Meet Karthik Kal | Actor

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

Hi Karthik, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’ve wanted to be an actor for as long as I can remember. I think I can credit it to an amalgamation of experiences growing up. My family loved watching movies and as a South Indian, I got a healthy dose of cinema from Hollywood, Bollywood, Tollywood, and the other ‘woods from India. The enjoyment that my parents experienced was something that I wanted to be the reason for, not just for my family, but other families as well.

I was in theatre all of middle school and high school, which meant I got to be a part of multiple plays. Being in front of an audience, although nerve-wracking at times, was also a means of getting to portray a character and display an array of emotions to invoke a certain reaction from audiences. I found it to be an extremely fulfilling task.

I knew that I wanted to pursue my dreams as an actor and I am happy to be here in Los Angeles doing just that along with many of my other peers.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am still very much at the beginning of my acting career which I am very excited about. It gives me the opportunity to hold myself accountable about the time and effort I am putting into practicing the craft and getting myself in shape so that I am ready to answer when the time comes. I am incredibly motivated to continue to learn about all the aspects of the industry and how to maneuver it in order to bring out the most desirable outcomes.

No one actor’s journey is the same and that’s what makes it so unique. If you told me a couple years ago that I would be in Los Angeles, going to weekly acting classes and working on student films and auditioning for gigs, I would be flabbergasted.

All of this isn’t easy, and that’s what makes it an enjoyable venture. I want to work hard to achieve the things that I want. This past year was pretty difficult for the majority of the actors and workers in the industry due to the strike and I am sure everyone is happy that it has come to an end and are ready to get back to work. During this time though, I wanted to make sure that I developed myself as an actor and worked on getting into better shape. Was I able to do it? I would say partially, I did make sure to join multiple classes and pushed myself, but I didn’t get into as great of a shape as I wanted. Not getting any auditions during this time, stress eating and unrealistic expectations definitely dampened my efforts. It is hard to stay motivated at times, so it is extremely important to ensure that you’re taking care of your mental health which I have made the utmost importance.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man! I think the perfect day in the city would be to go hike at Griffith Park in the morning and get a gorgeous view of the entire city. Then, go eat and drink a horchata at Taqueria el Zarape. Get on Wilshire and drive all the way down to Santa Monica, hop on the PCH for a while and bask in the glory that is the SoCal coastline. Go to Santa Monica Brew Works and have a couple drinks. Then, head to Koreatown to grab some Korean BBQ. Finish the night off at a rooftop bar.

The beauty about LA is that there an endless amount of things to do and I, myself, am still finding great places around town to enjoy.

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 would like to thank my parents first and foremost because of their courage to come over to America and being able to support me financially throughout my childhood. Their constant support has given me the courage to pursue my dreams and I hope I’ll make them proud. Secondly, I would like to thank the teachers specifically at Zak Barnett Studios for enriching me with their knowledge of the industry and acting in general. I am better and will continue to become better because of them.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kartflipper/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/karthiklakkamraju

Twitter: https://twitter.com/realw3irdindian

Image Credits
Sara Espinosa Cameron Radice