Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Kim Hopkins of Last Minute Audition Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
An Interview with Karina Michel Feld
I workout every day, either weights or some type of stretching workout. That keeps my body healthy and strong. Walking in my neighborhood, just enjoying the trees and birds, dogs and cats and random people who walk by always gives me great pleasure and a sense of peace.
As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kim Hopkins.
Kim Hopkins is an international award-winning actress and model for over 50 years. Kim is also the creator of The Working Actor Formula, Live In The Moment Acting, and Last Minute Audition which help actors understand show business and have the career of their dreams.
Starting with a modeling career at three years old, Kim went on to model in New York City to then become an international model and actress with a career spanning over five decades. Paving the way for new generations, she helps aspiring and working actors create content-driven platforms that will bring recognition and booking opportunities. Kim’s clients have won multiple awards, signed with the industry’s top agents, and enjoy successful careers.
Kim has been on the cover of many magazines and has appeared in over 300 commercials globally. She’s been a series regular and starred in cult films, such as Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie, The Hollywood Knights, and The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood. She has also appeared on The Tonight Show, New Mom Who Dis, I Want To Know Your Story and many podcasts. A passionate performer, she has also directed and starred in her own films garnering over 25 awards, including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director.
“Last Minute Audition, audition/acting coaching, North Hollywood”
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York to comedian and entertainer George Hopkins, my father, and my beautiful mother Lynn Hopkins. My little sister, Leigh, was born in Miami, Florida. At three years old I was discovered by photographer Bert Stern and started modeling in New York. One of my first jobs was the cover of the big Christmas issue of McCall’s magazine followed by the distinct honor of being an Ivory baby. I modeled in New York until we moved to California where I continued modeling and going to school. At twelve years old I was tested and put into the Gifted Children’s Program which allowed me to go to college classes until I was sixteen years old. At eighteen I went to Playboy Model Agency and restarted my modeling and acting career. Tokyo, Japan was my first international move for modeling at twenty years old followed by Mexico for two and a half years and on to Europe. Honestly I was the happiest little girl ever! Always had a smile on my face and still do!
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I suppose you have to give my mother credit for starting my career and keeping me in the business! After eighteen it was just the natural progression of my life, I loved what I was doing. To be totally honest, I left the business several times disappointed by the way I was being perceived. I thought maybe at thirty they will see my talent instead of my body. Then again at forty and again at fifty when I was finally able to get to the point where talent became the focus! It took me going to film school, writing and directing myself in my own content to gain recognition. It was more than worth the wait and work.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
While modeling in Mexico we went to shoot a Chiclets commercial in a jungle area of an outlying city. We were portraying Adam and Eve complete with an extremely large snake. They set us up in the middle of a stream with tropical trees and had us stand on a log submerged in the water. Our wardrobe was only strategically placed leaves. The snake had a mind of its own! The male actor was from Italy and did not speak English or Spanish and our director did not speak Italian, actually nobody else did! It took us eight hours to shoot due to the snake and language differences.
2nd runner up!
A producer sent me an email asking if I could do a small part in a film the next day and provided a script with a family dinner scene. I accepted and showed up to the set the next morning where it was explained to me that the lines were actually to be done in Japanese. I do not speak Japanese! In hair and makeup I had 40 minutes to phonetically learn my lines! Having lived in Japan for six months I was familiar with the language and was able to pull it off. Five people at a table all speaking in turn, it was quite the feat. The man playing the father was Japanese and complimented me on my accent! Whew!
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?
At an audition for a Japanese clothing commercial I was asked if I could skydive. My agent at the time told me to say yes as we would be shooting in a studio and I would not have to actually skydive, so I said I could. Well, we went out to a skydiving spot in the California desert and we were going to jump from the plane! I had to do a tandem jump with an instructor, much to my dismay! The clients were very understanding and laughed it off. It was the most terrifying event of my life! I learned to always be honest about my skills, about everything, no matter what.
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?
