Dallas Dupree Young On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Edward Sylvan

The movement I would like to inspire others would be to try to encourage children of any color to consider any field of work where they have been rejected in the past because of the color of our skin. Prove your worth and show them they’re wrong!

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dallas Dupree Young.

Dallas Dupree Young reprises his role as new karate student, Kenny Payne, in the fifth season of Netflix’s hit Emmy-nominated series, “Cobra Kai” opposite Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Tanner Buchanan, and Xolo Maridueña. Young joined the cast in season four and instantly became a fan favorite as Kenny, a bullied new student in school who turns to karate to defend himself and gain confidence. A continuation of the 1980s blockbuster film franchise, “The Karate Kid” (Columbia Pictures), the fourth season debuted globally on December 31, 2021.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in a family whose lives primarily revolved around sports. My dad and my brother both played MLB and that was my goal, until acting steered me in a different direction. I lived in Houston, Texas for 8 years of my life and then moved to LA to pursue my acting career.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

What brought me to this specific career path was because of a woman named Diana Horner (shout out to her). She called me on the phone and invited me to attend a showcase in Houston to see if I had the potential to have success in LA. Long story short, I underwent intensive acting classes and media training until the official LA showcase, where I met many agents, managers, and directors. That phone call honestly changed my life.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

The most interesting and unorthodox thing that has happened to me since the beginning of my acting career is that I swam in a pool of slime on the Nickelodeon series “Cousins For Life.” That was fun!

It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I remember the first mistake I made at the beginning of my career was giving up after failing. When I was 9, I had an audition, and I could not get my lines memorized so I broke down in tears and quit… for about 20 minutes! After that frustration though, I was able to get the job done. The point is, I learned in that moment that it is okay to fail sometimes because failure is a part of extreme growth.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’m excited for a movie I completed called 1–800-Hot Nite to be released. It’s currently surfacing at many different film festivals. Exciting!

You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

Like I mentioned previously, failure is a part of the journey. Although failure can seem disheartening at the moment, you will learn from your mistakes, and you will grow as an artist and human. Another piece of advice is to keep working hard, no matter what.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

Diversity in entertainment gives a new, fresh perspective on a different culture. It revolutionizes the industry for minorities like me and it gives us a chance to be represented. It can encourage people that come from different backgrounds and ethnicities that anything is possible. The industry currently consists of many different ethnicities, which can help bring more diversity on and off camera.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

Well, I wish someone would have told me to block the haters, to breathe and relax when times get tough. It’s important to remember that early on in your career. I also wish someone would have told me to do research on past actors, to analyze the character’s feelings and not just say lines on a paper. And finally, I wish someone would have told me to accept rejection in the business because there is a lot of that. But ultimately, these lessons I’ve learned along the way have made me stronger as an actor.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

The tip I would recommend to my colleagues is to always stay hungry. Trust in God’s path for your future.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

The movement I would like to inspire others would be to try to encourage children of any color to consider any field of work where they have been rejected in the past because of the color of our skin. Prove your worth and show them they’re wrong!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Both my mom and dad have influenced my career and the man I’m becoming. My dad instilled a hungry mindset in me, and my mom has kept me humble and grounded. Shout out to them both!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Never let fear control your mind.” This IS relevant to me because it has encouraged me to take leaps of faith and not let fear cloud my judgment.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with Michael B. Jordan! I relate to him and look up to him so much as a Black actor. He understands what it takes to make an impact on the business as a teenager and as an adult.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can follow me on Instagram @dallasdupreeyoung

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Thank you so much!