Before Wally Baram made her acting debut on Overcompensating, she employed her comedy chops for stand-up and writing for shows like Apple TV+’s Shrinking and Hulu’s What We Do in the Shadows. Even when the queer creative began writing for her character Carmen on Overcompensating, she never dreamed she’d end up playing (and excelling at) the role of the big-hearted BFF to the closeted Benny. The transition to the spotlight wasn’t easy.
“I think I tackled a pretty deep fear of visibility — with an amount of authenticity I feel pretty satisfied with,” she says. “I think everyone experiences this when they gain a platform. … I wasn't sure how I would handle it, but I grew more comfortable, maintained a strong sense of selfhood, and stayed rooted in what was important to me.”
“You can live authentically, even chaotically or imperfectly, and still find success. In fact, I think that can be a facet of success,” Baram says. @wallybaram
