Meet Katherine Gage | Actress, Writer, Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katherine Gage and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katherine, how do you think about risk?
Its role cannot be overstated, I’m sure the majority of actors would agree with me. It’s funny though, I never think in terms of risk. When I left a traditional trajectory to attend conservatory full time I had everyone around me telling me how risky it was, but I just saw it as what I needed to do. It was scary, certainly, but I love fear. There is such power in doing the thing despite the fear. Risk is also inherent to the art of acting. Because you cannot act well if you cannot be vulnerable and vulnerability is incredibly risky. We risk being hurt, embarrassed, angered, happy. I guess I think of bravery as a muscle. The more risks we take the stronger our bravery gets.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
So many lessons over the years. I feel like one of the biggest, and I know so many people say this, is to make your own work. If I had listened to that advice when I first graduated acting school I would felt a lot more empowered in my own career a lot earlier. I’ve always considered myself an actress and writer, but I began producing short projects in 2020 as well. I started a production company, Desobediente Productions, with one of my best friends. We’ve done three sketches and one short film with another in the works. I’m also very excited for a pilot that I’m working on with a bunch of fellow RADA graduates. We’re all Shakespeare nerds and we started this particular endeavor by gathering on a rooftop in Venice to just read a bunch of plays. It kind of snowballed into a really beautiful project that we are currently in pre-production for. The third thing I’m currently working on a pilot that I wrote. I’ve finished the pilot script and the show bible and am now looking for the right producers/collaborators and networks to pitch it to. I believe in it a lot. After so many years of uncertainty and begging for jobs it feels great to actually have some confidence and power in my career.
It’s never easy, but things don’t necessarily need to be easy to flow. It’s kind of one of those ‘pick your hard’ situations. Pursuing a career in film/tv/creation is difficult, but so is ignoring your dreams. I love that quote that goes something like, “it is far more painful to be a blocked artist than to just do the work”.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Wow I have a whole list of restaurants prepared for potential visitors. First is Nic’s on Beverly, I tried it for the first time recently and I had the best potatoes of my life. Sugar Taco is next, all vegan taco spot, it’s mind blowing. Magpie’s soft serve has super unique ice cream flavors like blue corn, golden graham, lemon cake. My favorite food truck is Word of Mouth Truck. I honestly could go on and on about the food here. It’s vegan heaven. I’d take them to some estate sales, I’ve gotten into estate sale tiktok as of late (thank you algorithm!). It’s a cool way to explore the different neighborhoods and it’s an authentic window into different walks of LA life. Obviously we’d hit several beaches and many hikes. My go-to hike is Fryman because I live so close but I also love Widsom Tree for a harder workout and amazing views.
The pandemic hit like 5 months after I moved here so I haven’t had the chance to explore as much as I’d like, but it has given me the opportunity to find fun outdoor things. I love honestly love LA. I’ve found so much here to be excited about.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who have helped me immeasurably along the way. Achievement is never solitary. I’m privileged to have had a handful of teachers that opened up my worldview and believed in me. From a very young age it was my dance teacher, Brenda, who expected excellence of me and instilled a discipline that I still carry. In college it was Steven McKinley Henderson, my college freshman acting teacher who, when I went to him for advice on dropping out, listened intently and seriously to my plans to move to New York. He wrote to his friend, Bill, who ran a conservatory in Midtown, recommending me to attend said conservatory and encouraging one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. After conservatory, it was Nick, my RADA professor, who casually said one day that I was a strong actress. Something I still had trouble seeing in myself no matter the training I’d had. And of course my family is very supportive. It was a bit more of a journey, no one else in my family has ever pursued the arts, so there was a lot of resistance at first. But once they saw that my commitment to this path never wavered, they got behind me.

Website: www.katherinegage.com

Instagram: @katherineegage

Twitter: @katherine_gage1

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7010001/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0