We were lucky to catch up with Arif S. Kinchen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Arif, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

It was in 6th grade, at Carthay Center Elementary School. It’s been a pretty nice career I would say overall, but in 6th grade it was just about hanging out after school and being amongst friends and as always… a pretty girl.

The play was The Music Man and I was an “Iowa Townsfolk”. I had to learn some dances, some songs, where to be on stage and I got a couple of laughs.
I believe that’s when it really “clicked in” that this might be something I could do.

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?

First of all…. I am @arifskinchen . I am a child raised in a 3 woman household in Los Angeles, CA – specifically Koreatown.

I am a fully L AUSD educated person (K-12).

I started working in cinema/acting when I was 15 on my HS summer break on the classic film House Party. The following HS summer I began working with Kenny Ortega on a project called ‘hell high’ for NBC which went on to be called “Hull High” and doing that project gave me my 1st TV audition. Thanx Cinex/Central Casting.

I then graduated from Palisades High School after being kicked out of LA County HS of the Arts in 12th grade and then I went on to work with Kenny Ortega once again on the 1st Hocus Pocus. I met all the witches too! Very small scene, no lines, but I got to work with him again.

I then went on to working on a NBC show called “Getting By” with the late Merlin Santana as his stand-in and one of our lifelong friends Deon Richmond. From there I worked at numerous record labels doing “Street Promotions”, went to numerous Open Mics and Battles while pursuing music. I also started auditioning & booking roles in commercials and things of such. In 1996 I finally got a TV show which I was 1 of the stars, called “Sparks” with the late James Avery, Miguel A Nunez, Jr., Kym Whitley, Robin Givens and Terrance Howard.

From there I’ve done a couple films.

Then by James Avery’s suggestion, I started doing voice over work via @sbvtalent including radio commercials and TV commercials as well as numerous videogames and animation.

Then you end up where we are now: a father of 2, a married man of over 23 years and a gainfully employed Entertainer and Humanitarian.

About 10 years ago because of the platform we’ve been afforded and our charitable endeavors with children’s hospital LA, we were asked by the blood donor center to figure out a way that maybe WE could be involved with some blood drives.

We went on to create the @askblooddrive , which reached its 10th year during covid, and we’ve done everything from streaming on @Twitch for @ExtraLifeLA and the @MSSociety , to having blood drives w/ celebrities & Video Games and gift giveaways at CHLA, to Back to School Backpack and supplies giveaways with @ZumerSport and things of such.

Truly, this has been a great thing that quasi-celebrity has provided.

Have you ever had to pivot?

One standout moment is when I had to grab some winter work at UPS. My kids were an elementary school (both are in H.S now) and for whatever reason it was just a “slow season” and as opposed to sitting around the house waiting for work, I always chose to get up off my butt and work.

UPS during the holiday season it’s brutal… phenomenally brutal. LoL.

It’s not that I’m afraid of doing the work and I had a lot of great fun, I even got some new boots. LoL. But it was the fiscal amount that was recouped for the amount of work that was done that hurt. It allowed me to really see how blessed I am. We take a lot for granted. We see these people come in and drop off these boxes and they’re at our doors or they put them in our garage and we just believe that “oh that’s just how it’s supposed to be”, but that’s a real person that’s missing a school performance or a real person who’s missing a doctor appointment trying to get some extra overtime.

So it was enlightening, at the same time as a little bit of a gut check, that what I’m allowed to do for a living needs to be appreciated by me… revered even, but not worshipped – just fully appreciated by me, my family and anyone who remotely benefits from my participation in entertainment.
But guess what… I’d do it again to secure food for my table.

What do you find most rewarding about being creative?

It’s FREEDOM and the pursuit of it. Seriously, it’s the ability to utilize a craft that you’ve been taught and to earn income for it. Gainful employment is a serious thing. Being able to go in your refrigerator and have food. Being able to put a key in a car and it starts so that you can get somewhere. And the fact of having Gas in that vehicle. I remember as of late my wife had mentioned to me “You better be happy that you can at least afford to get gas (in comparison to so many that are having to make a choice today) … and she was right! I mean look at it: in our current economic “biodome” there’s a lot going on.

I have been afforded a career that allows me to make some “other choices”, but not always you know? I’m not going to Saint-Tropez or dippin down to a New Guinea or Bali at the blowing of a wind. But I am able to pick up pizza more than once a week , lol. I can go do a drive-through a couple of times a week, lol. Take a trip with family if we plan a lil. These “little” things matter as you start getting older in your career.

The other side of it is having the ability to “still do” what “I do” and what I “love” to do and be able to share my gifts with the population. I mean, you know… only 2nd to musicians are actors. Because we’re able to deal with you on a vibration / cellular level, even micro cellular! You feel it in your bones. you feel it in your soul when a great song comes on or you see a great performance or you hear a great joke.

So the work of entertainment is God’s gift to @arifskinchen and it has truly, truly been freedom.

It’s a captive freedom…. but freedom nonetheless.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0454221/
• Instagram: @arifskinchen
• Facebook: @arifskinchen
• Linkedin: @arifskinchen
• Twitter: @arifskinchen
• Youtube: youtube.com/arifskinchen

Image Credits
Photo by Alexis C. Dickey – © www.alexisdickeyphotography.com