ACTRESS CLAIRE HOLT EXPANDS HER HORIZONS BY STEPPING OUT OF HER COMFORT ZONE.

Claire Holt (@claireholt) has lived her 33 years as a woman on a mission. Constantly on the move, the Australian beauty has been driven by her intense ambition, landing iconic roles such as Rebekah Mikaelson on The Vampire Diaries and its spinoff series, The Originals, as well as Emma Gilbert in H20: Just Add Water, that catapulted her to mega-fame and set the fast pace of her blossoming acting career. However, as the world came to a halt in 2020, Holt found herself doing the same. And during this time, she realized it may be time to reevaluate her priorities in life.

“I’ve been guilty of always running to the next thing in my life,” Holt admits. “It was always, ‘What’s next?’ ‘Where am I going now?’ I set these career goals for myself and never took the time to slow down. The lockdown ended up being a time for me to think about my life and my future. And I think now I’m on the right path.”

Following a miscarriage in March 2018, which Holt bravely and candidly revealed to her millions of fans on Instagram, she and husband Andrew Joblon welcomed their baby son, James Holt Joblon to the world a year later in March 2019. In the midst of the lockdowns in April 2020, Holt announced to Instagram that she was expecting once again, this time with a baby girl, Elle Madeline Holt Joblon, who was born in September 2020.

“Being pregnant throughout that time was definitely anxiety-inducing as we didn’t know much about the virus or the potential effects on a growing baby. But it was so nice to be able to spend extra time with my family and just slow down. It allowed me to look into alternative business paths given that the acting world was put on hold,” Holt notes.

Prompting an interest to expand her horizons in the investment world, Holt’s entrepreneurial spirit flourished as she took stake in beauty brand Fig. 1 and launched her first swimsuit collaboration with Andie Swim.

“I allowed myself to think outside the acting world for the first time and explore different areas and teach myself about finance and investing and design, and I got to broaden my prospects and look elsewhere for career satisfaction,” she shares. “I think (for me, at least) as a woman it is sometimes difficult to admit you have the drive and desire to be successful in an avenue that perhaps you weren’t educated in or you don’t have any experience in—but it’s been really exciting and I think I’m figuring it out along the way.”

Holt was originally drawn to female-founded Fig. 1 skincare after meeting co-founder Kimmy Scotti at the end of 2020. After trying the products and being impressed not just by the incredible results but also the competitive price point—all products are under $40 (an anomaly in the beauty industry!)—she knew this was where she wanted to invest.

“After trying the products, I became obsessive and chased them down, asking to be involved in the company somehow—for me, what was most exciting was to realize you can get high-end products that don’t cost a fortune. At that point, I knew we had something really special,” she notes.

Her personal favorites are the micellar cleanser—a silky green oil cleanser that she swears by daily—as well as the retinol renewing cream.

Outside of dipping her feet into the skincare world, she also entered the swimwear industry as she put out a special collaboration with Andie Swim earlier this summer, which gave her the opportunity to learn about fashion, design, size and fit—everything that goes into creating and executing a product from scratch.

“When I first connected with Melanie [Travis], who is the founder of Andie Swim, I realized this was an area where I could have a voice and deliver something consumers would like. I’ve grown up on the beach swimming, and it’s been a huge part of my life. I’ve also seen my body in many different shapes and forms over the last few years, through prepregnancy to pregnancy and postpartum twice now. I understand how overwhelming it can be to find a swimsuit that makes you feel comfortable and supportive, and I feel the brand has done a fantastic job at that. After all, wearing a swimsuit is the most naked you’ll ever be in public, so putting comfort above all else is so important,” Holt notes.

Most importantly, Holt has come to the most rewarding and satisfying conclusion of all—being a mother is now her main role, and something that will come first above all else. Additional career paths will follow suit based on her ability to balance what is most important to her—her children, her marriage and her home life.

“I’m not exactly sure I’ve figured out how to balance it all yet, to be honest. Motherhood is so incredible because as soon as that moment comes, nothing else matters as much as your children or the health of your family,” she shares.

“My entire life from when I started acting at age 16 was always focused on how to reach my goals. When I had kids, I struggled with this back and forth—mentally as a career woman and who I am now—a mother who loves her children more than anything in the world. That’s why it’s been amazing to be able to expand my professional life in areas that complement my home life and don’t require me to leave my family and travel the world on set for months at a time.”

With toddlers just 17 months apart, Holt’s motherhood journey came full speed ahead, prompting her to learn on the go. And she’s doing a stellar job—although she may be too humble to admit it. While she’s extremely candid about her apprehension to step out of her comfort zone and move away from a career that has been second nature to her since she was a child, it is clear that she is ready for her second act.

“I have been so intensely chasing this dream of what I thought my career looked like for so many years. It is a real blessing to have been able to find the courage to veer off that trajectory. I first struggled with it when I had children because I didn’t know myself as any other identity than an actor. But I was thrust into motherhood, and that new identity is handed to you without any experience or knowledge going into it, aside from what other people tell you. It was definitely scary at the beginning, but now I’ve realized what an amazing blessing it has been for me to figure out who I really am as a person outside of the confines of my career.”

While we will always cherish the enchanting Rebekah Michaelson or the charming Emma Gilbert, it’s evident that Claire Holt, mother of two and businesswoman extraordinaire, is her most sensational role yet.

CLAIRE UP CLOSE

Favorite part of Miami: Being able to walk to the beach—it reminds me of Australia!

Guilty pleasure: Love Island

Three things you can’t live without: My children, my husband and chocolate (maybe chocolate and wine combined!)

Something people may not know about you: I’m a real people pleaser—I think people are mad at me at all times.

Dream role: I’d love to do more comedy—it was really fun to shoot the comedy horror film over the pandemic [Untitled Horror Movie], and I realized what a great life it is when you spend all day laughing.

Cheat meal: Pizza

Drink of choice: It’s a toss-up between a margarita and wine!

Bucket list destination: Hawaii

Greatest motivation: My family

---