Not So Glorious Beginnings

"It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal"
~ Helen Keller ~

It seems poignant that a quote from one of history’s most inspirational people could be drawn upon to reflect the attitude and aspirations of one of the speaker’s great admirers. Anyone who has spent time in Clare Kramer's company cannot help but be affected by her infectious, enthusiastic yet pragmatic approach to living life as an actress. As a shrewd individual, Clare is not naïve to the potential trapdoors that the fickle path she has chosen for herself can often bring into being but it is the determination and desire that has been with her from an early age that will undoubtedly steer her clear of these obstacles and on to the road of success.

Clare Elizabeth Kramer's journey began on the 3rd September 1974 and her early days had a little bit of a nomadic feel to them as Clare explains, “Well I was born in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm the oldest child and my dad moved my mom and myself to New Orleans when my sister [Callie] was born and then we moved to Ohio, which is basically where I grew up and where I went to high school.” The family settled near Columbus, Ohio where Clare attended Delaware Hayes High School, a time she doesn't exactly remember with affection. It is reported that Clare once described herself as a self-confessed nerd, an admission she finds amusing when reminded of it. " I think high school is the most torture-some time of life for someone," she recalls, "and I think there's even more pressure, at least in America, because everyone says 'oh these are the best years of your life'. I remember being like 15 or 16 thinking 'oh my God if this is the best year of my life then I'm in big trouble because it sucks!' Because Clare knew what she wanted to achieve going forward, it meant that she did not necessarily conform to the pseudo-typical images most often associated with American high school. "You know I was into trying things, I was into the arts but I didn't wear black nail polish and dress in black and I was very into theatre but l still auditioned for commercials so I didn't really fit with that crowd at school," Clare explains, "I didn't really you know fit into the cheerleading crowd and I didn't really fit into the sports crowd, I just did my own thing and there were a few of us that did our own thing. I ran the school newspaper, I started the recycling club, I just kind of sang in the choir, did the dances in the shows and just didn't really pay too much attention and it's not that I didn't want to fit in but I didn't really care about that, I mean I didn't belong to any group."

Although it is hard to believe that this amiable lady could possibly be considered to all intent purposes an outsider during her formative teenage years, did her role as Courtney in Bring it On give her a idea of how different school life could have been had she by her own admission 'fit in'. "First of all Bring It On was the best movie I ever made, it was so much fun to make," Clare enthuses, "but I did get to feel what it would be like to be popular in high school. It was really weird because it was so far from who I was in high school. This character was great but it gave me a totally different perception to the point you know I almost felt more like my sister. My sister was a cheerleader, my sister was in the homecoming group and I kind of felt like I know what Callie went through."