ALLIANCE — While on campus to receive the Duke Barret Award of Excellence at the M Club Hall of Fame Ceremony on Saturday, November 1, University of Mount Union alumna Carrie Coon ’03 dedicated more than an hour to having an intimate discussion with theatre students and faculty.

“I came here to find a little hope today,” Coon said to the students early on. Joined by her parents, Paula and John, Coon spoke about her path from the Akron suburb of Copley to Mount Union, where she discovered theatre could be a viable career path thanks to the support of Dr. Doug Hendel and Rudy Roggenkamp, both professors emeriti of theatre.

After earning a Master of Fine Arts degree in acting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Coon’s work ranged from commercials and regional theatre in Chicago to motion capture work in video games.

“You are going to have a strange path,” Coon told the students. “But I’m glad you’re pursuing it, because it is worth doing if you’re passionate.” 

For the past decade, Coon’s career has blossomed into her being a mainstay in film and television, earning her critical acclaim for her performances. She has earned a Tony Award nomination and three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, most recently in 2025 for her work on the HBO standout “The White Lotus,” which had a third season finale viewed by more than 6.2 million people.

“The ‘White Lotus’ effect is certainly alive and well,” Coon said on the show’s impact on her career. Yet, Coon is grateful that she can go about her daily life without much fanfare. “I was able to go from JFK [Airport] to Cleveland and Alliance without a problem. I have friends who are on the opposite side of that, and I know it can be miserable at times.”

The current Mount Union students posed questions on creativity and the industry itself, and Coon offered thoughtful responses that came back to one prevailing sentiment: don’t be a jerk. “We get so caught up in being prepared for the work, but it’s more important to go in generous to any situation,” Coon said. “The generosity will get you through all the time.”

Coon took the time to take photos with the students and even shared a FaceTime call with one student’s family, who are fans of Coon’s work. Coon’s next role will take her back to Broadway for the first time in four years in a production of “Bug,” written by her husband, Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright and actor, Tracy Letts. The show begins its run on December 17.

Learn more about theatre at Mount Union by visiting mountunion.edu/theatre.