Annette Andersen Caton

There's truly no place like home...which for me means being on set. I'm a first generation Danish-American and an LA native who grew up in the sleepy suburb of Glendale--right across the street from Babe Herman, one of the original Dodgers. The first time I ever watched the Emmy Awards was at his house at age twelve while eating homemade apple pie with his wife, Ann. The industry was omnipresent and filming in our neighborhood happened frequently. It was so common that it should have felt ordinary, but every single time it seemed magical and the industry continually beckoned. By age fifteen, I had appeared (uncredited) in the 1979 made for TV movie "Elvis," directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell. While enrolled in my first acting class a few years later in college, the experience of watching Jessica Lange's stunning performance in the Oscar-nominated film "Frances" solidified my passion for creating a life in this industry. My career came full circle in 2017 when I had the chance to produce on the Oscar-nominated film "Marshall" with veteran producers Jonathan Sanger (who ironically had produced "Frances") and Paula Wagner. My career in film and television (in both development and production) also included nearly eight years of working directly with Matt Groening ("The Simpsons," "Futurama," "Disenchanted"), two years on the Fox lot with Alan Uger ("True Colors," "Family Ties," "Blazing Saddles") and a year with Faye Dunaway on TNT's "Cold Sassy Tree" along other projects as her development/personal assistant. But then, like a lot of women, I decided to have a family and that meant taking a career break. ​When my step-daughter unexpectedly lost her mom, I left the industry, moved to San Diego and the first of my two sons was born shortly afterwards. My marraige ended fourteen years later and I knew I'd have to reinvent myself. In 2016, I started commuting back and forth to Los Angeles looking for opportunities in which I could utilize my experience. A friend suggested that I try doing background work. Two weeks later, I had my first appearance as a guest star on telelvision (doing improv no less). After a full day on set in Culver City, I drove back to San Diego to audit a Meisner-based acting program. The rush of being back on set that day after so many years away was like coming home...and being in front of the camera was, well, the greatest feeling of artistic expression I'd ever experienced. To dive into a class that night was the best thing I could possibly have done. It set the bar for the artistic commitment I was about to make. It was a brutally long day, but I was hooked! Within six months, I knew what it was like to make a room full of television executives laugh and I landed a recurring role on a CBS-funded TV pilot. Since then, I've appeared in over a dozen commercials and over a dozen theatrical roles, including a TV movie on Netflix, three films on Amazon and an episodic comedy on Roku. I was also honored to be a presenter at the 2019 San Diego Film Awards (filmed live for KPBS). ​These days, I'm living my best life splitting my time between Los Angeles and Carmel-by-the-Sea, with emphasis on acting and producing in equal measure. Both allow me to use the instincts honed in those early years in production, as well as my love of storytelling and character (I have a BA in English/Creative Writing). It may be a juggling acting in a tough business, but I love it and can't imagine doing anything else. I stay grounded with regular training and gratitude for every audition. In between, I try to squeeze in a little sleep and drink way too much coffee. It's just so good to be home... ​*Can work as a local in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco/NorCal, Portland, OR & Boulder, CO.