We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kaycee Fillbright. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kaycee below.

Kaycee, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I have the unique experience of having the best of both worlds, so to speak. I work full-time during the week running an office in Downtown Charleston, where I am fully invested in the standard 9-5 office setting. Very much a Pam Beesly type, for those of you who watch The Office, but with a bit more responsibility than simply being our office receptionist.

I think that having the ability to work at what I call my “big girl” career, while also being able to go home and record a self-tape audition or travel on the weekends for an acting project…there’s something in the diversity that I appreciate. I’m certain I would be happy with one or the other, but at this point in my life I enjoy the stability and the environment of my day job, AND I enjoy the creativity and pure joy that comes from exploring my passions in the more artistic side.

There may come a point where I take breaks in between projects to focus on my career, or other extracurriculars such as bringing Little Sunshine Thrifts, my thrifted/upcycled clothing business. Whether the hiatus lasts for weeks or years at a time, I know that once I have the time and energy, the joy will always be there and I do not have to choose.

Kaycee, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always been a creative person. I have always loved to read and write, and as I got older, I learned that I much prefer to read what other people are writing and use my editing skills.

I began singing in the school choir between ages 8 and 13. In high school, my interests shifted towards theater. I occasionally played small roles, but I ultimately found a home backstage. Theater tech taught me a variety of skills: Set design, putting together flats and set pieces to bring the environment to life, lighting and sound design, and even stage managing. I always wanted to be on stage, but I felt it was way too difficult as the shy teen I was.

At CofC, I spent time working background on several television series in Charleston including “Mr. Mercedes” and “The Inspectors”. I had not quite convinced myself to take the plunge into speaking roles, but being able to dip my toes in the waters was enough for me. In 2022, after a long break from acting and theater, I officially began my professional (freelance) acting career in Glenn Roberson’s “Murder A Trois”. Since then, I have worked on roughly 20 projects and have been able to better develop my skills with real on-set experience. In June 2023, I was awarded Best Actress at the Wilmington 48-Hour Film Project for Lucas Liu’s “Midas Touch”.

Given that I represent myself, I have had a lot of time scrolling casting websites. Backstage is my tried and true, where I have found 98% of my projects. On one random afternoon, I came across a posting by award-winner Gerry Melendez on ActorsAccess, another incredible casting website. He was putting together a film, I auditioned, and although I did not get the role, he approached me later on about participating as a model in his upcoming photography exhibit. I had always been interested in modeling, despite struggling with being shy and having issues with self-confidence and self-image. I thought back to my youth of always thinking I wasn’t pretty or talented enough. Or they my wildly curly hair, crooked teeth, cheap clothes, and glasses were “ugly”. So when Gerry asked, I accepted almost instantly. His exhibit, titled “Whole”, was hosted at the Stormwater Studios in Columbia, SC. Seeing my photo on the walls of a real art studio was truly surreal.

Scrolling online one day, I came across a story posted by the spouse of a former cast mate of mine—it was a model-call for ECO Runways’ Charleston Streetwear show. Much like with my acting, I made the split decision to put myself out there and apply. Ari reached out to me only days later asking if I was available. Sadly, I was filming for a project out of state and would have to miss it, but I applied for ECO’s 3rd show, Reign, as soon as the application period started. This time, I got in and I had the time of my life! I was able to get a feel for the energy and chaos backstage of a live runway, and it felt so much like my time in theater. I decided then that I would participate in again in ECO 4. Little did I know that this would be a whirlwind experience. I was offered a lead model position, which very soon after turned into a leadership position at ECO. Ari saw in me leadership capabilities that I had not considered developing. In her time of need, I offered my expertise with the same management skills I utilize in my 9-5 career. Accounting and bookkeeping, scheduling, daily operations, communication skills–with the help of our most dedicated ECO team members, we have catapulted our organization into the limelight in a huge way. Our model on the cover of the Charleston City Paper, dinner meetings with international clothing ateliers, stories in the P&C, Holy City Sinner, and even a piece dedicated to ECO here in SC Voyager! We are also officially international, with a branch in Cali, Colombia. Past our professional working relationship, Ari and I have become fast friends, bonding over fashion, sustainability, inclusion, and our inherent need to learn new things all the time.

Through ECO Runways, I naturally fell back in love with thrifting. Growing up in a low-income family, we shopped at bargain stores out of necessity. As I got older, began working hard and stabilized myself financially, thrift shopping became less of a necessity and more of a nostalgic comfort. Thanks to the support of ECO, I founded my own very thrift reseller, Little Sunshine Thrifts. More a side project of mine, but something I have had so much fun putting together that promotes a message of stylish sustainability and environmental consciousness. Plus, I have met some incredible people at the local markets in the Charleston area!

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

Honestly, I don’t have a particular goal in mind when I participate in any of my extracurriculars. Although it would be really neat, I don’t really have a desire to be a famous actress or sought after model, nor do I feel the need for Little Sunshine to be the most popular booth at the vintage markets. I would absolutely be grateful if that sort of thing did fall into my lap, but it’s not at all the driving force behind while I do these things. I participate in these activities because they offer me a sense of fulfillment that I do not find in other things, and it’s something that I will always hold very dear to me. There may be points where I do not do as much in one particular aspect, but as I mentioned before, the joy is always present and waiting for me to return.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think when it comes to community efforts in support artists and creatives like myself, the number one support comes in sharing our work online, purchasing our work, and telling people about us. They say word of mouth is the best form of advertisement, and I do believe there is a lot of truth in that. The more people who see what you are doing, and the more people willing to share in what you are doing, can result in new business from places you never dreamed of!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kaycee.fillbright // @littlesunshine.thrifts

Image Credits

Joshua Caleb Photography
Elea Chateau Photography
Christina Leigh Photographer
NCClarke Productions