Meet Jim Klock | Actor, director, & producer

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

Hi Jim, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
I think one thing that’s truly special about being an actor and film maker/producer that most people may not realize is unlike other industries there really is no clearly laid out structure or path to success or even sustainability. It’s more of this free for all, fail your way to success and figuring out a path along the way. I think to make it as an artist of any kind it’s takes great mental toughness, tenacity, and resilience. I wish this was something talked about more because I think too many talented dreamers quit when the journey isn’t “fun” anymore but what I’ve learned is you’ve got to fight thru those moments and remember “rejection” may not be fun but that doesn’t mean your love of acting, writing, and directing isn’t fun. You have to know the difference and embrace the process with maximum effort.

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’m currently extremely blessed to be a working actor, director, and producer. The path has been extremely fun and rewarding. I was a full time police officer for ten years working the last two as a narcotics detective back east and I absolutely loved every minute of it. It gave me such a strong foundation of discipline, empathy, and a skill set that I was able to use to help me pursue my acting career. When I first left full time law enforcement and moved to los angles I worked as a personal protection specialist/bodyguard for a variety of high net worth individuals and movie stars. This got me on sets watching how the best in the world prepare and execute at the highest level. The one constant piece of advice I would get was if you want to make it as an actor and film maker you have to act and make films. Somehow someway you have to create opportunities because these are art forms that you can only learn so much watching others or learning in a class room. As the great Les Brown says, you have to “jump and trust you’ll grow wings on the way down”. So I started saving all the money I’d make on these nice bodyguard jobs and then make my indie “no budget” films. I learned so much about being a professional in my other professions that as I started to put it all together and “fail” my way to success. I just got more confident in every area of this profession. When I first started I thought like many young actors do, and that is “fame” is making it but that’s so far from the truth. Like the incredible Mark Strong says, “I always thought fame would lead to great work but then you realize great work is what leads to more great work.” So as I continued to work, I’d grow. Sometimes I’d take two steps forward and three steps back but then I’d grow from that experience. The more I do this, the more I understand we learn in the valleys. We grow more in the storms, but you have to be willing to put yourself in the stormy valley and then not quit when you’re there. I truly appreciate where I am today more than ever because of the journey but also, make no mistake, I’m more hungry for what’s next than I’ve ever been. But that’s the gift of that sweet mixture of confidence and humility from lessons learned, trials and tribulations and understanding this one key principle: Actors act, writers write, directors direct, and producers produce. It’s about the work not the results.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’d start out in Malibu at one of my favorite spots the “Malibu Cigar Lounge” which has an amazing rooftop area to relax, have a stogie and look at the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Truthfully a lot of what we’d do would revolve around being as close to the ocean as possible. Exploring some of the great restaurants in Santa Monica like “Meat On Ocean” which is an incredible place to dine and the view is awesome. I’d try to call in a favor and score some Jimmy Kimmel tickets because that’s a really fun show to see live and you can go early and do all the cool Hollywood stuff which anyone coming here for the first time will want to do. I also love Hermosa beach. It’s one of my favorite spots to go and enjoy the day. We’d also hit up Universal because it’s not only fun but never gets old; taking me back to feeling like a ten year old kid!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This list could go on for days. I’ve been extremely blessed my entire life with people who have encouraged my dreams. My amazing and beautiful mother believed in me from when I was maybe 5 or 6 years old and started telling stories while pretending to be all sorts of crazy characters. I also had my awesome Grand Pa who lived with us and would stay up all night long letting me pretend to be Rocky or Rambo and everything in between and taking me to the movies every chance he had. We’d spend full days at the movie theater together and I had no idea then what God was preparing me for. When I went to college I had the most incredible drama professor Dr. Brenda Lewis Holmes who saw something inside me and told me I could be a professional actor. I was a police officer at the time and really had no idea there was a world I could pursue acting but she opened a door simply by believing in me. Then along the way friends and family who would constantly encourage me to keep at it. I was making shorts, and super low budget indie films while attending countless casting director workshops just doing anything possible to get my foot in the door. I met my long time acting coach the incredible Jack Plotnick in 2012 and that was truly a moment that changed everything for me as an actor, filmmaker, and now a coach myself, committed to sharing Jack’s joyful approach of acting to others.

Website: WWW.JIMKLOCK.COM

Instagram: @jimdklock

Twitter: @jimdklock

Facebook: Jim Klock

Youtube: @code3comedy

Other: Interrogations gone wrong episode with Keanu Reeves https://youtu.be/wfvhhhl39hw