Hollywood stuntman settles in Thomasville, teaches acting

May 7, 2019

THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WCTV) – A Hollywood stuntman has moved to the area and is now in charge of the new Young Actors Conservatory.

Acting teacher Ryan Carr recently settled in Thomasville. You may have seen his work in television shows like Empire and Chicago P.D., or on the big screen in films like Divergent and Hannah Montana: The Movie.

Now, he is teaching local kids how to make it big.

Carr said he purchased his home at auction with money he earned working as a stunt double.

"Pretty much every time I got hit by a car, I put it in a separate account," he said.

Carr is a board member for Chicago SAG-AFTRA. He has lived and worked in Los Angeles and Chicago. He wasted no time at all connecting with the non-profit theater in downtown Thomasville.

"We wanted people who are really serious about acting, and we have a lot of those, to have an opportunity to learn more," said Pat Orr.

Orr is the president of Thomasville on Stage and Company, or TOSAC. Carr has helped to establish the program, which has four courses. Students work their way up through the courses.

"We're trying to get these talented people all of the skills they could possibly build to get them into a great conservatory program in college," he said. "All of our curriculum is cumulative."

The first-ever class was held Monday night with a handful of students, like 13-year-old Kennedi Smart.

"I'm very passionate about acting," said the aspiring entertainer, as she belted out a song.

The theater is approaching its 40th anniversary, and plans to increase its number of annual productions in 2020. In June, the non-profit will host a summer camp for kids ages 8-18. All children in the Big Bend and South Georgia are welcome to attend. More information can be found

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