Rising Star Loren Kinsella On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
Don’t be afraid to fail — it will happen, and from it, you will learn.
As a performer, it’s not about you. This takes the pressure off of us as an actor trying to get work.
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Loren Kinsella.
Loren Kinsella was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana where she was put into dance class at the age of two. Her first appearance on the stage only a few months later solidified her love for performance and she has never looked back.
She continued her dance training and added in acting training throughout her younger years. Her dance career led her to the Giacobbe Academy of Dance, the training center for the Delta Festival Ballet.
As she grew, she attended the prestigious New Orleans Center for the Creative arts, the home to such legends as Winton Marsalis, Wendell Pierce, and Harry Connick Jr. Eventually she would attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Somewhere along the way, she found a love for Martial Arts and trained under Living Legend Grandmaster Chan Pui. In 2001, Loren represented the United States in the Zhengzhou International Martial Arts Festival and was considered 6th in the world.
Loren’s career includes being a soloist with the Delta Festival Ballet, Broadway Shows, International tours, an International Championship Martial Arts record, and a Primetime Emmy® consideration. She has been the recipient of many awards for her performance ability and holds a BA, MFA and DFA in Film/TV and Theater. She consistently works in theater, film and television.
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 New Orleans. New Orleans is such a fantastic city filled with music, love, laughter, great food, art, history and culture. Everywhere you turn there is music and art. It really is a place like no other. I would recommend that everyone visit there at least once in their lives. You don’t have to experience Mardi Gras to enjoy New Orleans. It’s so very much more.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
In the south, you put your kids into dance class to teach them grace and give them confidence. A lot of kids go on to be pageant kids, but that wasn’t me. Instead, I spent my time in dance class. I was on stage at the age of two, and I shot my first commercial at the age of six. My first play was also at six. I played the coveted role of Longtail in the production of Mikey the Mouse Goes to Space. Needless to say it was a great hit with the elementary school crowd. I suppose it was these formative years that put me on this path. I haven’t ever considered doing anything else with my life.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
It’s funny how life is, isn’t it? When I started in entertainment, I literally had my entire career worked out by the time I was nine, except for one thing. St some point in my early 20’s, someone mentioned to me that I needed to add more ‘special skills’ to my resume. That’s where you tell everyone what you’re good at, like computers, or juggling, or skateboarding, things like that. I had dance, sure, but I needed other things as well. Then, I was introduced to martial arts. I really didn’t have any interest in martial arts as a teenager, but as I got older, it really clicked for me. I trained a lot. Sometimes up to 10 hours a day. Eventually, I ended up being a member of an International Competition Team and representing the United States in the Zhengzhou International Martial Arts festival in 2001. It was an honor to represent the country, and an experience that I will certainly never forget. Did martial arts help my career? I don’t know, but it certainly made me a much more balanced and well-rounded person.
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’ve made and continue to make mistakes, but the one that always stands out to me is this: I was dancing with a ballet company that had a school attached and going to an arts high school at the same time. I had my eye on a specific performing arts university. I was so focused on them that I convinced myself I wasn’t good enough to go. I didn’t even audition and instead, stayed home and joined the company as an apprentice. The next year, one of my younger classmates was auditioning around to colleges. She wasn’t nearly as advanced as I was in ballet, and yet she auditioned for the university I was eyeing. Not only did she get in, but she received a scholarship. To make matters worse, she turned all of this down and chose a completely different career path. I was happy for her, certainly, but it was a big lesson for me. Don’t be afraid to go for what you want, you never know what could happen.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I’m working on something very exciting, but unfortunately, I can’t tell you much about it. I’ve signed an NDA, so I must be really careful. I can say that it involves an ensemble and some really terrific artists. Oh, I wish I could tell you more. It’s killing me!
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?
Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is a good thing. It teaches you what not to do. It hurts and it’s miserable when you’re going through it. Believe me, I have failed so many times. But yes, I really did learn a lot.
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?
This is a subject very close to my heart. First and foremost, I think that when we see people of all races represented on television and in films, it allows us enjoy the content at a depth we couldn’t before. Secondly, when we cast authentically, for example casting a person who is in a wheelchair for a character in a wheelchair, it gets rid of the stigma around such things. It makes ‘disability’ less of a bad word and puts all people on an even playing field. Thirdly, when we tell stories about cultures that are less well known than others, it takes away the xenophobic fear. It makes different people and cultures less scary and opens up the whole world to us as an audience and as a people.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
Oh wow, that’s rough. Certainly,
- Don’t be afraid to fail — it will happen, and from it, you will learn.
- As a performer, it’s not about you. This takes the pressure off of us as an actor trying to get work.
- Productions are based on money in the US. Many of the decisions are monetarily based. These don’t have anything to do with us as actors.
- You’re allowed to be yourself. Do not compare yourself to anyone else. That’s like comparing apples to zebras. (I think I’d rather be the zebra in that scenario.) It’s ok to be who you are, and you will be rewarded for it.
- Relax and enjoy life. You don’t have to be struggling and working the whole time. A better-balanced life makes for a better-balanced performer and that’s what audiences want to see.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
“Burn out” is real. It happens to everyone. It happens to me from time to time. I supposed we all need to take the time necessary to regroup. Take a break if you need it. Take a vacation if you need it. Refill the vessel so you can pour creativity from within. That sounds trite, I know, but sometimes that’s what it takes. We all need to shut down from time to time and let the batteries recharge.
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. :-)
I’ve always felt that anyone should have access to higher education if they want it. I always wanted to be able to provide students with university scholarships of some kind. I’m not sure how that could be accomplished, but it really is something that I’ve always wanted to do.
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?
My parents. I’ve never had a mentor or anyone that held my hand, but without a doubt, no matter what crazy thing I wanted to do, throughout my entire life, my parents were there backing me up and encouraging me to do my best.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Do not get discouraged. Don’t shrug off your dreams because of the setbacks. Aspirations are not like perspiration, they will not evaporate unless you allow it.”
― C. Toni Graham
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. :-)
Producer Extraordinaire Dean Devlin. I think his vision is spectacular, his projects are fun and entertaining, and he seems like a really terrific person.
How can our readers follow you online?
I’m @LorenKinsella on all of the social media things.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
I greatly appreciate and really enjoyed the interview. Thank you.
