Rising Stars: Meet Kathleen Duke

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathleen Duke.

Hi Kathleen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
If we go all the way to the beginning, I have been a performer since birth. Growing up with the title “Drama Queen”, I felt the need to fill that role to its fullest extent… In my young adult life, finding a community in performing arts and theater solidified the career path I wanted for my life. After receiving a double degree in Theater and Film, I followed my strategic plan and moved to LA to begin the labyrinth journey that is being an actor. Once the dust began to settle from the pandemic, I found I was two years older and hadn’t gotten very far in my acting career, at least not as far as I had planned. I was however given two years in LA to fully absorb the challenges and complications that came with pursuing an acting career. I asked myself a lot of tough questions about what I was able to handle and what I saw in the future for myself. My passion, ambition, and genuine love for this art form continuously motivate me in those redefining moments. I am currently and constantly working each day self submitting, auditioning, taking acting classes, meeting with agents and managers, attending networking events, learning from idols, and staying grounded in a career that tries to push you down any chance it has.

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?
This road could not be more opposite of smooth. I picture it as a cobble street built onto the side of a mountain. As there are ups and downs there’s also a consistent bouncing that never ends. Starting my career right before the pandemic was probably one of the first struggles. Working toward becoming an actor seems a little meaningless when the world around you is in crisis. When things began to return to normal, the next step was to rediscover my ambition and passion for this career. There were many times I felt I didn’t have those anymore. Deep diving into movies, TV shows, and books resparked that childhood dream and helped me heal and rediscover what I want for my future. While working toward a respectable and meaningful career in this industry, the struggles seem endless. From social media fame, body image issues, imposter syndrome, nepotism, and the competitiveness of it all, there are times where I feel completely overwhelmed. This is a career that is impossible without support. Whether it’s friends, agents, managers, or family I would not be able to survive without the consistent support of my trusted community.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am first and foremost an actor but with this title comes many other hats. For example, with the constant self-tapes, I am the camera operator, lighting, and director of my own little self-tape station. To stay motivated through the dry spells of acting jobs, I like to create with friends in the industry. Whether it’s TikToks, music videos, short films, or photoshoots, staying busy with these projects keeps the motivation going and the creative juices flowing. When creating these low-budget projects, I work just about all the different jobs it takes to create a film. I would have to say I am most proud of a music video my friend Bryon and I created for The Chicks song “Texas Man”. We worked really hard to organize, raise money, and schedule our time to create something we are really proud of. I would also have to say I’m very proud of my dedication to staying true to who I am in this difficult industry. I think it can be very tempting to change yourself to fit into the “Hollywood” box, but I don’t want to make it in this career if I can’t be myself. I’m not sure this would set me apart from others, but sometimes I do feel it may be the wrong way to tackle this industry, but every part of me tells me this is the mindset I want to continue with.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Within the acting industry, I think it’s going to be interesting to see how social media continues to impact TV and Film. I know a lot of actors, including myself, that are trying to raise their social media presence and followers. The higher your social media status the better luck you seem to have in this industry, but I’m curious to know how often the skill set of being able to grow a social media presence overlaps with the skill set of being able to act. I think they are quite different career paths for people, yet with the ever-growing industry, the lines are being blurred more often. It will be interesting to see if the next Tom Hanks, Viola Davis, or Meryl Streep emerges from a social media platform. Along with that, I think it will be interesting to see how the path of streaming services plays out. With streaming services desperate for content, there are so many projects being created. Shows specifically aren’t lasting as long since it’s very dependent on viewers. I am curious to see what this will grow into, if there will be a shift to be more selective with the projects that get made or if it will grow into an even bigger machine that continues to pump out media in hopes that something will stick.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kathleeneduke.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenduke
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kathleendukee