11th Anniversary of The Redhead Project
Part one: Featuring Patrick Roper, Taylor Foster, Bronwyn Barry, Peri Sheinin and Sarah Eaby; Hot Off The Press: a feature in The Guardian; Yes, Chef Lydia
To celebrate The Redhead Project’s eleventh anniversary on February 18, 2024, I invited eleven redheads to share their stories for a two-part feature this month and next (publishing March 31): Who are they now? Where are they now? Five features are in this issue; six will follow in March!
Last fall photographer Keith Barraclough and I caught up via Zoom with Redhead Project alumni and actors Patrick Roper and Taylor Foster: two actors on opposite coasts; at the time the SAG strike loomed large in their lives and our conversations.
Both have been extremely generous with their time and patience waiting out the delay of their features here due to my accident right before the original October publishing date that temporarily put me out of typing commission. Happily, the strike is over and we can share their specific projects! Keith and I talked with each recently LIVE on Instagram on our 11th anniversary weekend; you can view both conversations on our Instagram redhead.project feed.
Patrick Roper
(click to view his portraits for the project)
At 6 feet 4 inches tall with red hair and blue eyes, actor, filmmaker, and writer Patrick Roper has the rarest of DNA combinations and he admits his size plus his deep voice can be intimidating. But in stark contrast to the characters he tends to play on film and television—mostly antagonists and villains— Patrick is warm, approachable, thoughtful, knowledgable, well-spoken, reflective and very generous.
He says being vaguely recognizable for the roles he plays in film and television has led to some comic grocery store moments being approached with a “Hey, aren’t you THAT guy?” while he’s reading a soup can label. And, he chuckles, that kind of interaction is preferable to the household-name level of fame that can make leaving your house and doing ordinary life things difficult.
Patrick recollects knowing from the young age of 5 that he wanted to be an actor, being inspired watching the kids’ variety and educational show The Electric Company and in particular the variety of characters actor Morgan Freeman portrayed on the show, such as Easy Reader, a pun of Easy Rider, the movie starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper (also Hopper’s directorial debut!) and Jack Nicholson.
(An aside: as a preschooler, I learned how to read by watching The Electric Company and Sesame Street, so I absolutely love this story Patrick shared.)
Patrick attended the largest high school in Washington State that had a professional-grade performing arts center, graduating with a college-level acting education.
Patrick’s early acting career in Seattle included starting his own theater company after high school and performing Shakespeare. He learned kiltmaking from a Northern Ireland woman who made kilts for the military, and that became his side business when he started acting (and continued for 16 years), fortuitously at the time there was a boon of interest in Scottish culture with the release of the movies Braveheart and Rob Roy.
This portrait of Patrick wearing one of his kilts for the Redhead Project was among 20 featured by CNN.com Interactive.
Now based in the Savannah, GA area, Patrick’s been in a variety of film and television projects, including the The Exorcist: Believer released this fall and the recently-released action thriller Red Right Hand ( February 23) starring Orlando Bloom and Andie MacDowell. Patrick is in the Red Right Hand trailer!
Studying a wide variety of film and television performances beginning when he was young, with the encouragement of his parents, he learned to look for nuances. As creative people do, he loves a good story and he found inspiration in the range of roles that the same actor could play. Years after Morgan Freeman captured Patrick’s young imagination in Electric Company, he remembers seeing him portray a completely different type of character—a vile pimp—in the film Street Smart co-starring Christopher Reeve.
As an actor he gets to look at stories on different wavelengths and levels and his connection is more direct with the audience, particularly on stage but also on a film set with the people standing around while filming. He says he loves knowing that he’s resonated with someone and connected with them in a way that is deeper than just the surface.
Patrick writes about acting on the Savannah Georgia Actors Group Facebook page.
He likes to think outside the box and strives to find projects where he can bring a little more than what’s on the page. When Keith asked him what he’d love to play, he suggests a Bond villain: “I love that sort of mastermind, complicated, antagonistic character.”
He also has the aptitude for coaching and empowering other actors, applying that thinking-outside-the-box mentality and peeling back the layers of a role, giving his mentees a different perspective and approach to consider.
He offers that a lot of coaching is instructing adults to get back to a childlike wonder by losing the filter they’ve developed as adults, helping actors get out of their own way, decompressing anxieties, helping them stop the comparisons to others in the industry. “You have no idea when you send a tape out into the world or going into a room, what they’re looking for, or the conversations being held behind closed doors. Stop worrying about what you can’t control and worry about the things you can.”
