Story & Lesson Highlights with Kate Clarke of Los Angeles, CA

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Kate Clarke. Check out our conversation below.

Kate, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Outside of work my absolute favorite thing to do is be in nature! I just try to find time every day to go outside, either work in my garden or drive to Huntington Gardens (I recently got a membership) or up the coast to my favorite little beach towns. The weather has been cooling down lately, so it’s really the best time of year to be outside (in my opinion!) Even if it’s just watching my cat, Baz, run around my front yard for a bit, being out in the sunshine will always make me feel good.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello! My name is Kate Clarke and I am an actress living in Los Angeles. I’ve been steadily building a career since 2021 when I decided to take the plunge and leave my teaching position at an elementary school and pursue acting full-time. While scary, it was the best decision I ever made!

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
Being on stage, singing a solo when I was ten years old.

As a kid, I had a really hard time in school. My family moved around that time from Colorado to Texas and so I was the new kid in fourth grade. I had an incredibly hard time making friends, it’s such an awkward age, and I was an oddball kid! My parents, in an effort to help me find my place, signed me up for a Saturday theatre class and I was immediately home. I remember singing a solo in my first show, “Disney Spectacular” (a collection of Disney songs performed by kids in the camp) and just loving every minute of it. There’s a tape of me, somewhere, singing this song and every time my mouth isn’t open singing, it’s in a big cheesy grin at the audience. The feeling of power and confidence came with the applause at the end. It’s exhilarating!

I’ve been hooked on performing ever since!

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Gosh, yes. Loads of times. This field comes with an ample amount of rejection and building up the resilience takes so much time. And it’s tough, right, because not only am I trying to do what I love, but I’m also trying to support myself with it. Losing a role means losing a paycheck, and it can get extremely grueling to live like that, just hoping and praying you can make ends meet somehow. More than once I’ve considered just getting a desk job (as if that’s easy! HAH! My hundreds of unanswered applications say otherwise.)

Still…it’s funny, it’s usually in my moments of biggest doubt that I find little reasons to keep going. The main reason is just how acting makes me feel — I’m never more myself when I’m doing what I love. Often I’ll be doubting and then have a really good audition, class, or, sometimes, even book something just when I was feeling unbookable! Sometimes, even just the little surge of confidence I get from even *receiving* an audition opportunity is enough of a boost to keep me going. My time with that character mean so much to me, even if I never get to play them in an official capacity.

To act is such a privilege and I am so, so grateful for every moment I get. So long as I can keep afloat I’ll keep going, so I keep at it and keep taking small gigs where I can (teaching, bartending, babysitting, etc) to make ends meet. It’s worth it!

It’s helpful, too, that I have so much support around me. Family, friends, and even a few fans which has been really cool and super validating that I’m on the right track.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
Pineapple is delicious on pizza, fight me.

But in all seriousness – do more than just acting, even if that’s all you want to do!

I left college feeling so low, so I didn’t really engage with performance of any kind for years after. In that time, I worked as a teacher, children’s musical theatre director, babysitter, LEGO engineering instructor, delivery driver and a whole host of other odd jobs. It was one of the hardest periods of my life but maybe also one of the biggest periods of growth. The life experience I gained in that time has proven invaluable to me now as I navigate this career, and I’m so grateful for the lessons I learned then. Even now I find times to step away, whether it’s through my own writing and painting, my other jobs, travel, time in nature, time with friends (old and new — I’ve been making lots of new friends lately by trying to talk to people instead of staring at my phone!)

Sometimes, I think, we get so laser focused on our goals we forget there’s life happening all around us. I do sometimes, but I find I’m having to remind myself less and less these days, which has been a wonderful development and only helped me feel more fulfilled with each day.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
WAITING!

The amount of time I spend waiting in my life is astronomical. I’m such a perfectionist, and I’ve told myself this lie that I have to make everything perfect before I proceed. I used to agonize over every audition, every email, every post, every text, every photo, painting, song, whatever. Honestly, at times, I still DO. It’s so, so hard to put yourself out there, and gosh, I have so many ways I need to be vulnerable to get what I want out of life (beyond acting), and it’s scary to take the leap!

Slowly but surely I’ve been building up the courage, I suppose to make a metaphor I’m sloooowly walking into the cold Pacific Ocean and acclimating instead of just diving in. I really wish I could force myself to just throw caution to the wind and go full force toward my goals. I’d be bolder in so many ways under threat of a deadline.

That said, I’m getting there. Braver every day! And hey, at least I can say I’m at least knee deep in the ocean! So while I’m not maybe able to just dive into every aspect of life, that’s something at least! I really do hope I’ll be able to build that confidence soon, though, to simply take the plunge and trust!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thekatesea.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekatesea
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thekatesea
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Kate-Clarke-61567271728406/

Image Credits
Headshot by Leah Huebner