REMEMBER - Carolyn Tkachenko Joins the Cast as Young Tabitha

Meet our newest actor

A group of friends in an isolated cabin are terrorized by a malevolent force that picks them off one-by-one. As each character is taken, the survivors forget that their friend ever existed, causing ripple effects that affect their personalities, relationships, and ability to survive the night.

We’re thrilled to welcome 13-year-old Carolyn Tkachenko to the cast of our upcoming horror feature REMEMBER! Carolyn will portray Young Tabitha, the child version of our film’s lead character—and we couldn’t be more excited about the casting match.

Carolyn first caught director Jeff Corpening’s attention after her mom, Svitlana Tkachenko, saw a casting post on Facebook. “I saw that photo of the older Tabitha and it blew my mind how much she looked like Carolyn,” Svitlana said. “As soon as we sent Carolyn’s picture to Jeff, he saw it, too.”

She added, “When I watch films that show younger versions of a character, I always notice bad casting—it’s immediately distracting. This is going to be a perfect match.”

Image Credit: Svitlana Tkachenko

Though this is her first feature film, Carolyn is far from new to performing. She began acting in fourth grade, starting with a school production of Annie (as Annie), followed by roles in the Green Room Community Theater in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (as Young Annabeth), Matilda (as Matilda), and an independent production called Water Inc. about climate change. “Water Inc. was a really great show,” Carolyn shared. “I was the youngest one there, and I got to learn from all these older actors and actresses.”

Carolyn is thoughtful and observant about her craft, saying, “For live theater, you have to exaggerate emotions. For movies, you have to pull back and show more through your face.”

Despite the genre, Carolyn is excited—not intimidated—about her horror debut. “I know I won’t be acting with a real monster on set,” she said, “so I’m excited about the challenge of showing fear over something that isn’t there, and then watching the film to see how everything turns out.” She’s a horror fan herself, admitting she “hates scary things in real life, but loves horror movies.” Recent favorites? The two Smile films—“I watched them with my parents.”

Carolyn lives with her family in the Lake Norman area of North Carolina, where they’ve been for the past eight years. Originally from Ukraine, the Tkachenko family moved to the U.S. 14 years ago and lived in Chicago and Texas before finding their current community. “Our area has four or five very strong, ongoing theater programs,” Svitlana said. “It’s a great, supportive place. Carolyn is really thriving.”

Carolyn’s especially excited to share the screen with American Idol winner Caleb Johnson, who appears in the film’s prologue. “I’m very grateful that I get to work with him,” she said. “The first time we met, we had a funny conversation about how we both performed in the musical Annie. That was a connection I didn’t expect.”

Looking ahead, Carolyn hopes to pursue acting long-term. “I really want to keep playing interesting characters in projects that have a real meaning behind them.”

Her mom is enthusiastically behind her daughter’s film debut, even if it is alongside a murderous creature. “I’m a fan of the genre, too,” Svitlana said. “I’m very excited for her.”

Welcome to the REMEMBER family, Carolyn!

Thanks so much for following us. We can’t wait to start filming this month! Find us on social media for all the gory details. If you’re interested in joining our project as an investor, you can email us at [email protected].