, Caroline— a feature directorial debut of Morningstar Angeline.
The movie is about an 11-year-old girl, Caroline (Johnson), a smart and sharp-eyed girl who leads a risky and adventurous life with her mother by shoplifting. Everything seems fine until her estranged dad's reappearance in their lives. When the family is burdened with debt, they have to carry out a perilous heist, which is likely to go wrong, and tests their fragile connection.
Other cast members joining Johnson would be Teri Polo (Meet the Parents), James Udom (Judas and the Black Messiah), and Davida Williams (Game, Set, Love). I recently had the chance to speak with the talented Johnson, who shared details on her upcoming movie, what it was like working with big stars in past projects, her acting journey so far, and more.
Culturess: What first inspired you to start acting at such a young age? Was there a defining moment or experience where you thought, “This is what I want to pursue”?
Sa'Raya Paris Johnson: I was first introduced to the industry through modeling when I was 3 years old. Being on the runway during New York Fashion Week and working on other projects inspired me to start acting. I love being in front of the camera, so I started making videos on Instagram and YouTube and it took off from there.
At such a young age, you’ve already built an impressive resume, working alongside stars like John Krasinski, Ryan Reynolds, and Meagan Good in movies. What was it like being on set with them? Any advice or behind-the-scenes moments that stuck with you?
Oh yes! I have such great memories of being on set with all of them and I hold them dear to my heart.
My first commercial was for Groupon alongside numerous other kids and Tiffany Haddish. I was by far the youngest of the kids and so nervous. I remember crying and Tiffany stepped in and hugged me and just reassured me that it was going to be okay. I’ll never forget how she made me feel safe and happy in that moment.
My time with John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds on the set of IF was so much fun. They made me feel welcome and they are so funny. After my scene wrapped, John gave me the big stuffed animal from my scene in the movie.
Working with Meagan Good was a dream come true. She personally cast me for the role as her daughter in Death Saved My Life. She saw me and believed in my talent. I was five years old at the time and just learning how to read. When they gave me an updated script on set, and I looked at it and told them I couldn’t read yet. They all started to laugh it was the funniest.
As I'm aware that you’re about to star in the upcoming dramedy, Caroline. What elements of the script or character drew you to this movie?
My character’s independence. At such a young age, Caroline has taken on big responsibilities, helping her mom and trying to make sure her family can survive. She’s brave and super smart no matter what the circumstances. I love that about her. I can relate to her in so many ways, especially when it comes to the love that she has for her mom. I’m super close to my mom and would do anything to protect her and my family. I hope my performance will bring depth and nuance to the role, capturing the complexities of a young girl caught in challenging circumstances.
What challenges do you face as a young artist, and what do you find to be the most enjoyable part of an acting career, apart from, of course, getting to work with some amazing stars?
There are so many challenges I face as a young artist. Finding time to balance such a busy schedule and to make it my priority, to be the best at my craft. What I love most about acting is being able to channel different characters and being able to be creative. As an actor we are storytellers that bring stories to life. I love that.
What kind of preparation are you doing for your upcoming role as Caroline, especially considering your young character appears to be tossed in challenging and emotionally intense situations in the movie?
So, I’ve been preparing for this role intensively. Working with my acting coach Wendy McKenzie who is absolutely amazing. She’s been my coach since I was 3 years old. I’ve been able to find situations that I can relate to and draw my emotions from those situations to bring Caroline to life.
Have you had any recent conversations with director Morningstar Angeline, especially since this marks her directorial debut? Could you share a bit about her vision for Caroline, what’s expected of you in the role, and what message the story intends to give out?
I’m super excited to be part of Morningstar’s directorial debut. Her vision for Caroline is to help the audience understand the coming-to-age story of a brave independent girl who is growing up in some of the most unconventional situations and trying to make the best out of it. My responsibility with this role is to bring Caroline to life and make the audience feel what she feels. To make them see the story of love, family, and forgiveness through Caroline.
After Caroline, what kind of films are you looking forward to exploring? Are there any upcoming projects in the works that you can share details about?
I’d love to star in a horror movie. I love scary movies and it’s a dream of mine to be able to work on one. I do have another project that’ll be coming out soon, but I can’t say much about it. What I can say, however, is that it’s a very powerful story and it was an honor to work on it.
Are there any actors or directors you’d love to work with in the future?
There are so many amazing actors and directors with whom I’d love to work. Zendaya is my role model and one of my favorite actors. I’m such a fan of Tyer Perry and all his projects. I previously worked with Trey Haley and ND Brown Jones and it was one of the best experiences ever. I’d definitely work with the Tri- Destined family again. You can add Kevin Hart and Ryan Coogler to the list as well. I’d also like to one day star in a movie from the Marvel Universe. That’s been a dream of mine for quite some time.
What’s the latest movie you’ve watched, and do you have any favorite films that inspire you or could be considered your comfort movie?
So, I’ve been in a really nostalgic phase lately. I recently watched both My Girl movies with the amazing Anna Chlumsky. What a great coming to age movie! The three Anabelle movies are my favorite. I can watch them over and over again. I love a good scary doll movie!
Apart from acting, do you have plans to explore other areas of the industry? I see you’ve already done voice work (Devil May Cry)—are there any other creative sectors you’d like to hop onto?
I’d love to direct my own films one day. That’s my ultimate goal. Seeing Morningstar in her directorial debut gives me inspiration that I too can achieve that dream.