We were lucky to catch up with Kalyn Hardman recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kalyn, appreciate you joining us today. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?
I certainly did not expect my gender identity to change in 2020. And I never could have expected the ways that would not only challenge but elevate my acting career. In the onset of nearly any acting career, a huge factor is your type, essence, and the way you look. Let’s just say my type went from the lipstick wearing best-femme-friend to the self-assured computer hacker rocking a bare face and androgynous button up. Expressing my newfound non-binary identity meant that I began to recognize myself in the mirror and in my auditions. I became wildly more comfortable in my skin, happier, more confident, and more at ease.
However, sharing this identity with the world also meant sharing it with my agents and by extension casting directors. This put me in a kinda scary and wildly vulnerable place. If my agents did not understand and support my gender identity, how could I ever expect to be properly represented in the industry? Thankfully, my reps Tay, Chris, and Maria at Smith Young Talent have been nothing short of incredible. They have supported me every step of the way – even when that meant choosing to no longer audition for female roles. Now that I audition exclusively for non-binary roles (or roles where gender doesn’t matter), I have far fewer auditions, but the ones I have are tailor made for me. It even led to my biggest acting booking to date – a recurring role on a television show that I’m ecstatic to share once it’s released!
Understanding and celebrating who I am has only made me a better actor. For anyone experiencing life changes like this, I see you. Be kind and patient with yourself. Be open and honest with those on your personal and professional teams – if they don’t display emphatic support for who you are, they aren’t for you.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I’ve been in the arts my entire life. I first entered the film and television industry as a dancer in 2015. After having watched a handful of projects premiere, I had the insatiable desire to do what I saw other performers doing on the screen: act. I dove head first into training, soon found representation, and haven’t looked back.
Being non-binary, I bring a voice to the screen that has not been heard enough. I challenge the way viewers see gender on screen and thus how they understand gender in the world around them. That is what I’m most proud of in my work – bringing the true core of myself to any role. If I’ve done my job correctly, the viewers who hold preconceptions of gender expansive people as fake, attention hungry, blasphemous, etcetera can release those ideas and instead see us as human beings who are not so dissimilar from themselves. And gender-non-conforming viewers can finally see themselves represented on screen.
I can’t remember seeing a single non-binary character on screen when I was growing up, yet we have existed for thousands of years. Heck, I had never even heard of the word non-binary or gender spectrum. It is my deepest honor to be part of changing that for the next generation. I think of my dance students, many of whom identify outside of the gender binary, and the world of freedom that is slowly being cracked open for them. My hope for them is to find radical self love and self acceptance far sooner than I did.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
In a good scene, there’s this magical feeling where everything slips away – the camera, audience, director, an internal monologue of “Am I doing this right?” – and all that’s left is you, the other people in the scene, and the task at hand. It feels like flying. It’s exhilarating, gratifying, and intoxicating. That’s the drug I keep coming back for.
What’s more, it all boils down to human connection – truly seeing the other person. In so much of today’s culture, human connection is strained. We say “how are you?” but don’t actually want the answer. We send emojis instead of having face to face interactions. We keep people at arms length, consciously or not. We don’t respond thoughtfully. We lie. I have spent years studying Meisner technique, a practice in which much of that is stripped away. It becomes your duty and your privilege to be truthful and to recognize others’ truths. Without exaggeration, it has been life changing. I now see myself and others through a crisper lens.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Goal setting in the arts is tricky business. There is so much out of our control. I can be the best actor in the room and still not get the job. It’s never a SMART goal (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) to win an Oscar or book X number of guest stars.
Instead I have made it my personal mission to live a life I enjoy. I say no when things don’t feel right (like female auditions), I say yes to things that fulfill me (like Meisner class), I go camping once a month, read fantasy books, take yoga classes, go to therapy, make space for time with friends and time alone. I take care of myself so that I can put my best foot forward in my artistic journey. I’m driven by a desire to see and be seen by others. My ultimate hope is that this journey manifests itself into the queer representation that I did not see growing up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kalynhardman.com/
- Instagram: @kalynhardman32
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kalyn.hardman
- Other: IMDb: imdb.me/KalynHardman
Image Credits
Chase Anderson