Today we’d like to introduce you to Grayson Thorne Kilpatrick.
Grayson Thorne, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When was around three, I had a traumatic experience that changed my life. I do not talk about this incident much but my parents and I lived through a home invasion. My parents are my heroes because my mom was able to convince the invaders they had the wrong house because they did. This gave her enough time to lock the door behind them and get me and my dad into back room of our house until police arrived.
After the home invasion, my parents wanted to put me in a Child Play Therapy. It was a place where a young child could go after a traumatic event; they could act out their feelings to help them cope with whatever was bothering them. I know even several months after the home invasion when I heard a doorbell, I would run and hide under a kitchen table. A few years later, mom asks me if I wanted to take an acting class and I usually replied Nah. She told me a few years later she told me she thought I had a talent but she did not want to push me into something she was not sure I wanted to do.
We lived in Alabama and the south is a great place. The Southern hospitality is the absolute best. People in the South are so very courteous and always willing to help if you need it. In 2012, my life completely changed… My dad had read in the local papers that Grayson Russell (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) was in town filming his new movie Space Warriors at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Grayson Russell was going to be at a local movie theater viewing one of the Diary of Wimpy Kid movies with fans and would be signing autographs before the movie. So, my dad got our family and one of my friends, Mason, a ticket to go watch the movie with Grayson. Grayson Russell was great! He took the time to answer my questions and took pictures with me. At the screening, Grayson mentioned they were looking for extras to be in the movie he was filming. I asked my mom if she could take me to see if I could be an extra. She did and I got to be an extra and fell in love with the environment. I loved watching the crew move their equipment around to do the same scene but to get the shot from different angles.
The next week, my mom enrolled me in a local acting school called Hollywood Huntsville. I took classes under Mr. Bill and Ayoka Billions and later took acting classes from Gray’s Studio out of LA. We would travel to Nashville to participate in an intense class once a month for two days and this is where I met Mr. David Gray of Gray Studio out of West Hollywood, CA. I booked my first web series in 2013 it was good called “Unplanned Motherhood”. After that mom found me a talent agent in Nashville, Atlanta and New Orleans. It was in March 2013 I booked my very first movie called “Campin Buddies” I got to work with legendary actors like Don Most, Tom Lester (Ep from Green Acres), Ray Stevens, Victoria Jackson and Tom Logan was the Best Director for my first experience.
I also had a great mentor actor, Danny Vinson. I still send him messages and ask him questions. We were actually in the movie “Heaven Bound” together and I was lucky to get to film with Torry Martin, Jamie Costa, Victoria Jackson (my second movie with the SNL legend), Michael Joiner and Nancy Stafford. When production found out it was my birthday, they had craft services cook me a cake and sang Happy Birthday to me. How cool is that? After this and filming Daddy’s Home with Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, I was about to film “Your Pretty Face is going to Hell”, Cinemax “Outcast” my manager thought it was time for me to move to Los Angeles.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, not at all. They were many time I got my feelings hurt when I did not get the part. Mom would say to me “Grayson you are getting call back that means people see something in you. You should be so happy for just getting these calls back because a lot of people don’t even get that.” I guess I had not thought about it in that way. It was not long and mom was driving me all over the Southeast. One day she drove me to Nashville then got a message I needed to be in Atlanta the next day. Therefore, instead of going home she drove me to Atlanta. I know one week she drove me to Dallas, TX for me to film, then New Orleans to film Man Down with Shia Labeouf, then I had to be in Atlanta that nigh to fil the episode I got on “Your pretty Face is going to Hell” then I booked a short film had to drive to Jacksonville FL. I was tired but I loved every minute of it. After that night of shooting the short film, I had to be back in Atlanta for audition with HBO. After that mom said, “Grayson this is a lot, I am tired, are you tired of this?” I said no mom I love it even more.
My dad was working for NASA so he had to stay at home. It was hard on mom being away from home and I could see how tired she was driving me so much. My mom had a day job as well, both of my parents are Engineers and at the time mom was working on her Ph.D. I remember some nights she pulled over and take a nap in the Walmart parking lot because she had been driving so much. Mom and dad both had sacrificed a lot for me so I want to say Thank you to them. They wanted me to be happy and go after my dreams. Thanks why in 2016 after visiting Los Angeles for about two week and auditioning nonstop my family and I decided to move to Los Angeles. I remember when we got back on the plane to go home none of us wanted to go. We wanted to stay in LA. My mom started to apply for jobs in LA as soon as we got back home. Therefore, the same year we were packing up the house and moving to LA. On Dec 28, we were all on the road to LA, Dad drove the U-Haul and I rode in mom’s car with our teacup Pomerania Cinnamon Grace. I know moving to Los Angeles was a big step not just for me but for my parents as well. We have no family or friends in LA. My manager was sending me out for auditions and within the first month, it was mandatory for me to go union SAG AFTRA I had booked a TV series and two feature films. On my very first LA feature film called “Vikes”, I met one of my best friends Norton. We have been friends ever since. After that, I met more friends everyone is just great.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I think what sets me apart is my drive, I really want to be a great actor one day. I know my parents believe in me and that gives me more confidence to do what I love to do. I love comedy but so many people have told me I am good at drama. I do not mind drama but I love comedy. I was in” Daddy’s Home”. This was filmed outside of New Orleans, Louisiana. I worked with Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Scarlett Estevez and Owen Vaccaro. Mark Wahlberg was amazing to work with. He was so nice on set, my role name was supposed to be “Big kid at half pipe” but Mark and I would fist bump so much on set production changed it to” Fist Bump kid”. Everyone was so nice. I actually had a scene with Mark Wahlberg but sadly, that scene was cut.
