We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrew John a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Andrew , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Honestly? Yes — but it took a while to get here, and it was anything but a straight line.
It’s kind of wild to think about, but my start in this industry goes all the way back to when I was appearing on PBS Kids. I was just a little kid, but something about being in front of a camera felt right. That carried over into theater, and I pretty much lived in it all the way through elementary, middle, and high school. Rehearsals, performances, auditions — that was my world.
When I graduated, a lot of my peers were stepping back and figuring out what they wanted to do. I just… kept going. I was working in the industry and going to college at the same time — in and out of state — and yeah, it was a lot. There were moments where I was exhausted and honestly questioned whether I was spreading myself too thin. But looking back, that hustle during those early years built something in me that I couldn’t have gotten any other way.
Somewhere in that stretch, I also got into modeling, which I didn’t necessarily see coming. It became its own career path and honestly taught me so much — about professionalism, about presence, about the business side of creative work. Now I’m actually an instructor teaching modeling classes, which still feels surreal sometimes.
Was it like that from day one? No. There were grind seasons, slow seasons, and plenty of doubt in between. But every step connected to the next one, even when I couldn’t see it at the time.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Yes, but it definitely didn’t happen overnight.
It actually started when I was just a kid I was on PBS Kids, and from that point on I was hooked. I threw myself into theater all the way through elementary, middle, and high school. It was just my world.
Right after graduation I didn’t slow down at all. I jumped straight into working in the industry while going to college in and out of state at the same time. It was a lot, but I wouldn’t trade that season for anything because it shaped everything that came after.
The credits started stacking up over time Fear of the Walking Dead, 13 Reasons Why, feature films, short films, independent films, and commercials for major brands like Coca-Cola and Academy Sports. Each one felt like a milestone and a reminder that the grind was actually working.
Modeling came into the picture around that same stretch too, which opened up a whole different lane for me creatively and professionally. That journey has now come full circle because today I actually teach modeling classes as an instructor.
Could I have sped the process up? Maybe. But honestly I think every step happened exactly when it was supposed to. The patience, the persistence, the slow build that’s what made it real and made it last.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Just show up.
Go to the shows. Watch the films. Take the classes. Stream the music. Buy the tickets. It really is that simple and that powerful at the same time.
People consume art every single day but don’t always think about the real human beings behind it who poured years of their life into that moment. The least we can do is pay attention and actually appreciate what we’re experiencing.
Share someone’s work. Tell a friend about an artist you love. Recognize the craft behind what you’re seeing because trust me, there is so much more behind it than what makes it to the screen or the stage.
A little genuine appreciation goes further than most people know. Artists feel it. And it keeps us going.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to be known all around the world. Not in an ego driven way — but in the way that Denzel Washington and Michael Jackson are known. The kind of presence that transcends borders, generations, and time itself. Where your name means something to people who haven’t even been born yet.
I want to be on movie screens and TV screens globally. I want to reach faces I’ve never seen, in places I’ve never been, and make them feel something through my art.
But more than the fame, what really drives me is the legacy. I never want to be forgotten. I want generations from now to still know the work, still feel it, still be inspired by it the same way I was inspired by the greats who came before me.
That’s what gets me up every morning. That’s the mission.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sites.google.com/view/andrewkamauacting/home
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewkamaujohn?igsh=cWdkOTNocmNzaXNv&utm_source=qr
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@macdaddaysaturday?_r=1&_t=ZT-957k3Qpvs5N

Image Credits

Image Credits
Designer @henni_clothing
Photographer @captured_by_antonio
Production @thebureaufashionweek

Basketball Set:
Photographer: @jayd.sun

Austin film Festival and Atlanta film Festival:
Director: insta: @thexman113

Photographer: @dave.mansur_
designer:@numayakpahangden
Runway:@world_runwaycircle

TV show: The Chosen
Fear of The Walking Dead