He says as an actor, “your superpower is your uniqueness, bring that. Spend a lot of time figuring out who you are in your own skin and bring as much energy as you can to [the role], using your own self as a platform to portray a character that’s a little bit different from you.”
Patrick also does accent coaching, and he says, he has developed a knack for working with kids. “And that’s kind of funny for as big and intimidating a dude as I am, deep voice and all that, I’m very good at taking my energy down to this really simple level and talking to kids.”
He also advises actors about creating their own self-taping setups. Until we spoke I hadn’t appreciated how vast and significant the southeastern U.S. film and television market is; out of practicality (the area spans within 500 miles of Atlanta) the southeast had 10 years of experience self-taping auditions before the pandemic hit and the New York City and Los Angeles markets had to start doing that, too.
For Savannah cinephiles, this is an interesting video by the Savannah Film Commission.
Patrick has had experience persevering and prevailing over suspenseful real-life plot twists, too: he’s beat cancer twice, first when he was just starting out in his acting career. “It definitely lights a fire in you a bit and makes you stop sweating the small stuff.”
That’s sage advice for anyone.
Please follow/ read about Patrick’s impressive, extensive body of work and projects on his IMBD, Instagram and media links, all of which are linked via the below.
Patrick Roper's Media and Social Links
Taylor Foster
(click to view her portraits for the project)
Writing with a poise and a thoughtfulness that I’ll forever associate with her, Los Angeles–based actor Taylor Foster resonated with the The Redhead Project’s collaborative and community-building storytelling.
“The redhead project is, to me, a collaboration of humans that happen to share one similar rare quality they didn’t choose. But it’s to show that they are so much more than that. As all humans are."
She wanted to be part of The Redhead Project. It was a harbinger of great things to come.
Taylor’s photoshoot in New York City with Keith was in July 2018, the start of a collaborative rapport that is equal parts inspirational and easy: it picks up right where it left off, years later.
Her authenticity, keen eye for detail, preparation, and love for storytelling shine through.
During the pandemic, Taylor collaborated with and helped Keith test shoot with the remote shooting app CLOS, inspiring the launch of a virtual offshoot of The Redhead Project that includes redheads wherever they are in the world.
Taylor proposed a friend’s Los Angeles home with old Hollywood vibes that offered multiple rooms and outdoor spaces and pools of natural light and wore fun vintage outfits. Taylor’s friend Nik was Keith’s tripod, his peripheral vision and tour guide through their CLOS app connection, panning the iPhone to show the space’s versatility. As inspiration struck, Keith shot multiple scenes inside and out. Keith gave verbal cues to Nik, who relayed them to Taylor; meanwhile, Keith was processing what he was seeing, remembering what he couldn’t see, and anticipating and trouble shooting ahead of time to relay more cues.
The below image from Keith’s first foray into remote shooting was one of five images of Keith’s selected for Lürzer's Archive Best Advertising Photographers 23/24.
Taylor likes to joke that she’s a triple threat: actor, dancer, and redhead. (Not a singer—she points out.)
Raised in the country north of Dallas, Texas, actor Taylor fell in love at the age of 3 with dance class (tap and ballet) but especially tap dance; it was the first art form she connected with and her first foray into storytelling, followed by jazz and lyrical hip hop.
And yet she says she never felt she really fit in with dance. Growing up in ballet class she would get the character roles; In Snow White and the Seven Dwarves she was cast as Dopey. “I could purposefully fall out of turn and not have great technique because I was so comedic in nature and performative in that way versus just making sure my toes were pointed.”
Keith captured this aspect of Taylor’s first love, dancing, for the Redhead Project in July 2018. “Putting myself in a tutu and throwing a tap shoe on and my messy bun and a weird face—that’s like an accurate representation of what I felt like in ballet class—out of my element, but you’re still going to look at me.”
And in sixth grade theater class, it was the dancing boys in the Disney movie NEWSIES—a movie her teacher just happened to put on for the class one day when she wasn’t feeling well—that grabbed her attention.
But it was watching the behind-the-scenes on the used DVD she says she later begged her father to buy that really sparked the joy and pivotol A-HA moment: seeing the dancers get to do school together, the mesmerizing set energy, seeing the reality of film sets and filmmaking; it wasn’t magic but something she could do and work towards. She watched the DVD over and over, learning all the dances. She said, “My body and brain went, I’m doing that.” And she made it happen.
