Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Bennett
Hi Kim, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I stepped on the stage for the first time when I was 6 years old….which would be over 60 years ago. My first role was as a Mama doll in Babes in Toyland with a local children’s theatre in suburban Cleveland Ohio. I started ballet at around the same time. In college, I earned a BFA in Theatre with a minor in Dance and Voice but to be honest, I am not a great dancer (5′ tall and bowlegged) and after college, I did not keep up with voice training.
What does one do after graduating college if living in Florida in the late 1970s? You go work at Disney World. I spent 8 years there, with 5 of them being in a supervisory role in the Entertainment Department as a Character supervisor. It was great fun running the parades, working the opening of EPCOT, traveling with Mickey Mouse to promote the Disney Channel on this new thing called cable TV..
Marriage and motherhood took me to Atlanta. After the birth of my second child in 1990, I was hoping to be a stay at home Mom and pursue on- camera work. I even got an agent. But life got in the way and back into the workforce I went as a solo parent of 2. Fast forward about 10 years and needing an outlet independent of my work life as an HR professional and a mom, I screwed up the courage to audition for a local theatre, got a role, and spent the next 10 years performing on stage. In 2010, I was at a crossroads in my life. The kids were grown and I was miserable in my job and quite frankly, at my job. I was able to “voluntarily resign” which is code for quit before you’re fired.
By then, I had begun volunteering at a facility that provided horseback riding lesson to individuals with disabilities. I’d loved horses since I was 7 and and to this day, I still ride and am pretty good at it. I loved being at the stables and after a short time, I was asked to become a Saturday instructor. I went on to become a certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor. Having that certification enabled me to seek full time work after leaving the corporate world and that is what brought me to Colorado. I took a summer job running a summer program for the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park. I returned the next summer and stayed. Although there was little opportunity to get on stage up there in the high country, I did manage to snag a role in Anything Goes with the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre the summer of 2012. A new job with a therapeutic riding center brought me to Colorado Springs in 2014 and I was able once again to become involved in the theatre community. But it is a small one and now, as a “woman of a certain age” opportunities are limited. I saw a post seeking models for a new agency starting in the Springs. I signed with them but their focus shifted and I was fortunate enough to get signed by the Donna Baldwin Agency in Denver. I needed more training in front of the camera and in producing self tape auditions and that led me to Steve Austin and The Actors Voice workshop. I am now also signed with Stars Talent Studio in Salt Lake City. Through the workshop, I became part of a wonderful, supportive community of fellow actors and ambitious young filmmakers wanting to work, have fun and make movies. So at the age of almost 69, I’m auditioning, getting a few bookings, studying and taking the opportunities to get in front of the camera as much as possible. I’ve done commercials, print work, student films, 72 hour film festivals and I have a supporting role in a John Wick Fan Film titled Seraphim coming out in January.. It’s taken a while to get here…but it’s never too late to do the things you love, challenge yourself and have fun all at the same time.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One doesn’t reach my age without hitting a few bumps along the way. My children always came first leaving me with little time or money left over to pursue my passions. That’s just life.
Questioning my own abilities, self doubt gets in the way. I’m an introvert so self promotion doesn’t come easy to me. I struggle with making myself memorable.
But I’m at a time in my life now that my choices, time and money are my own and I choose how to spend them. I have the freedom to do what I want, when I want and with whomever I want. That’s liberating. Yes…I’m still anxious waiting for audition results, but I’m so much better at keeping everything in perspective and moving on.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m proud that at my age I’m still “going for it”. I’m an actor shifting from stage to film, trying to master the technology necessary to compete, and learning how to adapt ones performance from stage to screen. I enjoy making commercials and it is fun when people recognize you from a commercial that they saw on TV. I’ve done some short films that have been great learning experiences. Working on a full length film is a goal I hope to accomplish somewhere along the line..I’m still trying to figure out what sets me apart… That’s a work in progress
How do you think about happiness?
Horses, my dog, the people I love make me happiest. Pushing myself to do things I haven’t done before. And man…booking a job that pays well is a really great mood booster!
Life is meant to be experiential not material. It’s cliche but doing what you love and loving what you do are words I try to live by. This time in my life is about having fun while I still can.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Kim.h.bennett
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kim.bennett.779?mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Youtube: @khb121255
Image Credits
Jeremy Rill
Alex Valente
Duncan Hollis
