Today we’d like to introduce you to Cody Kennedy.
Cody, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story begins in West Hollywood, CA. My first home was the same apartment that Marilyn Monroe and Shelley Winters shared as roommates in 1951. I like to think some of their magic rubbed off on me as a child because by the time I was just three years old, I had already figured out I wanted to be an actress. Watching sitcoms had sparked a passion in me that I couldn’t kick. From the get-go, I was vehemently told that the business was all about who you know and who your parents are. My lack of famous elders made it even harder to get my foot in the door. My mother put my three sisters and I in an acting class that taught us the basics. I was painfully shy and needed to open up in order to perform in front of others. After about two years in class, Chris, Cory, and Chandler grew interested in other hobbies while I told my mother I wanted to keep going by myself. The day my mom dropped me off at my first solo class, I was too afraid to go in alone. My mother demanded that if I really wanted to be an actor, I would have to go by myself. She gave me an ultimatum – go to the class by myself, or we would drive home and be done with acting for good. I ended up returning to our meeting spot 2 hours later and had even made a friend. My mother believes this is my defining moment where I showed her how badly I wanted to act despite whatever obstacles were in front of me. My mom and dad put their lives on hold to drive me to auditions, something I’ll never take for granted. On my 13th birthday, I signed with my first theatrical manager who called me his “little Scarlett Johansson.”
From there, I began auditioning for network series and meeting with agents. Most kids my age wanted a new bike or computer, but I wanted my SAG card. As a teen, I started booking commercials for McDonald’s and Sears, which lead to over a dozen music videos for artists including Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake. At the tail end of high school, I booked my first major guest star role on the Disney Channel series, “The Suite Life on Deck.” This was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life because it solidified what I had always wondered: “would acting on a tv show really be that great?” It was even better than I imagined. Working in front of a live audience and hearing my jokes land gave me a natural high that was unlike anything else.
After graduating from USC, I hit the ground running, auditioning full time. I’m proud to say that over the years, I’ve worked with some of the greats and have delved into some incredible roles. I’ve been beaten and kidnapped in the MARVEL universe, had a sleepover with Danny DeVito, killed Superman, caught an Uber with the Muppets, and was even the Junior Chess Champion of Russia. Needless to say, I am excited to see what the future holds…
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?
I think anyone who has worked in the entertainment industry can tell you that it isn’t nearly as glamorous as it appears in the media. There is no How-To guide on becoming a successful actor, the industry is inextricably hard. Getting an agent or manager is a catch-22 because most reps won’t sign you without impressive credits, but usually you can’t book jobs without an agent. Contrarily, if you book a job, you could be fired at the table read or while you’re already on set filming, OR your scenes don’t make the final cut. It’s brutal to say the least.
My career hasn’t been close to smooth, but I believe that without all those bumps in the road, I doubt I would be as dynamic in my work or as grateful to have it. Being born and raised in LA, I’ve seen many people come and go. Some individuals with next to zero experience get lucky the first couple months they arrive, while other incredibly talented artists struggle for years and just can’t catch a break. I remember after I booked my role on The Disney Channel, I had all this great traction and my reps seemed very excited. Once the show aired, I thought my life was about to change, and it did, but not in a good way. My father was laid off from his job and had a mental breakdown. My agent promptly dropped me because they “didn’t want to deal with an actress with a difficult home life.” And like a domino effect, my manager pawned me off on another set of managers who wanted to change every single thing about me. They criticized the color and style of my hair, physical posture, low raspy voice, all the way down to how often I roll my eyes. I kid you not. I spent an inordinate amount of time in this horrible headspace where I didn’t know who I was. Ultimately, I had to start all over.
I reached out to everyone I knew to get a meeting with new representation and get back on my feet. Few people offered any help. Those reps who brought me in all responded with the same filler answer, “we already have too many girls in your category” or “we’re not taking on developmental clients at the moment”. Basically saying we already have people we believe in more, and we don’t want to do the dirty work for a no-name actor. But like my mother dropping me off at acting class all by myself, I wasn’t going to let this stop me.
