Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristofer Gordon.
Hi Kristofer, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Well, I’m actually a former “rocket scientist”… literally. While getting my Masters in Mechanical engineering, I took an acting class in grad school and discovered I liked the performing arts; that’s kind of where it all started. I used the Masters degree to get a job with Raytheon Space and Satellite Systems some years ago so I could come out to California and try my hand at acting.
After two about years working at Raytheon, they wanted me to relocate to Greenville, Texas or get laid off. At work, I saw a bunch of people around me who were just looking forward to retirement and not really enjoying life. I decided that wasn’t going to be me and let them give me the ax.
The first years were extremely hard; especially going from having a good salary & eating out every day to eating peanut butter straight out the jar and not knowing if I was going to make enough to pay rent. Thankfully things picked up and 10 years later I’m still able to do what I love and my friends & family occasionally get to see me on TV. Always feels good to get a little validation! ;-).
I’m still not where I want to be just yet, but I’m definitely enjoying the journey and a lot closer to my goals than if I’d moved to Greenville!
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?
As with a lot of entertainers, I think my biggest struggle has been a lack of stability. You have to structure your entire life around being available 24/7… 365, which means making sacrifices. I’ve had numerous ‘not so great’ survival jobs, missed out on family & friend’s events, been stressed about not being able to pay bills or take care of myself. Even when things are good all that always looms over your head as an entertainer.
Funny story, there was actually this one time when my tooth was hurting really bad for about a month… but then it just stopped. Since it wasn’t hurting anymore, I just assumed it fixed itself. A week later I book a gig and while I’m in the middle of filming the center of my tooth falls out. So the rest of this shoot I only ate soft food to not make it worst and PRAYED it wouldn’t be too expensive to fix… I didn’t have dental insurance back then.
Anyway, filming ends, I get paid a few weeks later, and the check it’s JUST enough to get the tooth fixed. Down to the dollar!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Hopefully this doesn’t sound too pretentious, but I specialize in bringing stories to life in front of the camera through acting and behind the camera through writing.
What I’m “most” proud of? That’s hard to narrow down. Booking a recurring role on HBO’s Insecure was definitely a high point, but so was placing high in a few writing competitions with one of my recent scripts titled The Nickel. I think the thing I’ll be most proud of is whatever I do next; and then whatever I do after that; and whatever I do after that. I believe when you’re constantly writing stories or creating characters that you really care about and you put a lot of time, effort, & passion into making and refining them into something original… you can’t help but be proud of what you’ve created.
And as far as what sets me apart from others… me. No one can really see the world through my eyes just like I can’t see the world through anyone else’s. My unique perspective on life, shaped by my individual experiences, allows me to see things as only I can.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Don’t really have a single favorite childhood memory. But a few years ago, my family met up in Denver, Colorado for Christmas. We all stayed in my sister’s little two bedroom apartment. No one suggested it and nothing was discussed, but on Christmas Eve we all slept in the living room to be closer to each other. That’s definitely one of my happiest memories.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Kristofer_Gordon
Image Credits
Jaseus,
