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

Owen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents made sure to demonstrate to me that hardships do not have to derail dreams. I have food allergies; therefore, I have never been able to eat at my schools’ cafeterias, in classroom parties, or friends’ gatherings. Special provisions have always been the norm for me. Kids in my classes didn’t understand why I declined their offers of food, and on many occasions, this led to excluding me or bullying. I learned from my parents how to create delicious allergy-safe meals and treats, and eventually, began competing as a chef. My healthy take on food led me to cook for First Lady Michelle Obama, Rachael Ray, on Food Network, winning over $45,000 in prizes, and even being named Healthiest Kid Chef in America. I took what was seen by others as a hardship or inconvenience and turned it into a pathway to success. This same ability to change how I look at situations to find solutions, translates into every area of my life from acting to swimming and school work.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I began acting in television and film by way of becoming a chef. That’s a bizarre path, right? Although I participated in church, school, and small community theatre productions, I never considered the possibility of acting on tv. Due to my food allergies, and my affinity for allergy-safe and healthy food choices, I began small catering jobs, learning from award-winning chefs, and competing. Eventually, I entered a contest for Mrs. Michelle Obama’s Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, and ended up winning and attending the Kids’ State Dinner at the White House. This led me to meet Rachael Ray who brought me on her show, and getting contacted by several directors and agents. Eventually, I was offered my first film role, The Place We Hide, and the rest is history. I have been in several commercials and productions, and continue to build a fun resume.

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

Society can best support artists and creatives by remembering that we all are human, and we all live on the planet together. Unfortunately, many assume that being entertained or buying products is all there is, and often, the humanity of the artist is forgotten. Supporting the arts should extend into making sure that students of all ages have access to explore their creativity, and providing venues and funds for all communities to experience theatre, dance, music, visual arts and the like. Creatives and artists do no live on applause, so investment into community arts programs can help artists continue to thrive, as well as provide venues and examples for the next generation.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist includes taking a character from mere words on a script and developing a magical visual and audible journey for the audience. Also, I am able to show other kids that their dreams aren’t impossible. With faith, training, hard work, and the best team, you can make your dreams a reality.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @theowenosborne
• Other: Announced TV & Film projects can be found on IMDb: https://imdb.me/owenosborne
  DDO Artists Agency: ddoagency.com

Image Credits
Amy Casson Photography Charlette Harper Photography Ivy B Photography Scott Gries – © Food Network