There are so many people who have helped me throughout the years, however two men are really instrumental to my current success. The first is Richard Rush, my dear friend and mentor who recently passed away. Richard supported my dreams of returning to television and film and becoming a director. He mentored me through my New York Film Academy education and came to my directorial debut, directing myself. Richard was kind, gentle, brilliant and gave me criticisms with a deft hand. Also, Gil Junger who encouraged me with uplifting words of wisdom and made the effort to help me get an amazing agent, Chris Allen at Buchwald.
You have been blessed with great 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?
Be persistent and consistent! This is a business, you must understand that. There is no rejection, it’s just “not right now” in time you will see the “not right now” is the beginning of relationships that bring the perfect thing at the perfect time. Keep training every day, keep your headshots and reel current and be professional. Create genuine relationships, network and create your own content and you will be successful. And very importantly, maintain a rich outside life and take care of yourself.
What drives you to get up every day and work in TV and Film? What change do you want to see in the industry going forward?
Touching others, seeing someone laugh or cry, bringing the stories I care about to others gives me the incentive to give this my all every single day. Also I love helping other actors, it gives me great joy to see others succeed. I would love to see more diversity in all areas of our business, acting, directing, writing and producing. Agism needs to be addressed, although we are making strides in all these areas there is so much more that needs to be done.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
Recently I was honored to be directed by Abigail Breslin in a comedy television series, Hitbaby, her directorial debut. That was an awesome experience! Even more exciting when she asked me to be a part of her passion project, a television show Abbie wrote herself, Door Girls. We will be going to New York this year to shoot the pilot. I will continue to write and direct my own projects going forward. I love casting new talent and winning awards for myself and them!
We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?
There are so many reasons why diversity in television and film is important. I believe that everyone deserves to tell their story, that promotes acceptance and understanding. What we see as we grow as humans becomes the norm. Heroes should be male and female, all shapes and sizes and people of color so that we can all relate to the characters and have unconventional role models . Diversity brings in bigger audiences and more success for all involved from producers to actors and the entire crew leading to more work for so many. Children need to see someone who represents themselves on television and in film, it gives them the opportunity to associate and to dream big! When we all start embracing our differences and learn to accept that any one of us can do or be anything we want, this world has the opportunity to be the kind of place each of us knows it should be.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
Can you share with our readers any selfcare routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.
Every morning before I get out of bed I meditate for at least 30 minutes. I visualize how the day will go and what my life will look like in 3 years. I forgive anyone that has upset me and ask for forgiveness. This practice has healed a lot of things for me without having to confront anyone.
Journaling is a key part of my life, first thing in the morning after meditation I write out 3–5 things I am grateful for and three things that will make this day amazing. Before bed I write 3–5 great things that happened that day. I have to tell you that when I started doing this I was skeptical but within a week the things I was writing down started to happen within days! I am grateful for journaling because it has changed my life.
I workout every day, either weights or some type of stretching workout. That keeps my body healthy and strong. Walking in my neighborhood, just enjoying the trees and birds, dogs and cats and random people who walk by always gives me great pleasure and a sense of peace.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.” — Roy T. Bennett
People need other people and it seems that in this day and environment there are not enough people helping others feel seen and loved. It is important to me to reach out, talk to strangers, and make someone feel special every day. Just a quick “you look nice today” or “that outfit looks great on you” can make someone’s day better. It is such a simple thing to do, so I do it all day every day! There was one day I wasn’t feeling great but had to go out. I threw on a funny little wig and everyone I ran into mentioned how they loved my hair, the haircut or how pretty I looked. That not only surprised me but lifted my spirit so quickly it changed my whole day!
You are a person of huge 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?
I would relish the opportunity to have lunch with Guillermo Del Toro! I absolutely love his work, his mind and his film, “The Shape of Water”, is my all time favorite film. It was as if all my fantasies had come to life. Also Richard Rush, who I mentioned earlier, met Guillermo and said I should meet him! Richard made a short video for me to send to him!
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Oh, yes! I am on Instagram Kim Hopkins (@thekimhopkins), and Kim Hopkins (@liveinthemomentacting), www.facebook.com/thekimhopkins Kim Hopkins — IMDb
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Thank you so much!