She makes the point I’d never thought of: actors have a desire to be the center of attention but not as who they really are. The ability to play is an innate thing inside of an actor—you either have it or you don’t. “I consistently repeat this job because I love it so much. I know what I’m good at. I know that I get it and I know that this is what I love, and it was just this very different feeling of me recognizing dance is always my first love, but it’s really not the thing.”
She embraces the fact that she tends to book more last century /period pieces than present-day; she intuits that her face looks more like last generation and that is also something that sets her apart aside from her red hair. She’s the jewelry store employee in episode 7 of the Apple TV series Lessons In Chemistry set in the late 1950s and early 1960s. and a small character in the show Minx, set in the 1970s.
More recently, Taylor has added directing her first feature film (she’s directed music videos and plays too) to her credits: Wally Jackson, a coming-of-age rom com she describes as “unique but relatable.”
The opportunity came about when she was invited to a table read by the producer and writer Austin Wolff. A few pages in, she was hooked on the originality of his script and wanted to direct it. It’s not the first time she’s take a professional leap like this: she auditioned for and earned the lead in her first feature film, having previously had only silent commercial roles and music videos under her belt.
That charisma, self-confidence, determination—and generosity in support of other storytellers—is signature Taylor. It’s thrilling to watch her career take off.
Now if only she could figure out how to bottle up and sell that infectious, positive, Energizer Bunny storytelling energy she exudes!
Please follow Taylor and her extensive, impressive body of work:
Taylor Foster IMBD
Taylor Foster Website
Taylor Foster Instagram
Bronwyn Barry
(click to view her portraits for the project)
Bronwyn Barry followed her dancing dreams to New York City, ended up performing as a dancer on cruise ships where she met her now-husband, and has built a foundation for a life with him in Ireland—literally and figuratively. Their new home is presently under construction in Inchydoney, Cork.
Professionally she has transitioned from performer to teacher and coach, inspiring future generations of dancers. She went back to school in Ireland to become a nutritional therapist; she empowers clients to reach their potential through increasing energy, confidence and productivity. She leverages her training as a nutritionist and years of experience as a traveling dancer to counsel professional performers to maintain their best health while sustaining taxing and physically demanding schedules, wherever they are in the world at the moment. But her client base doesn’t just include performers: she counsels marketing executives, pharmaceutical engineers, theater technicians, software developers and teachers. She’s also connected with local dance studios and schools and speaks with teenagers about their nutrition and fitness. She shares that the trend in corporate offices to instill wellbeing practices is now trickling down to schools and to parents wanting this for students. And she is also a personal trainer.
Brownyn’s first Redhead Project photoshoot in studio in NYC was in early 2015. When I invited her to do an updated remote photoshoot for The Redhead Project and a LIVE on Instagram in 2021, she collaborated with Keith and came up with a idea for a remote photoshoot on the site of her future home’s construction that reflects the new chapter in her story. She shares, “The virtual photoshoot series I created with Keith reflects how much confidence I have gained in my own future without losing my self,” a dancer at heart, with a love for travel and a love for home.
Recently Bronwyn and Keith did a part-two remote shoot on the construction site.
I love Bronwyn’s observation below:
“The Redhead Project has helped me remember who I am at otherwise pivotal / uncertain parts of my life. Whenever I have been able to be a part of it, I have come as I am, with what I have, and there are no expectations for what will be created. I love that it’s truly “me,” a redhead. I am unique, and each time I have worked with the project that uniqueness has shone through no matter how the circumstances have changed or what bias I happen to hold toward myself at that point of my life. Being a part of The Redhead Project has given me a sense of community and acceptance and Keith facilitates a way of expression that requires no fear or judgment—it’s pure fun and full of life. I’m so grateful for it.”
During our LIVE on Instagram in 2021, Bronwyn reflected on her portraits in studio as a twenty-two year old dancer: “I see that young woman and she’s got so much potential for anything, she’s trying to figure it all out with everything she’s got.”
I think that younger Bronwyn would be awed by present-day Bronwyn’s go-getter resilience and wisdom and how it all worked out.
Please check out Bronwyn’s inspiring professional website, LinkedIn and follow her below:
Bronwyn's BeUFitnessandNutrition website
Bronwyn Barry LinkedIn
Brownwyn Barry Instagram
Peri Sheinin
(click to view her potraits for the project)
Peri Sheinin’s passion for storytelling stands out.
