Daily Inspiration: Meet Kellie Blaise

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kellie Blaise.

Hi kellie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Kellie’s journey began on the stages of many of Ireland’s prestigious venues. The success of her debut performance in the National Concert Hall at the age of 15 secured her return for the next 2 years. At the age of 18, Kellie secured a contract with a Los Angeles-based management company, prompting her to relocate to the United States. It was when Kellie moved to Los Angeles that she recorded her first album “No Prisoners”, a compilation of her original songs. She worked with producer Preston Glass, renowned for working with Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole, and Aretha Franklin to name a few. Kellie would work with Preston again when she appeared on Preston’s album “Music is Medicine”. This partnership saw them perform together on many occasions. A highlight was when Kellie was called to lend her voice to Preston’s hit song “Miss You Like Crazy” at his album launch party. She starred in the Irish Rom com “The O’Briens'”. She contributed two songs to the movie “Home” and “Capture” which also feature on the album she penned titled “Bluebird”. In Los Angeles, Kellie began writing and hosting for the news network “Current TV”, founded by former American Vice President Al Gore. This allowed Kellie to gain invaluable skills and expertise in writing. In a blend of music and television, Kellie took to the stage in Ireland’s TV show “The Voice”, where she had the privilege of having Sharon Corr as her mentor. Kellie has taken on a diverse range of roles that include the horror movie “The Inside”, featuring in Neil Jordan’s “The Borgias” and most recently, sharing the screen with Will Ferrel in “The Shrink Next Door”. The festive movie “A Merry Scottish Christmas” in which Kellie played a key featured role is due for release this winter. In 2022, Kellie received an actor as creator grant from Screen Ireland. She wrote, starred in and produced the short film “Woman in Retrograde”, composing music alongside Golden Globe Nominee Brian Byrne. ‘The film at multiple festivals including two Oscar qualifying ones, Cork and Foyle. It earned a nomination for best short film at the international Julien Dubuque film festival. Kellie’s love of music acting and writing fuels her passion for blending various mediums.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I had an acting coach once say to me “Its not about the destination but the journey”. This quote only resonates with me now as I look back and realize a lot of what I found challenging in the industry in my youth would later be the building blocks and life lessons I would fall back on. Sometimes not getting what you want in life is a wonderful blessing. A mantra I live by, “Rejection is protection and Gods redirection” and had things I so desperately wanted at one time in my manifested I would not be where I am today and for that I have a lot of gratitude.
It has not been a smooth road but I guess that’s the beauty of it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My background began in music. The first well known stage I sang on at age 15 was the National Concert Hall in Dublin and would result in a relocation to Los Angeles in the pursuit of music, blues music in particular. The road seemed clear but my life trajectory pivoted and I landed a writing and hosting job for former Vice President Al Gore’s TV Show Current TV. I also took acting classes and studied the Meisner technique at the Laura Henry’s Santa Monica studio. I slowly fell in love with the world of acting. I went on to work in a variety of different project from Universal films like “Death Race” to independent projects like “The O’Briens” film that found an international audience.
After winning a grant from Screen Ireland I wrote and starred in a short film called “Woman in Retrograde”, the short screened at many Bafta and Oscar qualifying festivals and won the audience award at the Amsterdam Film Festival. It is currently playing on all Aerlingus international flights. The short film evolved into a feature film that is in the early development stages and I’m excited for the story in its entirety to transform from script to screen.
I’m most proud of this piece of work to date as it is my most vulnerable and honest yet and it merged all my talents together for the first time, acting writing and music and even the art work. The paintings and drawings in the film I specifically created for the character representing the once infamous and incredible woman “Zelda Fitzgerald”.
I can now see with hindsight that my life experiences to date now reflect deeply in my work and more so my story telling and now I use them as tools.
There is a Chinese proverb that says we have three faces, one we show to the world, one to our nearest and dearest and one we show only to ourselves. I intend to create works that are as honest and deep as I can be with myself. I have a little girl now and that has shifted my perspective and approach to my art. I now have a responsibility to make this world a better place for her. I have become very conscious of the messaging projected in tv/film and I want my work to have a positive impact on the audience.

What’s next?
This year has been a year of travel. I’ve been to England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Greece, Malta,Turkey and Dubai. The year is not over and I’m hoping a trip to Egypt and the Maldives maybe on the cards. Travel broadens the mind and I can honestly say I am addicted. I have not settled in one place I can call home yet and perhaps I never will. Los Angeles has been my home though for the majority of my life.
The beauty of being an artist is it allows you to live anywhere but I will say the tiny Greek Island called Hydra is the closest I’ve gotten to a sense of place, maybe because of the strict no car or bicycle policy. The island is small and has a real sense of artistic community. Once home to Leonard Cohen, it is obvious to see how this magical island gets your creative juices going.
Having a daughter, naively I thought perhaps this would halt my love of travel and creation but on the contrary, it has fueled it and visiting so many incredible places it has fed my story telling and I’m currently working on a book that is ever changing depending where I land geographically but always striving for the truth.
I have also signed on to shoot a film in Ireland the early start of next year.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kellieblaise
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kellie-blaise-74b555273
• Twitter: @kellieblaise
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1624276/

Image Credits
John Clark