Meet Christine Kent | Actress, yogimom & jiujitsu practitioner

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

Hi Christine, how do you think about risk?
Risks are essential for a creative life. Being ready to explore an area or concept you’ve never considered and embrace the uncertainty and bravery that requires makes you a whole new and better person. My best risks brought me to different cultures and countries that make me so in love w the earth and it’s people. My worst risks brought me pain but hey, you learn from those too and glueing those bits into your life makes for a more interesting, abstract piece instead of a simple, still life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m really proud of being apart of the film industry. It’s taken time, almost ten yrs of constant unnerving auditions:), but I’ve finally gotten to a place where I feel at home exploring parts and appreciating the process of storytelling. It’s super important to me to reveal the struggles and joys of the human experience and I really believe film/theater is the best medium, at least for me, to do that. Justice, mercy, love, all these things that I highly value, are able to be felt in the innermost being through the subtle magic of acting. Currently, I’m working in a new play about the Magdalene Laundries. Having the chance to expose the horrors experienced by girls as recent as the 1980s that were covered up by the government and church, is a privilege, an honor that goes way beyond art and I take it seriously. Ironically, my life as recently as four years ago matched the role I’ve taken so it is really empowering to stand up and show the damage that patriarchy, submission to cruel authority, etc. has on a mom and kids..

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?
Ok, I love LA so come w me to see why…:). First, we need to run the LA marathon training route along PCH in Santa Monica that goes from Venice to Bundy Dr, it’s scenic, invigorating, and they have speakers come and free water stations(well, if you jump in but I think you’re supposed to pay some club fee maybe:). You’ll be tired a bit so cool it in the waves at Venice Beach after hanging and stretching off the awesome rings and bars near Santa Monica pier. Next, let’s head up to Diddy Riese’s for an ice cream sandwich that is surprisingly cheap (I literally can get all my kids (7!) a Reese’s pieces cookie sandwich for under $30, that’s great for us! Once, I stood in line behind Rob Schneider and he happily took a pic w me (he’s actually a happy guy and sharing an ice cream moment w him made my day).
Since we’re right across from the old Fox theater, we’ll take a picture in front of that and I’ll probably mention I got to shoot a commercial there and also take my kids to see a movie premier (invited by a great scene partner I had w the John Kirby (so love him) studio-Chrissy Metz, w tons of free popcorn (they loved that part). I’ll throw in my mom speech of how awesome it would be to go to UCLA since all the students are walking by and hint how happy all the ones in lab coats look:).
Feeling inspired intellectually, we’ll head to the Getty where they only charge for parking(!?!) and you get a super tram ride up the side of the mountain (trick your kids here that it’s an amusement park and you’ll even see deer). There’s amazing art like Blue Boy and naked stiff statue guy (I mean, he’s a statue so he’s stiff but other parts of him as well 😳 ) (direct the kids’ eyes to the left over the huge panoramic sky view) in the elaborate gardens and just take in all the white marble and beauty of architecture. Next, we check the weather and see it’s raining a little north and temps are falling so we’ll high tail it up the 405(ok, hold on, cuz that part where the Sherman Oaks Galleria smiles at you on the right makes you almost miss the awesome exchange to switch over out of the 101’s way. I love that part, especially at night when the valley lights up just on the other side and you fly down the hill headed for all those twinkling lights. It’s the valley and actually pretty raunchy in parts but don’t miss the most awesome Thai place, Khun Khao off Roscoe blvd. Their cashew chicken, pad thai, and Thom Yom Gyu soup will actually extend your life by any measure being in the valley deducts:). The sweet bespeckled owner will have the best smile for you and sometimes a free rice ball desert, especially if that’s your only meal of the day as a grad student.:) But, we must get up to the snow before the roads get blocked at the 5 grapevine for being too icy, so hold off on smiley guy for the return. Making it up just past N LA, you’ll hit Frazier Park where you’ll have to grab a turnout and fly down the snow w my kids and their makeshift box sleds. Walking in those woods will be magical as the snow falls and you smell the pines. There’s just no place on earth like LA where you can taste the saltwater, icicle, star studded ice cream and authentic Asian food all in one day!!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I totally have to credit my kids for being my inspiration. They are super funny, smart, resilient, strong, and caring. When I grow up, I want to be like them:). In the mean time, I strive to make their lives as interesting and peaceful as I can. I’ve learned that means I must do that for myself and that multiplies down to them.

I’d also like to credit Annette Cyr and Bob Hart who let me be part of their short film production and ever since became true mentors to myself and kids, closer than family w their care and inspiration. And, the jiujitsu gyms that got us started in true self defense so we’d learn to not be submissive but strong..the Gracie guys in Torrance, and our home gym at Gracie Humata in Valencia w Mario Aiello were key to strong mind and body development and bonding w my boys. My peace of mind at a really difficult time which inspired me to become a yoga teacher can be found at what is now Serenity Yoga in Newhall. My trainer, Annelie, is the real deal yogi. Also, I have to mention the Valencia Harley store. I’d go in there just to smell the Harleys, I know, but it reminded me of my dad. One day, I was admiring one and who comes out but the Terminator(the real one and also Johnny Cash’s dad:). In fact, Johnny Cash was playing on the radio. Yeah, Robert Patrick. What a great guy and the rides he puts on to benefit the community, you’d never know he once was set to take down the world. I even got to ride their simulated Harley w Ernie who was always there and super nice. LA is the strangest nice place really, everything that you can imagine is found in some form which is ideal for the artist and adventurer:)!

Website: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm6511415/

Instagram: Christineekent

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Youtube: Here and Now Yoga

Image Credits
Family pic Kent kids