I always try to make new friends and Owen Vaccaro and I are still friends. I am so very happy for all his amazing success. Other projects are American Hero. I played “Batman Kid” and it was nice meeting Stephen Dorff. When I was on set of “Man Down”, I met Shia LaBeouf. This was filmed in New Orleans as well. As soon as I arrived on set, I have to say I was nervous and not sure what to expect but Shia came right up to me and welcomed me on set along with Kate Mara. They both gave me a hug and they just made me feel so welcomed. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated Shia for making me feel like part of the cast. I was also in a feature film called “Hurricane Bianca” with Miss Bianca Del Rio (Roy Haylock). After the scene, Mr. Haylock asked me what I loved the most in life, I told him God, Family and Pie. He laughed and said he would never forget me.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I have been in several TV series like the one out of Atlanta on Adult swim “Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell”. I was in season 2 episode 11 “Krampus Nacht”. I played Jonas who is the nephew to Gary (Henry Zebrowski). Sometimes on Twitter, we will respond to each other from lines in the episode. In Los Angeles, I booked a role on Netflix’s “Wet Hot American Summer: Ten years later, I played the role of Pete in season 1 episode 3: Tigerclaw. Then I booked “Documentary Now!” Season 2 episode 4 “Globesmen” it was great meeting and working with Fred Armisen and Bill Hader. A few months before that season was released, the scene I was in was played on the Conan O’Brien show when Fred Armisen was a guest. I lived in the South I booked a role on Cinemax TV series Outcast, I played Sammy in Season 1 episode 9 “Close to Home”. It was so much fun! This is where I met another one of my friends Madeleine McGraw. This was the first time I had a stunt double. They flew Michael Munoz in from Hawaii. He is the same stunt man for Danny DeVito and Joe Pesci. But sadly, this scene was cut. However, I am thankful for the opportunity. Other TV shows I have been in is ABC’s This isn’t Working and an NBC TV Pilot. I was to be recurring as Paulie Fitzsimons. It was a Kourtney Kang project. It was not picked up by the studio. I was so grateful and honored to have worked with Director Fred Savage. I was sad it was not picked up but so glad I was able to have that time on set with Mr. Savage. The other TV Show I have been on ABC is To Tell the Truth. It was amazing working with Anthony Anderson and his mom.
I have even played Russell from the Disney Movie “Up” in a Dorito Challenge Commercial and in a Blackbear/Gucci Mane Video called “Do re mi”. Then I was cast for “Chicken Girls: The Movie” I had never heard of the show until I was booked for the role of Sheldon. I met many great people on the set of Chicken Girls I am forever thankful for that opportunity. It was not long I decided to do a short film called “John Foley: Motivationally Speaking” it was a tribute to the late Chris Farley from his skit “Living in a Van Down by the River” I wrote the script, Directed it and my friends helped me with the filming. Of course, Norton had to be in it ;). I played John Foley son of Matt Foley. It is very short, like 4 min. It was my first. It was entered into the YAA (Young Artist Awards) I won best Actor in a short. I cannot tell you how I felt when they called my name. How I felt, know it was something I wrote and starred in. I am working on the part two so maybe after COVID-19 goes away we can start shooting it. Last year I booked a role on “American Horror Show” and recently FX’s “Dave” a fun fact about my episode it was aired on my 16th Birthday. On July 20th TV Series called “NC-16” will be streaming on Roku or you can download the app SeekaTV and watch this awesome series.
I hope in 5-10 years, my career takes a big leap for the positive. I hope my name is known throughout the world. I hope I am known as a great actor and person. A name people and maybe kid actors in the business can look up to as a positive influence. I want to be a good man, friend, son, grandson. I want my family to be proud of the man I have become. I hope my dream as an actor becomes a reality that I am on set everyday. I am not much into the fame of being an actor, but I just want to be on set making people laugh, helping someone that may need help. Being in a position to be able to help.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.graysonkilpatrick.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/graysonkilpatrick
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/graysonthornekilpatrick
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/GraysonT04
Image Credit:
Kenneth Dolin
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