We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katrina Chiovon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Katrina, thanks for joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
My mother always told me I can have any life I want… to follow my dreams.
This was extremely important to tell a child or younger adult & it really did help! When parents tell you negative things like you can’t do that or you can’t do this it will really hold you back, so I’m extremely grateful that my mother did not do that and in fact, encouraged me to follow my dreams.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Katrina Chiovon, I’m an award-winning actress, Filmmaker, producer, curator, and founder of a art community that hosts art exhibits.
When people say when did I start acting? It’s a very hard question to answer because I feel like I was just born to do it when I was a kid I used to walk around carrying a giant camcorder around filming stuff and I’d put on shows for my mom and go into my room changed different outfits come back out, pretend to be different characters, but this is before I even knew what Acting was. I didn’t grow up in a town that had acting classes or anything like that and so the closest thing to that was dance school so I started taking dance at three years old. I grew up in a very small town, but I did always participate in my school plays. I even was doing the dance choreography for our productions. I was in the Nutcracker for six years then I went down to New York City and started studying with the New York City ballet when I was about 14 and then when I got into high school, I kind of stopped dancing You know going through some hardships. I ended up moving to New York when I was 17 1/half on a greyhound bus with a backpack this was before cell phones and pagers.
But one thing I always knew is that I was always destined for greater and I needed to just go, and I never looked back!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
One moment that truly tested my resilience was early in my career when I was working hard to establish myself in the industry. I took on a lot of smaller roles in television and film, and while each one was a step forward, it often felt like I was constantly proving myself over and over again. It wasn’t easy, but I never let that discourage me—I just kept pushing, kept learning, and kept growing.
One of my breakthrough moments was landing a role in Ray Donovan alongside the legendary Jon Voight. That experience was surreal, but what people don’t always see is the years of dedication and persistence that led up to that moment. I had been auditioning nonstop, taking every opportunity to refine my craft, and proving my versatility in projects like Law & Order: SVU, Blacklist, and Power. Finally stepping onto the Ray Donovan set felt like a culmination of all those efforts, and it reminded me why I never gave up.
Another defining moment for me was working on The Wright Path, a suspenseful drama-thriller where I had to perform my own stunts. It was physically and mentally demanding, but instead of letting the challenge intimidate me, I embraced it. Pushing myself beyond my limits in that role only reinforced my belief that resilience is about saying ‘yes’ to challenges and trusting yourself to rise to the occasion.
Beyond acting, being a filmmaker and humanitarian has come with its own set of challenges. Creating meaningful films and using my platform for important causes isn’t always easy, but I’m passionate about it. Every obstacle I’ve faced has only made me more determined to keep going. I believe resilience is about staying true to your purpose, even when the path gets tough. And for me, the journey has been just as important as the destination.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the idea that I always had to wait for the ‘perfect opportunity’ to come to me. Early in my career, I believed that if I worked hard enough and stayed patient, the right roles would just land in my lap. But I quickly realized that in this industry—and in life—you can’t just wait for opportunities. You have to create them yourself.
A turning point for me was when I started getting involved in filmmaking. I had spent years auditioning and taking on roles, but I still felt like I was waiting for someone else to give me that ‘big break.’ One day, I decided I wasn’t going to wait anymore. I wanted to tell stories that mattered to me, so I started creating my own projects, collaborating with others, and taking more control over my career. That shift in mindset changed everything. Instead of seeing myself as just an actress hoping for a role, I became a storyteller, a filmmaker, and a creator of my own path.
This lesson applies beyond just my career—it’s about not waiting for permission to go after what you want. Sometimes, the only thing standing in your way is the belief that you need external validation before you can take action. Once I let go of that idea, I felt more empowered than ever. Now, I approach every challenge with the mindset that if an opportunity isn’t there, I can build one myself.
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