Soundings: Episode 55

Carolyn Murphy

On her double life as a supermodel and surfer, the fashion industry, the shock of moving to NYC, deviance, acting, motherhood, and the futility of trying to fit in.

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Carolyn Murphy is a supermodel, actress, and environmental advocate. Her Vogue shoot with Steven Meisel in the late 1990s launched her into a fruitful, three-decade long career. In 1998 she was named VH1/Vogue’s Model of the Year. She played Dubbie in the 1999 feature film Liberty Heights, directed by Barry Levinson. She was also one of the “Modern Muses” on the November 1999 millennium cover of American Vogue. She’s also a surfer, and moved from NYC in the late 1990s to be closer to the waves in LA. Today, Murphy is an ambassador for Surfrider, The Wellness Foundation, Animal Haven, Edible Schoolyard NY, Ocean Unite, and No More Plastic. Along with being a mom, activism is a key component in her life. In this episode, Murphy talks with Jamie Brisick about the shock of New York as a young model, the shoots that changed her career, splitting time between Costa Rica and New York, the fashion industry, performativity, the challenges of introversion, surfing, and going against the grain.   

Produced by Jonathan Shifflett.
Music by PazKa (Aska Matsumiya & Paz Lenchantin).

Feature image by Nate Hoffman.