Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Lou Dennis.
Kelly Lou, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I realized I wanted to pursue acting since I was 14 years old when I played a mermaid in a stage production of “Peter Pan.” I’d been writing fictional stories since I was a child, but when I was 20, I was introduced to screenwriting- the perfect writing format for me. It took nine years of planning and finding the right time, but I finally was able to move from San Francisco to LA and have been immersing myself in multiple types of acting classes as well as starting three new screenwriting projects!
Great, 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?
It can be rough seeing my peers start jobs at companies like Google and Apple, which seems to be “The Dream” in the Bay Area. Many people don’t understand how artists can risk everything to pursue such lofty and idealistic careers, but what they don’t see is that for many artists, we have no choice. Our passion is too strong to give it up and settle for a 9-5 desk job.
Another challenge is how frequently artists are told “no,” whether that be in auditions, in meetings with possible representation, even in pitching a new idea. But at the end of the day, the biggest struggle is not letting the disappointments overshadow the hope and creative inspiration. Perseverance and positivity are key, especially because most people do not find overnight success.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a proud actor/screenwriter. I act in film, TV, and commercials and I write screenplays, primarily feature films. I’m very proud of the humanity I bring to both elements of my art. In my acting, my emotional availability helps me find honesty and connection in my scenes. In my screenwriting, characterization is one of my strengths. I focus on developing each of my characters into a very unique individual, who has their own emotional arc throughout the story.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My parents were divorced most of my life, but I remember one day at school in the 4th grade when both of my parents came to eat lunch with me and the three of us shared a carton of strawberries, just being together.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kellyloudennis.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kellyloudennis/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyloudennis
Image Credit:
James DePietro, Jamaal Murray, Anne Beyer
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