Meet Kelsey Cooke

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Cooke.

Hi Kelsey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My Dad studied film and television in college in Oklahoma and was a director when I was growing up, my mom was an actor for a long time, and so I naturally fell into the industry. We moved to Burbank from Tulsa, Oklahoma when I was six years old because my parents founded a production company. I was so upset to move at that age, I told my parents I would move back to Tulsa as soon as I turned 18! But when I got here, I booked an agent at seven, started working as an actor, and ever looked back.

I discovered theatre when I was in middle school, began doing local productions when I was in high school, and ended up studying theatre in college. I met my husband Chris Guerra in college in a production of “Annie” and we eventually were married and moved to New York. We really did the “on a hope and a dream” thing. We waited for hours in line to audition for broadway shows, booked some tours and off-Broadway, and I ended up doing Film and TV out there (Royal Pains, Pan Am), which brought me back to LA.

I had booked three different pilots that never sold, but we decided to stay in LA. I became pregnant, and Chris was on the National Broadway Tour of Sister Act, I was doing commercials and then we had our daughter Kennady. Once she was born, I went back into the grind of auditioning, and Chris took a class at the Groundlings Improv School in Hollywood and loved it. I started taking classes there too, and only stopped to have our second child, a son named Clyde. Once he was born, I was done having kids and began my journey to getting back in the biz.

Chris ended up flying through the Groundlings program, becoming a Main Company Member and we both were frustrated that despite all our hard work and years of the grind, we still hadn’t hit a break. We were tired of waiting for our “moment” and relying on agents and managers to get our foot in the door. There are just too many actors in LA, and the industry was changing.

I always knew that I wanted my own production company, and Chris and I both talked about “one day” writing and producing our own material for TV & film. It turned out the pandemic was the perfect catalyst. We knew when we were locked down it was our chance to finally create something that was ours. We partnered with our good friend from college and talented director of photography, Matt Koppin, and we sat down to storyboard and write an outline for a fully-improvised feature film in the fall of 2020. Even though things stayed locked down, we were focused and began shooting January 3rd, 2021. We started small, shooting one person interviews with no crew – just the three of us following all the safety guidelines. I produced the film and took on basically every crew role except directing (Chris and Matt co-directed) including being an actor in my own film.

We only had 18 shooting days total but it took six months in full to shoot, both here in LA and in Tennessee, which is where the story takes place.

So Chris and I co-founded “This is Hard to Read Productions,” and RE-OPENING is our first feature film. We are now working on our next projects (yes, multiple) while touring with the film to Film Festivals nationwide, where we have already won 3 awards for the film (Best Feature and Best Comedy at the Beaufort International Film Festival, as well as a Remi Award from Worldfest Houston). So we have a lot in front of us!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
As a child actor, I don’t think I understood the industry completely. My Mom took me to every audition and dozens of classes, she drove me around LA with our Thomas Guide, and she is the reason I had so many opportunities.

I do remember one meeting I will never forget. I don’t remember if it was an agent or manager, but I remember sitting in front of a big desk when I was about 11 years old and hearing someone tell me that I just wasn’t pretty enough to make it. That I didn’t have the “star factor”. I don’t remember anything before or after that moment but I’ll never forget it.

I feel very privileged to have had the opportunities my parents worked so hard to give me growing up: the training, the lessons, the agents and auditions. But being an actor most of my life and the rejection that comes with that after so many years definitely has an impact.

One thing is the constant need to prove yourself. Which in a sense is reasonable because how can people truly know your full capabilities and talents if they don’t see it? We all think: “If they would just give me a shot I could show them” and actors can let that eat them alive. When I was in theatre, I felt like people didn’t really take me seriously. My parents were proud but they knew the industry and I’m sure even they had their doubts. I have felt a sense my entire life that I’ve been trying to prove myself, but it’s also what has driven me this far. This industry takes time and patience. No one gets discovered overnight.

One of my biggest fears has been that I would never get my chance, so I knew I had to give myself that chance and not wait on anyone.

