Carnegie Melon Graduate, CBS Television Star Carter Redwood Launches New Foundation
PITTSBURGH NATIVE AND CBS ACTOR CARTER REDWOOD, son of Tawnya and Carl Redwood, launched his Carter Redwood Foundation in Downtown Pittsburgh, Dec. 22, 2024. (Photo by J.L. Martello)
On CBS’ “FBI: International,” the scripts are perfectly laid out for the actors. The actors learn those scripts, and then the magic happens; the actors perform their roles perfectly, and then in post-production, the television show is prepared for its airing on national television.
But Carter Redwood came clean, admitted to a group of supporters in Downtown Pittsburgh that his latest foray has no pre-determined script. He doesn’t have all his “T’s” crossed and his “I’s” dotted on this latest endeavor, and in the past, that would have stopped him from doing something.
Not this time.
“I’m at a place where I’m allowing myself to take a step,” Redwood, the famous actor who plays special agent Andre Raines on the show, which airs on CBS (KDKA-TV 2) on Tuesday nights,” the show’s author Zig Ziglar said, adding, ‘You don’t have to be great to start, you have to start to be great.'”
And with that, Redwood, the Pittsburgh native, the 2010 Pittsburgh CAPA graduate, the Carnegie Mellon University graduate, officially launched his “Carter Redwood Foundation” where it all started —Pittsburgh.
MAISHA HOWZE, CARTER REDWOOD, MERECEDES J. WILLIAMS (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)
“It’s an idea that has been swirling around in my mind for a really long time,” Redwood said at the Dec. 22, 2024, launch at Cafe Momentum Pittsburgh, on Forbes Avenue. “And to be honest, I didn’t quite know what I wanted to do or how I wanted to do it…the answers will come as we continue to move forward.”
In a 2021 New Pittsburgh Courier report on Redwood by reporter Renee P. Aldrich, Redwood’s acting chops “were established at the early age of 10 when he was approached by Mark Southers, founder and artistic director of the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, to play the role of Southers’ son in ‘When the Water Runs Clear,’ a play written by Southers himself. This was the beginning and place where Redwood said he ‘got bit by the acting bug.'”
Redwood, with former teachers and principals in attendance, along with other dignitaries like Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Wayne Walters, told the story of how when he was at CAPA, he originally didn’t want to go to college. He wanted to go straight to New York City and begin auditioning for roles.
“My mom (Tawnya Redwood) said to me, ‘Would you let a doctor operate on you who didn’t have any training?’ I said, ‘No.’ She said, ‘Well, why don’t you treat your craft the same way?'”
Redwood ended up attending Carnegie Mellon University, and “what was really special was, my mom really exhausted all efforts into looking into scholarship opportunities for me so my time at CMU would be a little bit smoother,” he said. In all, Redwood exited Carnegie Mellon University with pretty much no debt.
“In this industry, it’s extremely difficult to make a living, and she knew there may be some challenges post-graduation to pay back student loans while trying to survive in a very unforgiving industry,” Redwood said. “Literally, you’re met with rejection every day.”
Today, Redwood is seen by millions each week on “FBI: International.” But he is no stranger to rejection, telling the Courier’s Aldrich in 2021 that “people see your successes, but what they don’t see is the times you are not selected. Being told ‘no’ over and over again can be crushing in this industry. If I was not championed by my family and my community, I’m sure the rejections would have done me in.”
Before he appeared weekly on CBS, Redwood was in the HBO sports drama series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” had a starring role in the miniseries “The Long Road Home,” a recurring role in “5th Ward,” and guest appearances on CBS’ “Blue Bloods,” “The Good Wife” and “Madam Secretary.”
CARTER REDWOOD FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEES MYCAH HARRIS AND KIARA SCHON.
Redwood, as part of his remarks, thanked his parents (Tawyna and Carl Redwood), his teachers, principals and all the family and friends who have supported him over the years. He thanked the “community village” that helped raise him in Pittsburgh. He said there was nowhere else he would have wanted to launch his foundation than with the people that knew and loved him first.
Redwood then announced the first two recipients of the Carter Redwood Foundation Scholarship; Mycah Harris and Kiara Schon, who each received $1,000 to help further their education in the arts.
“My vision and hope for this foundation is to be able to impact people all over the world, and give back to people all over the world,” Redwood said. “It is my hope that the Carter Redwood Foundation can be that blessing to students who are on similar journeys…not just the arts. With this Carter Redwood Foundation Scholarship, it gives you a little bit of aid and it adds to you going on to pursue your future endeavors in the arts or otherwise.”
CARTER REDWOOD, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE CARTER REDWOOD FOUNDATION.
DENISE TURNER, CARTER REDWOOD
