Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Randy Rochford. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Randy , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
Oh boy, do I have a funny story for you! The year is 2006, I’m nine or ten years old, and I’m sitting on the floor of Mrs. Pacillo’s classroom with the rest of my noisy second-grade classmates for career day. I’m excited, my palms are sweating, and my heart is pounding with anticipation because I had previously found out that a veterinarian from my hometown (Strasburg, Colorado) will be presenting to the class and answering some questions about their field of work. Subsequently, I also found out that the veterinarian happens to be the father of one of my classmates, which I thought was super cool.
Not long after, Mrs. Pacillo quiets us down and gives us the guidelines for how we should act during the presentation and how it will be facilitated. She then motions for the veterinarian to take “the stage” and introduce themselves before making her way to her seat. The veterinarian takes the stage and introduces themselves to the class as Dr. Reed Hanks (DVM). After introducing himself to the class, he begins his presentation by divulging his journey to becoming a licensed veterinarian in Colorado. By the time he got to talking about getting his education from Colorado State University, I was already 100% sold on the idea of becoming a veterinarian so I could help cute animals like cats, dogs, guinea pigs, and yes, even penguins. I guess you could say my passion for helping animals came from my own experience with bottle-feeding the stray kittens I would find under the pack porch of my elderly neighbor’s trailer.
Then a half hour goes by, and it’s getting close for Dr. Hanks to wrap up his presentation, but before he does, he rolls up a tv stand into view and inserts a DVD into the DVD Player and shows us a video of him giving a female cow a c-section. I wished he hadn’t gone and done that because my face went from awe to nope very quickly. Just by looking at my face, you could tell I was rethinking my very existence. I looked exactly like the meme of a woman trying to solve a math equation. It was terrible, but also very funny. I can handle the sight of body parts and blood, but once it gets to the act of making an incision, it’s like nails on a chalkboard for me. After watching the video, I felt a little unsure of what I wanted to pursue next. I tried to figure something out by listening to the other presenters after Dr. Hanks, but nothing stuck. It wasn’t until I got home from school that the stars started to align and make sense again.
Later that evening, around 7 PM, I was sitting on my couch in a trance, watching a new episode of Chef Gordon Ramsey’s reality competition series, “Hell’s Kitchen”, when suddenly, I start to feel goose-bumpy. This new-found feeling was happening during the part of the episode when Chef Ramsey puts both the Red and Blue team head to head for a chance to win a leg up in the competition. Seeing the teamwork and the passion flood through both kitchens was absolutely mesmerizing and breathtaking because you could see how much they valued the industry and Chef Ramsey’s techniques. This exact moment in the show was when I knew I wanted to pursue the creative lifestyle of a professional chef. However, that dream simmered down once I started falling in love with the idea of becoming an actor and dancer during my eighth-grade year of middle school after watching countless seasons of “Glee”. It wasn’t so much the idea of becoming famous that made me so drawn to performing. It was having the platform and power to change people’s lives through the art of storytelling and self-expression that made me interested in becoming an actor and dancer. Understand that I still have a passion for cooking, but that’s for a moment of me time and re-grounding myself. To this day, I am so grateful for that whimsical and theatrical child from eighth grade because I am currently living my dream of being a working actor, model, and dancer.
Randy , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Before I start, I want to give a great big HELLO and WELCOME to all my supporters and anyone new for taking the time to read my interview with Camila Sanchez from CanavasRebel Magazine! It means the absolute world to me to have your attention and support!
For those who don’t know me, my name is Randy Rochford, and I am an actor, published model, dancer, costume designer, screenplay writer, and producer/director based out of Greeley, Colorado. My love for performing and making art didn’t really occur to me until my eighth-grade year of middle school when I ditched my frying pan and apron for countless bingeable seasons of “Glee”, and many sequels of “Step Up”, “X-Men”, “Bring it On”, and “Twilight” on the couch. However, my career as a versatile artist didn’t begin until 2016 when I started my BA in Theatre Studies and Minor in Dance at the University of Northern Colorado, which is where I graduated in the spring of 2020. My time at the University was very rewarding because it gave me the training and knowledge I needed to compete with other artists on and off campus in Colorado.
