Rising Stars: Meet Kristen DiMercurio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen DiMercurio.

Hi Kristen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
During the pandemic, it felt like everyone from LA moved to New York, and everyone from New York moved to LA. I was in the latter flock. I’d been working from home as a voice actor and narrator for several years before Covid-19 hit. After a year of lockdown in the city, I thought to myself: “If I can do my job from anywhere, why am I doing it in a shoe box-sized apartment that I can’t leave?” I came to the west coast looking for sun and warmth and fresh air. I’m happy to report that I’ve found plenty of all three. What I didn’t expect to find was such a thriving queer community. I met a few accomplished film/tv actors who invited me into their circles. I was inspired by the way they support each other, by their bravery as they navigate the industry as queer and trans folks, and most of all by their commitment to telling stories they cared about. I thought: “Yeah, this is a career I want to pursue. I want to step out of the booth and onto a set.”

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
In a lot of important ways, it has been smooth sailing. LA has introduced me to some incredible friends and artists. My health has never been better (I nearly wore out my hiking shoes in the first year alone), and a little sunshine goes a long way. The biggest challenges I’ve found have been mostly in getting to know a whole new industry. I worked in theatre and voice-over for years, and I understood how each of those machines worked. But film/television is a whole different ball game, and you’ll get a lot of conflicting advice about how to play. I’m really grateful that I’ve recently started working with Kreativ Media Partners. I’ve been taking classes at various studios around the city. And it feels so good to dive into something new and exciting.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In my voice-over career, I’ve worked in all kinds of genres. Recently, I’m particularly proud of my audiobook narration with Penguin Random House as I’ve had several titles make it onto “Best Of” lists in recent years. Audiobooks can be a marathon to record, so that sort of acknowledgment is so rewarding. I’m known for narrating YA novels, queer coming of age and stories, and children’s adventure books. It’s a niche that I’m thrilled to be in. The stories are exciting, important to me personally, and always include colorful casts of characters, which give me a chance to really flex my acting muscles. I’ve got a youthful and exciting energy that I think brings a lot of life to the titles that I narrate.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I recently read Margie Haber’s book F*ck Your Comfort Zone, and it’s really changed the way I approach my job. In the past few years, I was lucky enough to settle into a very comfortable place in my career. But because of that I slowly became more risk averse, less willing to go out on a limb, and started to put limits on what I thought I was capable of. This book is all about breaking out of that stagnant place (even if it’s a good place). Because if you’re not a little bit scared, then you’re not really growing. It’s been hard, but I’ve started taking more risks and putting myself out there more. I recently started posting content on TikTok, and it’s been going really well. It turns out I really enjoy content creation, and I’m pretty good at it. Margie’s book was a big help in giving me that push to go for it, and trust that I’ll find a way to land on my feet. Because finding a way is the whole point.

Contact Info:

• Website: kristendimercurio.com
• Instagram: @kdimerc
• Twitter: @kdimerc
• Other: twitter and tiktok: @kdimerc

Image Credits
Headshot by John Marlowe Photography