Today we’d like to introduce you to Karan Khanna
Hi Karan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started acting when I was in high school in Vancouver, Canada. I tried getting involved in the theatre scene there but a lot of the theatre kids that kept getting parts were involved in theatre as a kid so I sort of put everything on pause and went to college. I went to McGill University in Montreal (which was an amazing experience), and after graduating I really wanted to get back into it. Before my mom passed away, she was a huge advocate for me to go into this. My sister and my brother-in law were and continue to be huge support systems for me as well which really motivated me to enter into this industry. It was scary, but it’s honestly because of them that I’m doing this. Once I graduated, I felt like the climate changed enough where it motivated me to believe I actually had a chance. I also looked up to a lot of specific actors and was a huge fan of their career trajectory like Christopher Abbott, Chris Pine and Oscar Isaac.
I went to the The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. There were some amazing teachers and the people I met I still keep in touch with and are some of my best friends. The students there are all incredibly talented and that can really push you to do your best, every single day. There were teachers there named Sandy Faison, Gary Kingston, John Tyrrell, and Todd Susman that really helped me gain confidence in myself and my acting. I feel like confidence is such a big part of this whole craft and the encouragement I received from that school was so helpful. After working in New York, I came out to L.A. because I got a manager and agent I really wanted. So yeah, LA is where a lot started to change even more.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Initially, getting an audition for something that could potentially change your life is exciting. You tell your friends, your family, and a lot of people are rooting for you. Especially when it’s for a TV series that you’ve seen before, you have to approach it as an actor rather than a fan. That was really tricky. But the more auditions you go on, you start keeping it to yourself and kind of just stop obsessing over it. Sometimes you get 24 hours to do an audition so any plans you had for yourself get pushed off. But these are great things, and I want to make sure I sound grateful. It’s been hard not fantasizing about what’s going to happen if you get the part. L.A. has been really great though, there’s been a lot of really cool projects I was able to accrue and something really amazing that I can hopefully talk about soon.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve done a lot of comedy in Canada, specifically at The Second City. We would tour around the country and do a lot of performances at different venues. When I wasn’t at The Second City, I would do stand-up at different comedy venues in Toronto. I currently work at The L.A. Connection in Burbank where I do comedy shows twice a month and it has been incredible. I did a film called “Heights” which just premiered at several film festivals. But yeah, transitioning between film and theatre has been super fun. I had a lot of fun working on “The Seagull” at The Hudson Theatres here in L.A. Recently, there’s an upcoming SAG feature film that I got cast in that has been an incredible journey to get to. That has been really exciting and I cannot wait to talk about that.
Honestly, I’m most proud of being able to come onto a set or stage, make friends and be professional to everyone, and remind myself that it’s a gift to be able to do this. While working on “Sketch of New York” and “Daydreamer” I met some really amazing people. Getting the opportunity to do something you love is really gratifying. It sounds typical, but it’s a career I have always wanted since I was a kid, it was just a matter of finding the confidence to do so. The amount of people i’ve met on every project is really motivating. I grew up with not a lot of friends as a kid, so I never realized how much having a solid support group is important to me. I also recently did a commercial for a dating app called “Vinita” which gave me so much creative freedom. I asked to rewrite some of my dialogue and add something that I thought was funny, and the producers and director were really responsive to this. I love acting, but hopefully writing is in the cards one day. I’m also currently working on a screenplay so we’ll see what happens with that.
What’s next?
I miss New York City. A lot. I really do like L.A. so being able to go back and forth would be a dream. My sister and most of my friends are on the east coast. My girlfriend is also originally from New York. L.A. has been nothing but good to me though. The auditions and opportunities i’ve gotten here as well as being put on different casting director’s radar has been so helpful because if they like you enough, they’ll request you to audition for something else. And there’s some exciting stuff that has recently happened here that I cannot wait to share. There’s a lot of auditions here that are “in-person” so that can be really helpful because your foot is quite literally in the door.
I think L.A. get’s a bad rep which is a little unfair. It’s a really cool city. The people are better than they get credit for. And the “no winter” is really nice especially because I grew up with some really cold winters. It’s warm everyday which can kind of have a groundhog day effect. My girlfriend lives here too and it’s been really fun. We fostered a dog here. But New York has become another home. It’s also easier to live there because of the subway and you are able to see your friends a lot more easily. There’s an energy there that is really helpful as an actor. However, you’re not just an actor there, you can have a life outside of the industry. So I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know that I’d love to come back there. And if I leave L.A., I know I’m going to miss it. The grass is always greener.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/karankhanna___
Image Credits
First Photo: Kate Dockeray for Bizarre Studios.