I’ll never forget this relatable detail she shared about herself in her first email inquiry about participating in the Redhead Project: “You can find me on scraps of paper, the back of napkins, old menus, index cards, gum wrappers, the margins of daily newspapers, pieces of unread mail and a rainbow assortment of Post-it notes that I have amassed since I could write sentences. Wherever I go I leave a trail of paper and words.”
And another unforgettable detail she shared at the time: her family calls her Peri Possible, an adaption of the moniker of her idol, Kim Possible, the fiery crime-fighting redhead on Disney Channel. Peri added, “I hope to be found on television one day as well.”
Flash forward more than four years since she was photographed for the Redhead Project in New York City when she was a competitive tennis player at Brown University and in the midst of ten sports media internships, Peri’s pursuit of making her dreams possible is full-steam ahead. She’s a sports broadcaster: she hosts the Tennis Channel podcast On The Rise and she’s a play-by-play commentator on ESPN digital platforms. Peri also spent three years as a Sports Anchor and Reporter for WHSV-TV in Harrisonburg, VA.
Peri is also interested in fitness modeling and acting and recently she collaborated with Keith on an updated photoshoot reflecting those interests. Peri is a go-getter with a solid sense of self, curiosity, and poise beyond her years.
After taking acting classes at Brown, she wanted to continue performing and storytelling on camera. “I told stories about sports every day on local news and found acting to be a lovely way to fully express myself in a different artistic space.”
Peri has acted in five short films ranging a variety of genres. She says she feels most alive when she’s acting. “I love the art of embodying characters and immersing myself in their mental, physical, and emotional bodies.”
Kim Possible, I believe you’ve met your match!
Please follow Peri and her work on:
Peri Sheinin Instagram
Peri Sheinin Demo Reel
Peri Sheinin Website
On The Rise podcast
Sarah Eaby
(click to view her portraits for the project)
Sarah Eaby walked into our loft a few weeks ago with same broad smile and positive energy I remember from her 2014 photoshoot, this time to do an updated photoshoot with her sweet rescue pup from Lucky Dog Refuge, a Pit-Staffie-German Shepard mix named Pebbles (formerly and aptly named “Sweetie”!) whom she adopted during the pandemic. And she brought her wingwoman-stylist-upstairs neighbor and great friend, Mar.
Seven New York City apartments after landing in New York City (she’s finally found “the one” and intends to stay a long time) her fashion style is still preppy, now favoring more subdued tones to the Lilly Pulitzer bright florals she wore then, and she is now working as an account executive in sales for Verishop, an E-commerce startup. "I love watching a young company change and evolve over time, especially with COVID as a factor happening right before launch.”
But the biggest plot twist in her young life was a diagnosis of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma after she checked herself into the ER for chest pain she’d been having for over a month and doctors discovered a 16-cm mass in her chest. She beat cancer this September, no doubt aided in part by that positive glass-half-full outlook she exudes (at least Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital was close by her apartment at the time, she looked at the bright side) and the unconditional love of her sweet Pebbles, friends and family. She shares her story as a reminder to others not to ignore symptoms that could be serious, even life threatening.
Happily with chemo behind her and sporting a cute pixie haircut, Sarah applies that same optimistic outlook to living life fully and building a life for herself and Pebbles that she’s proud and passionate about, including lots of do-it-yourself renter friendly updates to her apartment and traveling, including to four countries in three weeks.
I’m thrilled to share Sarah’s inspiring story here and so happy for Sarah and Pebbles, who has a standing invitation for playdates with our smitten black Labrador Kuma anytime!
Sarah Eaby LinkedIn
Sarah Eaby Instagram
Hot off the Press
Read about The Redhead Project in The Guardian! Thank you Simon Worrall for the lovely feature.
Yes, Chef Lydia
We just discovered we have a MasterChef Junior competitor in our ranks! We can’t wait to see what Chef Lydia whips up on the all-new season premiering Monday, March 4. Click to view a sneak peak!
Lydia’s big sister Ava Ledon (she’s the 11-year-old with the archery set in the 11 11-year-olds collage at the top of this letter) will be featured in our Part Two 11th Anniversary issue coming March 31, along with five other alumni: Heather Moeller, Wade Hutson, Michelle Spanos, Alane DeLuca, and [insert your name here] ! We still need an 11th redhead to feature.
If you’re an alumnus of The Redhead Project or are new to the project and interested in sharing your story, please reach out!
See you back here on March 31st. Thanks for reading.
Kate