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

Alright, Candace thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I first got excited about acting when I was four years old. My parents were going through a divorce, and my mom would drop us off at a daycare center before work. There were plenty of activities to choose from, but I always gravitated towards the skits. Honestly, the daycare became my happy place, and when I got to elementary school, I kept finding opportunities to perform.

My mom wasn’t so much a fan of my passion, and she would always ask me if acting was really the best use of my brains. I understood where she was coming from – she wanted to make sure I could take care of myself. I weighed my options and my other academic interests, but I always found my way back to the arts.

And that was that! I got my BFA and MFA thanks to generous scholarships, earned my professional Equity card while in school, and spent my summers doing summer stock or performing at theme parks. As soon as I finished grad school, I packed my bags and moved to New York City to give my dream a shot.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an actress, speaker, voice over artist, co-host on a talk show and soon to be producer. I work primarily on family-friendly and faith-based entertainment.

I can be seen as the quirky Janet in the crime drama Vindication with the wonderful actors Todd Terry and TC Stallings. I play Dr. Flores in the Christmas feature An Angelic Christmas with award winning artists Karen Abercrombie and Cameron Arnett; Sister Anne in Angels Unaware; Heather Gray in Running the Bases: and as Anne Larson in the soon to be released film My 7 Grandmas with stand up comedian Jeff Allen and dynamic newcomer Kate Larson. I can be heard on audio books, audio dramas, and narrations for numerous projects. When I’m not acting, I’m blessed to be a frequent co-host for the television show The Christian View, which takes today’s hot topics and weighs them against God’s Word.

And now, my latest adventure: I’ve created a production team with some amazing women called TriLight Pictures. We’re currently fundraising to produce our first film, Crowning Lori. It’s a delightful comedy with a heartwarming message that is created by women, about women, for women. We’d love to have you join us on this journey.

I’m proof that it is never too late to pursue your passion. I earnestly believe that if God has placed a dream in your heart, He will bring it to fruition in His perfect timing. It’s easy to become discouraged by the time line or circumstances, but if I could encourage you to keep your eyes fixed on Him and keep moving forward with the next step.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience: yes! My faith became even more important to me while working in NYC. I began really asking questions about the content of my roles. What was the message? What was the takeaway for the audience? Is this something that I wanted to represent? I was also newly married and we were wanting to start a family. After my own childhood, I was committed to being fully present for my children. So after much prayer, I left the industry, began raising a family– all the while writing and directing for schools and churches.

Fast forward 20 years and I felt the Lord was calling me back to this field. I love the arts and fully believe that media can inspire, uplift, and impact if done with excellence and integrity. Still, we are talking 20 years which is a long time. Whatever traction I had gained, I was now on the bottom rung, starting over from scratch. I repeatedly asked God, “Are you sure you are calling me back to this?” And the answer was a resounding “Yes, Candace, let’s do this.”

It hasn’t always been easy, but it has definitely been an adventure. I have experienced divinely appointed encounters that I could never have orchestrated on my own. But I have also been passed over for great roles for someone more famous. The journey stretches my faith tremendously, and I have had to press into His Word and His promises. God reminds me daily that He sees me and is working all things out.

These days, creating a production company has been a HUGE leap of faith. I’m learning so much about the business side of production that I never expected to learn. Moreover, I am just so grateful for the people I get to run alongside as we run this race.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I’m motivated to do work that matters–work that truthfully expresses the human condition while showing there is great beauty in redemption. Initially, when I re-entered this industry, I was given very heavy dramatic roles to play, but recently, I have been graced to play quite a few quirky characters as well. Regardless if it is a comedy or drama, I want to authentically portray each character. I don’t mind playing a character that is broken, struggling, hurting, or even “evil” as long as the writer shows the arc, the turning, the healing, the redemption.

My desire is also that I tackle every project with excellence. Years ago while in graduate school, I was taught to be the hardest worker in the room– when you complete a project always leave them with a sweet taste in their mouth. My prayer is that I add value to a project, serve the story, and serve the others that I am fortunate to work with. Creating a film or any project takes a great deal of collaboration. And I am so blessed by the amazing artists that I have been fortunate to work with in front of and behind the camera. I am humbled to be able to return to this industry and do what I love: telling great stories.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://candacekirkpatrick.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/candacekirkpatrickactress
• Other: https://imdb.me/candacekirkpatrick http://crowninglorimovie.com

Image Credits
Headshot–Barb Jones Black Dress and The Glitch-Christine Tonkin Black Dress with TCV and TCV Group shot–Mia Liquori