We recently connected with Kim Bennett and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kim thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

Technically, I got my first paying gig when I was eight years old. It was a TV Christmas special for a local station in Cleveland Ohio. I had one line (which I remember to this day). It was quite a memorable experience because due to a heavy snow storm, I was driven downtown to the studio by taxi, all by myself and then stayed overnight in a hotel, sharing a room with the other little girl in the film. Of course there was trustworthy adult supervision but no one I actually knew, although my parents did.

After that I was one of the many children in The King when a professional touring company of the show had a 2 week run at the Hanna Theatre in downtown Cleveland. Another great experience. It was many years later before I got my next paying gig.

Kim, 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?

After getting my “start” in Ohio, we moved to Washington D.C. and I did the usual stuff…ballet lessons, piano, chorus, school plays. I performed in the Nutcracker for The National Ballet for two seasons. And there is such a great array of performing arts offerings in DC which I was lucky enough to be exposed to. Not being an especially great student, when college rolled around and I wanted to major in Theatre, my parents were just happy I was going!

Looking back, I wish I had gone to a more challenging school and pushed myself harder. I also wish there had been more choices like there are today but the technology didn’t exist yet!

After graduating with a BFA in Theatre and minors in dance and voice, I had to get a “real” job and as it was the late 70s in Florida, I went to work at Disney World. But not as a performer. I did end up as a Character supervisor, running parades, overseeing the character sets and shows and that was great fun.

Marriage and motherhood took me from Orlando to Atlanta and out of the entertainment world. I had hoped that after the birth of my second child I could be a stay at home Mom and get into film and commercial work. I took some classes and got an agent, but life got in the way and I found myself raising 2 kids on my own so into the corporate world I went and that was where I stayed for about a decade. This is where I missed my chance I think and I wish I’d had the opportunity to see where I could have gone as by then, I had the desire to work harder and the thicker skin to handle the rejection that comes along with being in the business.

Eventually, needing an outlet to keep myself sane, I got involved with semi professional theatre in the Atlanta suburbs, doing one or two shows a year and I loved it! It wasn’t Broadway but it fed my soul and challenged me mentally and physically.

The kids grew up and circumstances brought me to Colorado where again I was able to dabble in theatre. But now, being “a woman of a certain age”, there is little opportunity in the Colorado Springs theatre community. So better late than never, I finally took the leap I’d missed out on 30 years prior and found my way to film and to agent representation.

The moral of that story is that it’s never too late to pursue a passion and success comes in many shapes and sizes. Do what you love and love what you do at every opportunity.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I love the challenge of putting myself out there and not being afraid to go for it. As the bulk of my time has been in live theatre, every experience on stage has been a challenge – creating your character, learning your lines and blocking, working with your fellow performers, going onstage for each performance and keeping it fresh and engaging with your audience each and every time. Reaching the climax and sensing that the audience is right there with you. Hearing the laughter or the sniffles. That’s just the best.

Now, working in film, the gratification is delayed, but it’s still there. When I watch myself on film, I see things in my performance I didn’t get to see on stage. You are more nuanced and you can’t hide in front of the camera. I have many stage actor friends who are reluctant to jump into film because they don’t like how they look on camera now that they are “of a certain age”. I get that. But that is who I am now and I accept that. The challenges are even greater actually as the mind isn’t as quick as it once was but on film, you can get a do-over. Making this shift present the opportunity to learn something new. So the fact that I am still ready, willing and able to still put myself out there that is different is something I am proud of.

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

My goal at this stage of my life is to enjoy each and every creative opportunity I get. I am truly blessed to be part of a core of actors working with RDE films, a team of young. vibrant filmmakers. Their enthusiasm, creativity and passion is so exciting to be a part of and while I am the “senior” member of the core, I am afford so much respect and love from them that I just want to be the best that I can be. We have just released our first film, a John Wick Fan Film titled Seraphim that is kick-ass and we begin our next project. a horror film titled Apocrypha, at the end of January. I’m hoping that these projects will teach me a lot and bring me more opportunity in front of the camera. And of course, to have fun!!!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kim.h.bennett
• Facebook: www,facebook.com/kim.bennett.779
• Youtube: @khb121255
• Other: https://IMDB.me/Kimbennett

Image Credits

AJ.Bennett
Duncan Hollis