Wally Baram has spent the early part of his twenties in the author’s room. After releasing from college after a year, the 28-year-old has written on several streaming hits, including “what we do in the shadows” and “shrinking”, but it wasn’t until Benito Skinner’s college comedy that she got a chance to step on the other side of the camera.
“To be honest, before this I wanted to act, and that was kind of why I entered this industry,” Baram tells Thewrap. “But I could only never imagine, in a million years, that someone would like to see me or how I do things on the screen.”
Baram started in the author room at “Overcompensating,” Building a relationship with Skinner and Showrunner Scott King, but she did not have full faith in her abilities. She said that the personality on social media turned creator of the main video series took her under his wing and gave her the assurance that she could embody his confidence Carmen.
“It has, frankly, like a real gift of an experience in self-esteem-boat to look at myself do the job and be like ‘wow, I could do this’, and that people respond positively to it,” she said. “This is the gift that I hopefully continue to continue to bring to other projects is a little more confidence.”
Carmen is a somewhat awkward college beginner at Yates University, who is struggling with the death of his brother and the importance of fit. She becomes friends with Benny (Skinner) and after a Cringe-worthy first connection they decide that they are better just friends.
For Baram’s first role on the screen, she said that to discover Carmen, she had to be hyperaware of her Wally-Ismer and was she and the character deviates.
“I had to be very aware of who Wally was and that they are very different people. Since Wally on the screen, especially in this role, I think I would not have been as entertaining to watch, because when I have deep emotions, I don’t mind. I go very internally.”
The newcomer said she worked with an actor to hone her skills and find moments where she could sprinkle in her own tics.
“Overcompensating” has imprisoned fans online since it was released, which has led to many fan edits and viral moments. But Baram said she tends to stay offline. Most of her fans interactions have been from people IRL – “Many gay guys are like” Diva! “, From across the street,” she joked.
Carmen’s Kooky, Clout-chasing roommate Hailee Marie Matthews, played by Holmes, has been a fan favorite online with some of her catch phrases that got her own life. Baram said that the work with the comedian was a constant flow mode, and they fed each other’s “Woo Woo” artist pages.
“Our relationship off the screen is much as one of complete and total acceptance of the other eccentricity,” she said. “We have a deep contrast, but also perhaps synergy in our personalities.”
Baram said that after working on several first seasons of exhibitions from the writing side, she has learned to have “zero expectations” for the reception of a new series and let the work speak for herself. Prior to a renewal of the second season, Baram said that “overcompensating” author room has not returned yet, but she has some predictions for where the series could follow its rockhangs, where her character Carmen abandons her best friend after kissing his campus crusher.
“Classic TV writing would beg that I make some kind of grand gesture, and then we are back to normal,” she explained. “But at the same time, I also think that we like to keep believing in things and relationships, so I’m sure it will be a little caginess and a real experience of what it is like to gain confidence back. And I hope for a moment where they feel they are back where they were.”
“Overcompensating” is now flowing on Prime Video.