One day out of the blue, I was invited to my writer friend’s pool party up in the hills. There were loads of industry people there, plenty of suits and their trophy girlfriends. While taking a lap around the party, I remember looking up and seeing the actor Jason Hervey in midst of a conversation. I happen to be a big “Back to the Future” fan and couldn’t help but want to say hello. I politely went up to Jason and told him I was a big fan, he was very flattered. From there, we went on chit-chatting and I mentioned I was looking for an agent. Jason graciously went out on a limb and gave me his contact information to set me up with a meeting with his agent. The next day I followed up and got myself a meeting with a well-known boutique agency.
I was skeptical and a bit nervous knowing the response I had received in the past but I held my head up high. The agent brought me in and gave me cold reading material on the spot. I felt so unprepared, but went off my instincts and did the best I could. The agent signed me on the spot and is still my agent to this day. She later told me she gives actors cold reads to see if they are full of sh*t or can actually act.
I booked a co-star role on Jason Reitman’s Golden Globe-winning television show, “Casual”, shortly after being signed. I was back in business!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As an actress, model, and writer over the course of my career, I have built a versatile list of credits. Most recently, you can catch me on the FXX’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. I play Sasha, a new love interest to Danny DeVito and Charlie Day’s characters. Also, BET’s feature film Influence co-starring alongside Jon Lovitz and Bruce Davison. I have a fun comedic role in the upcoming film “Mark, Mary & Some Other People” with Lea Thompson and Gillian Jacobs.
My network series credits include (HULU) MARVEL’S “Runaways”, “Casual”, (ABC) “The Muppets”, (TNT) “Rizzoli & Isles”, (NBC) “Law & Order”, (CBS) “NCIS”, “CSI:NY”, “Super Fun Night” and (DISNEY) “The Suite on Deck”.
I learned a great deal about the filmmaking process from working behind the camera as well. When I wasn’t a principle actor, I worked as both Jennifer Lawrence and Brie Larson’s stand-in. When the actresses we not able to act off screen with their co-stars, I read opposite Samuel L. Jackson, Joan Cusack, Bradley Whitford, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Sheen, and Chris Pratt. It was such a blessing because those hours on set prepared me in a way that no acting class ever could. Not only that but I witnessed how these screen legends treat each person on set, above or below the line. People remember those who are professional and courteous forever. I’ve learned that with any opportunity that comes my way, I find the gold and use it to propel me forward.
On the writing side, I’ve written editorial pieces for BUST Magazine, Teen Vogue, Elle Girl, etc. I’m currently working on a teleplay based on my “difficult home life”.
I love helping fellow artists, so I started @codycoaches and have been private coaching for the last few years. Reach out if you need guidance with an audition or self-tape!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
It’s hard to list just one quality or characteristic that is most important to success, but I’ve learned that without perseverance you won’t make it very far. If I had given up after any of my setbacks, I don’t how anything else in my life would have turned out. Stay determined, and always keep the faith.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.imdb.me/codykennedy
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: codyckennedy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cody-Kennedy-19709507082/?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: codyckennedy
- Other: www.codykennedy.webs.com
Image Credits:
1. Photo by Scarlet Mann
2. Bruce Davison & I on set of the film “Influence”
3. Scene from FXX’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” with Danny DeVito, Charlie Day, and Tania Fox
4. Angie Harmon and I on set of “Rizzoli & Isles”, I played Mary Henderson in the final season.
5. Scene still from my guest star as Sasha Matryoshka on Disney’s “The Suite Life on Deck” opposite Cole Sprouse, Doc Shaw, Phil Lewis, and Erin Cardillo
6. Scene Still from “The Suite life on Deck” with Cole Sprouse
7. Flower Crown photo by Victoria Gold
8. Black & white by Stephanie Vu
9. The Show Must Go on photo by Clark Duke
10. Pink dress by Scarlet Mann
11. Close up portrait by Scarlet Mann
12. Behind the scenes of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” Right before I filmed my first scene as Sasha
13. On set of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” with Danny DeVito
14. On set of “Rizzoli & Isles”
15. Green screen blocking for Jennifer Lawrence on the film Passengers, photo by Rodrigo Prieto
16. On set of Passengers with Jennifer Lawrence
17. Behind the scenes on set of MARVEL’s “Runaways” with my costar James Marsters
18. Me at age 3 on Hollywood Blvd., photo by Jinx Kennedy
19. Clark Duke and I attend “The Evening Before the Emmys” event
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