Rising Stars: Meet Kayla Moore of North Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Moore

Hi Kayla , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m originally from Nashville and started casting assisting, and associate producing at age 18 on various country music television projects such as music videos, live audiences, and red-carpet events. I’ve always loved collaborating with creative-minded people and problem solving so over the years, as Nashville became more expensive to live in, I tried other various people-skilled roles like Sales Manager, Talent Acquisition Partner, Concierge, and Celeb Personal Assistant. In my mid-twenties,
I didn’t think I would mention this but I feel like people need to hear about my journey with getting fired so that more people can release their shame and guilt about others making them feel like a failure. I was fired from a job that I put all of my identity into when I was 26. All of my friends were work friends, I had insurance, a 401K and I was well-liked by my peers. I felt very confused at this time because people who I thought would be there for me no matter what slowly started falling away. My self-confidence was shot and I felt like I had to start my life all over again. But what I didn’t know was that I was learning the most important lesson in my twenties, and it’s if you’re not supposed to be somewhere in life, the universe will find a way to nudge you in another direction. I always struggled with the idea that being successful meant you’re making a shit ton of money and if you were miserable, that’s fine, just take a vacation. You’ll get over it!  But once I was forced out of that environment and able to sit with my thoughts, I realized that I am a creative person whose purpose is to write about human connection and hold space for those who need reassurance. Also, I learned to follow my gut which has served me well!
At 29, I made the decision that I had outgrown Nashville and was ready to move to Los Angeles, a place I always knew that I would call home. When I arrived, my remote sales job fell through and only a week later I hopped back into associate producing where I excelled and made a lot of great connections and friendships. Now at 32, I no longer work in production due to the industry changing and work being less available but again, that door shut so I had to check back in with myself. “What makes me happiest?”. I answered that question by dusting off a few screenplays that I wrote over the years. One in particular is an LGBTQ+ historical series called 1944, which I’m itching to get out there for festivals to read. Just a few weeks ago, I was a semi-finalist at the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards which has given me the confidence to continue submitting and writing more. I’m also teaching yoga, at a company in the Valley called Spiritual Eye where I also serve as their Brand Manager. At our studio, we provide full moon/new moon ritual circles, sound baths, breath work, meditation, and infrared yoga and it’s a gift to be able to be a part of a company that continually fills my cup.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
During 2021, I stopped people-pleasing. I was involved with friendships that should have ended years prior but I think because I was taught to see only the good in people, I confused my gut when it told me to run away. COVID-19/ lockdown was difficult for everyone mentally, physically, and emotionally and I didn’t realize it affected me till a year later. I grew up in the South and was raised Christian so “loving thy neighbor” and forgiving constantly was a must but when I started speaking up and posting about Black Lives Matter, women’s reproductive health or when I slowly started coming out as bi-sexual and I received blank stares, whispers behind my back or people telling me that I was “too much”. I quickly felt a shift and realized that I was agreeing with everyone in my life so I could keep the peace and not ruin anyone’s good time. I finally refused to be a YES MAN and decided to block everyone on social media who didn’t serve me. I took a break from drinking for six months, meditated, worked out every day, and felt 100 percent clear-headed. So much so that my partner and I decided to move to Los Angeles Spring of 2022, and I’m so proud of myself for decluttering my life and creating those necessary boundaries. Now, I am very careful about who I spend my time with and I’ve learned the only person I need to focus on pleasing is myself.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a screenwriter and I specialize in comedy horrors, historical dramas, and coming-of-age dramas. I’m known to be someone who has at least seven ideas in their head and writes them all out in one week then slowly combs over them the next few months. I’m very lucky to be someone who can sit down and naturally spit out 40 pages of dialogue in one sitting. I’m most proud of giving myself the space to write and not showing myself any disrespect. When writing, I don’t use words like “I hate this, this sucks”, instead I say “What don’t I like most about this script? What bores me?” I’m also very proud of myself for sharing my screenplays with other writers and actors who I look up to. I believe that a good screenplay will make an actor excited to play the part so I try to write from an actor’s point of few and what they might find interesting to say or do. What sets me apart is my purpose which is to create narratives that encourage people who would usually oppose certain ideas, people, or lifestyles to be more empathetic and open-minded.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: kaylalalaland
• Other: https://filmfreeway.com/KaylaMoore