Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Victoria Kelleher Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Ming Zhao

Make your own content! It’s s much easier than it was when I was starting! And it’s a great way to learn what your voice is in this crazy business. It took me years to find my voice and if I had been making stuff on my own it would have been much faster.

As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Victoria Kelleher.

Victoria has just been cast in highly anticipated Paramount+ mini-series “The Offer” starring Miles Teller and Juno Temple as well as in a recurring role for the wildly popular HBO Max series “The Flight Attendant” alongside Kaley Cuoco! With over 25-years in the industry, Victoria is credited for over 60 roles, including roles in “The Newsroom”, “Good Trouble”, “This is Us”¸ and most recently “Grey’s Anatomy”.

In addition to acting, she’s a mother of 3 — her son who came naturally to her and her husband, as well as her 2 Black daughters whom she adopted. She has dedicated her life to educating herself properly on the history of POC in America and truly understanding what it means to raise her daughters in this world and the differences they may face that she didn’t growing up as a white woman in the US. More below on Victoria and her projects.

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 grew up in St. Paul Minnesota with allll the cold. So. Much. Cold. My mom was a single mother, and we didn’t have a bunch of money, but I loved watching TV! And going to thrift stores. Two hobbies I still have.

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

I had always been singing and performing (for anyone who would sit still for me!) as I grew up, but in high school, I tried out for the school play a couple of times and didn’t get a part. But I did get on the speech and debate team. Then in college on a particularly cold day, I cut through the theater department to get to the library because it was -30 below zero. On my way through the theater department, I saw a sign for auditions for the MFA play, and I thought what the heck I did speech and debate! And I Did my speech and debate monologue and ended up getting in the production. That was the beginning of my acting career.

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

Probably the story of my “Friends’ pants. I found a pair of pants that reminded me of something Rachel would wear, and I bought them and LOVED them. When I got an audition for FRIENDS I wore those pants to the audition. I was told I booked the role right then and there and they sent me to wardrobe where they also loved my pants and I ended up wearing them on my episode.

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 was auditioning for a small part of a sitcom where I was supposed to be sobbing uncontrollably. I had no lines, but when I saw ‘sobbing’ I freaked out and was ssoooo concerned about crying that I didn’t read all the stage directions. I went to the audition and started ‘crying’ and the casting mimed handing me something and I mime-wiped my eyes as if it was a Kleenex. The casting director looked at me very confused and then said thank you. When I went to the car, I really looked at the script and saw that she was handing me a quote happy pill” and I was supposed to get super happy. I just hadn’t read past the sobbing moment and had no idea. What I learned was to read everything on the page!

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

Well, if my now-husband hadn’t broken up with me and moved to California, where I promptly stalked him… I don’t know that I would ever have had the courage to move here from Minnesota. And he has been my biggest cheerleader since then. Also, girls, don’t stalk your boyfriends. It doesn’t always work out so well.

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?

Make your own content! It’s s much easier than it was when I was starting! And it’s a great way to learn what your voice is in this crazy business. It took me years to find my voice and if I had been making stuff on my own it would have been much faster.

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?

I just love the process and the collaboration and most of all, the people. We are a weird tribe of oddballs and I love it. As for change, I am always looking for material that addresses women who aren’t in their 20s and 30s. The more mature woman’s stories are out there but we aren’t represented as much as I think we should be. I hope that is changing.

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?

I just worked on a film with Chris Evan’s, which was delightful. He is a really smart and funny dude to work with. Also, he is not ugly. :-) For the future, I want to be a series regular on a sitcom where I can make people laugh every week. That has always been and remains my dream.

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?

My husband and I adopted our daughter in 2010 and she is Black. Being a white person, I never really saw what was missing on television in terms of diversity. But then having this girl to raise, and watching what she watches, became so important to me. She needs to see herself on the tv screen, and in the Supreme Court and all the places she could go. When you see it you can see yourself there.

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

That it is a loooonnnggg haul, not a sprint. Patience is the biggest tool.

To get into a great supportive acting community ASAP. I have been at Lesly Kahn & Co for many years and all of my closest friends I met in that building. They know what I am going through and they support me along this crazy road.

To make people earn your trust, and prove they deserve your respect.

To be your own biggest fan.

Always have a beginner’s mindset. It will serve you greatly all along this career path.

Can you share with our readers any self-care 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.

I am a Peleton freak. It helps my mind so much to ride. During the pandemic, it probably saved my mental health.

As far as my physical health, I also strength train with the Peleton app. I feel stronger than I ever have in my life!

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

My current motto is ‘ I don’t chase, I attract. What belongs to me will find me.’ Which I heard on my main source of all knowledge which is TikTok. I’m obsessed.

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?

If I could start a movement, it would be to scream to the world about adoption. There are so many kids already here looking for families and I wish every family would adopt at least one child.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

I would love to have lunch with Sandra Bullock. I love the way her career has progressed, and she seems like a funny chick. Also, she has done trans-racial adoption and I would love to share stories and tips.

Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?

I am on Instagram at @victoriakelleher and of course on TikTok with the tag A Quickie With Vikki. Don’t ask. I know it sounds like an Only Fans name…

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

Thank you! What a pleasure to answer your awesome questions! Now I’ll get back to scrolling TikTok!