Having a Family:

But what if having a family is important to you? Other actor-friends ask me: “When is the right time to have a family?” The answer is never. But the great thing is, the industry isn’t going anywhere. It’s changing a lot, but if it’s important to you, you have to make it work, and my parents are great examples. Are there sacrifices that come with that? Absolutely. I gave up years of my career and then had to rebuild those years. I worried about my body never being the same and it was harder with the second child. Was it worth it? Absolutely. I’m so grateful and I’d never take anything back. Creating my own production company and this feature film is my own personal “re-launch.” We can’t forget that in the middle of our insane hustle, we also have a very short life to live. Stopping and taking inventory of what’s important is really key in this industry or it will swallow you whole. I spoke to a director once about that – he said he wanted a family so bad but he and his wife got so wrapped up in their careers they waited too long and it was their biggest regret.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Up until now, I was an actor and I had accomplished some great things: Life Partners (Sundance Film Festival) with Julie White and Gillian Jacobs, Royal Pains (USA), Black November (Viviva Fox, Anne Heche, etc.). Then I began to do my own projects, producing/directing a short on my own called “Home,” and eventually that led to writing and producing my own feature film with my husband and our production partner, Matthew John Koppin. Now I am the Founder of a production company, and I am writing with professionals. I feel like I’m at a “new beginning” of my career and my life.

What sets me apart is getting the job done, which might sound strange, but it’s why I’m good at what I do. I can handle a lot on my plate and handle it gracefully. I can get thrown into any situation and take it on like a pro, even when I have no idea what I’m doing. I am absolutely a “say yes and figure it out” type of person. You have to be! My absolute worst nightmare is to lose out on an opportunity because I didn’t act fast enough.

If you want to know if I have a “survival job” I do. I really believe in a solid “side hustle” and I found mine when I started a family and realized I needed to start paying closer attention to my health. Being who I am synced up with creating a small wellness business and almost eight years in I have a global team. It also helps to have something you can get passionate about outside “the business,” and helping other people with their mental and physical health and wellness really ignited me! And since the industry can be up and down, I have helped a lot of people find a side hustle that works for them, so they can have more flexibility, work from anywhere in the world and keep creating! My “side hustle” enabled us to invest in our film, even though my husband had just lost his job in 2020. We didn’t lose our home, and my business actually grew. Residual income is real and we are all trying to find it. People in the industry understand it, and I’m so glad I have something that pairs well with pursuing my big-picture career goals in Hollywood.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
If my parents took me to a department store and there was a pianist (as there often was at stores like Nordstrom) I would walk straight up to the pianist and ask them if I could sing a song with them. You can imagine what happened when my parents took me to Micelli’s Restaurant in Studio City for the first time. I remember I asked if I could sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. I took five dance classes per week, violin lessons (and eventually viola and piano as well), acting classes and workshops, my poor mother – how did she have a life? I’m so grateful.

I look at my daughter now and think “I just cloned myself. Now I know what it was like for my mom” But I absolutely love it, Kennady is just discovering the joy of theater and it’s really cool to share that with her. She’s definitely caught the bug. I just keep telling her it has to be fun. There is a delicate balance as a parent in the industry, and no one is perfect. But I can take what I learned and do my best to both protect her and encourage her as a young performer.

Growing up, I was never great at math or science, I just wanted to be creative. Every bone in my body was creative (as a result, I talked a LOT in class). When my parents moved us from Oklahoma, I started first grade in Los Angeles. The first day of school there was a little girl crying, and her name was Megan. I went right up to her and asked if she wanted to walk into school and sit with me. I had no problem making friends. I just honestly love people! My weakness is that I carry my heart on my sleeve.

I was a “show choir kid” from 6th-12th grade, and we competed at the national level, and it’s what got me interested in musical theatre. I was also in Drama and Cheer, I wanted to do ALL the extra-curricular activities.

Image Credits:
LoveBeth Photo (Bethany Froelich) Michael Tan, Robert Olin Beaufort International Film Festival