What sets me apart from other artists is my ability to adapt and be resilient in the face of adversity. No matter the obstacle I am always ready for the challenge. I may fail or I may succeed in the process, but it’s better to try and find out than do nothing at all. I would also say I have the innate ability to conjure up a new piece of work that is fresh and original within a short amount of time after being inspired by something small and simple or grand. An example of this would be when I curated and modeled for a photo shoot dedicated to coffee after eyeing an angular coffee carrier that was displayed by my supervisor from the Hard Bean in Fort Lupton. I obviously took my time to produce this project, but I executed it in a way that would be quick and organized to meet a deadline I’d set for myself. I would also say I’m pretty versatile as an artist because I combine all of my artistic mediums to tell a story and provide a platform for people who feel unheard and unseen. On top of that, I take the time to hone my many mediums through the utilization of workshops and masterclasses that teach how to be an entrepreneur, how to audition for casting directors, how to create a character from scratch or from details given in a script, and utilizing spare time to read and write to get a better understanding of how the industry works.
Due to my nose-to-the-grindstone kind of attitude and passion, I have accomplished so much during my time of being in the entertainment industry. I’ve been in three feature films one of which is streaming on Amazon Prime and other platforms. I’ve also done a couple of short films to give me the experience I need to do feature films. On top of that, I’ve written two short films that will showcase my skills as an actor, writer, director, and producer. I’ve also done a couple of runway shows as a model for reputable designers in the Denver area. In addition to runway shows, I’ve also done photoshoots for indie lifestyle brands such as Hello Toothpaste and Serengetee. As a model, I’ve also had my editorial concept and stylings of coffee published in a magazine called Vigour Magazine. Not only did I have a 7-page spread, but I was also the cover model for their September ’22: Issue 07. Not only was I pusblished in Vigour Magazine, but I was also published in Fashion West’s Winter ’22 Issue with a 4-page spread. I am truly grateful and proud of all the success I’ve been having and I can’t wait to see what else the future has in store for my career.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Yes! I recommend that everyone go read “Dance Your Dance” by Laurieann Gibson because it provides all creatives, not just dancers, with an eight-step road map on how to go about embracing the power of not giving up on your dreams and how to level up your business. She executes these eight steps by allowing me, the reader, to dive deep into her successes, experiences, and adversities. By sharing her stories, I was able to take in the key points from each chapter and apply them to my career. I think my favorite chapter by far was Step 4: Stay in Your Yes because it taught me how to dodge distractions and to stay on my own path through the examples of Laurieann’s choices within the entertainment industry.
I also suggest that actors read the “Audition” by Michael Shurtleff, a book that teaches the do’s and don’ts of auditioning. Not to mention, providing twelve guideposts for the actor to learn how to build a character from scratch based on the information given in the script. I think this book is very beneficial for the actor because it has personally helped me with understanding what the director and/or casting director is looking for in an actor for a specific role. On top of that, it has helped me to become more organized and fast on my toes when preparing for an audition whether it’s in-person or online.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
There are countless ways to support artists of all backgrounds and the community. One is supporting your local artists and/or local businesses before making big purchases at popular commercial businesses within the 1%. I understand wanting the next big thing, but I think you’d make more of a difference within your community if you bought from local artists who pride themselves on their great customer service, community service, and quality of the product. I also think promoting artists on your socials or through word of mouth is a great way to show your appreciation and support for artists that did everything in their power to give you a memorable experience you can never forget. And speaking of memorable experiences, I think society should do everything in its power to take care of its local artists and not exploit them. Because the last thing an artist wants to feel is used. Not only should we as a society respect artists. We should also create more policies within our community to help finance and protect the basic rights of artists.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://randyrochford2.wixsite.com/randyrochford
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theerandyrochford/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/randy.rochfordvinson/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7gMs3KJULQlISEKiSiYbiA
- Other: Represented by nxt|MODEL: https://www.nxtmodel.com/profile/randy-rochford/
Image Credits
Chronological order 1.) Feature Photo – Marco Robinson Photo, 2.) Singular SmodCastle – Calvin T. Shepherd, 3.) Group SmodCastle – Thomas Zapcic Photography, 4.) Group BTS – Luke Fischer, 5.) Vigour Coffee/Break Cover – Randy Rochford, Adriane Leigh Photo, and Vigour Magazine, 6.) Coffee/Break Pose – Randy Rochford, Adriane Leigh Photo, and Vigour Magazine, 7.) Group Oculus Dei – Fashion West Magazine and Hardy Klahold Photography, and 8.) Singular Oculus Dei – Fashion West Magazine and Hardy Klahold Photography