We recently connected with Katie Stone and have shared our conversation below.

Katie, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

My very first paycheck from acting was a short student film called “Lothario” in 2013. It was shot in Dallas, Texas by students at the Art Institute and I think it might have been for $100. When I was handed that check with the name of the project and my character, I felt like I had arrived. I had been in a few short films unpaid so this felt like such an achievement. I was paid to create. I will never forget that feeling and I try not to forget it when I get sucked into the roller coaster of emotions that is the entertainment business.

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

I have been performing in front of an audience since I was three years old. My parents enrolled me in dance classes and I kept that up until early college. I wasn’t a great dancer, but I enjoyed expressing myself and having a creative outlet. I took some acting classes when I was in elementary school and again in high school, starring as Ann Deever in “All My Sons” by Arthur Miller. I remember thinking how thrilling it was to be on stage as a character in a beautiful script. I wanted to do more of it, but I didn’t have artistic guidance so I did what I thought I was supposed to do; I went to college.

I booked a short film in college but didn’t start taking the craft seriously until after I graduated. I was not thrilled with the idea of a conventional job, one without art. so, in 2012, I auditioned for the community theater in my hometown. I booked that play and felt like I was a working actor (even though I was not getting paid). After that, I auditioned for as many short films in the area as I could and enrolled in scene study classes. I worked on Shakespeare, techniques by Meisner, Stella Adler, and Chekhov, and worked on my relationship with myself, my emotions and my nervous system. I was a sponge. I used footage from acting classes and un-paid short films to cut together a demo reel. Once I felt confident enough I submitted to some talent agents and, to my surprise, I got signed by a top agency in Dallas. I have been working for a decade now, some years better than others. Some of my proudest achievements are my co-star role on Netflix’s “Longmire” and starring in “Murder Made Me Famous” as Pamela Smart on the Reelz Network. I have appeared in over a dozen national commercials, voiced over various commercials, tv shows and animés and taken to the stage in productions like “Pride and Prejudice” and “Steel Magnolias”.

I currently reside in Dallas, Texas with my husband. We started our own production company, No Moss Productions and have produced several short films so far. We are currently working on a documentary series, another short film and some feature films. We collaborate with creatives in the area and some across the country, producing work that has appeared in festivals and events. We have expanded our company to commercial media, helping local brands build out their online presence with video media and brand photography. We love working with brands that are looking to make a difference in the world and need a way to communicate to their audiences what they do. It’s so satisfying to create with passionate people and we plan to continue doing just that in 2024.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had had a mentor early on to help guide me in this business. I could have benefitted from some wisdom and troubleshooting and I encourage anyone entering the business to find someone they trust.

I also wish I had read “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron earlier on in my creative journey. This book transformed my creative process and confidence in my own expression. It is a valuable tool I still use when I am feeling stuck, insecure or comparative.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

As an actor, you meet a lot of characters along the way. When I was first starting out, I would read a breakdown for a character and would judge them. I used my set of life experiences and biases to try and fit this character in a reality that made sense to me and sometimes that doesn’t work. One thing about being a human is that playing another human allows you to use what you do know about living and apply that to the character you are playing. But sometimes it’s hard to understand where a character is coming from. They are so unlike you it’s hard to find the common denominators. Just like when you are in traffic and someone cuts you off, or is rude to you in the grocery store, it is so easy to pass judgement and convince yourself that you understand that person. The truth is, that is such a small percentage of their humanity. The same is true for the breakdown or script you read. There is an entire iceberg of the character you can’t see and it is up to you as the artist to discover it, create it. I have had to unlearn my quick passing judgements of others and exercise more compassions and empathy to the characters I meet. I got to this place by training and reading plays. There is no better source material for an actor than a really, well-written play.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nomossproductions.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiethestone/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekatiestone
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nomossproductions
• Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.me/katiestone