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

Hi Christina, alright, so let’s kick it off with a deep question: what’s the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
You only need 1 yes. In my experience as an actress in Los Angeles, I have found there to be a lot of comradery surrounding artists in this city. I believe this is largely due to the fact that many people who move to Hollywood to pursue their dreams are also the same people who grew up in smaller towns where those ‘dreams’ weren’t as acceptable. “We” (meaning those chasing the non-9 to 5 careers) are typically the outcasts. Hollywood (or any other entertainment hub) is packed with talent, drive & hard-work. Considering it is so competitive, artists are constantly facing rejection. In fact, I would be confident in saying that for every 100 no’s, there is 1 yes. As intimidating as those odds may sound to everyone fighting for the same goal, I feel this is the wrong way to look at things. That 1 yes is all you need. I have probably been on over 200 auditions and I have been rejected for every single reason in the book. Whenever I would get close to quitting I would try to remember that I was collecting my no’s and that I was essentially playing a numbers game. I knew my yes was around the corner. One day, someone gave me that yes. 1 person taking a chance on me lead to 2 people and then 3. Soon enough I was able to build a network of people who liked me, trusted me and who knew I was worthy of that yes. And although I use the entertainment industry as an example, it is applicable to all things in life. Whatever it is that you are working towards, remember that your “yes” is out there.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Growing up in a small town on the East Coast, I never understood that acting was even a career. Being a very ‘theatrical’ only child, I was always making up dance routines, writing songs and doing impersonations from a very young age. The only things I were sure about in life was that I liked to entertain, I loved Spongebob, and gymnastics was life. When I was 10-years-old, I saw a commercial on Nickelodeon for a talent search called, “R U All That? The Search for the Funniest Kid in America.” The winner was to earn on a spot on the sketch comedy show “All That.” I, of course, had to enter. I had to self-tape a few scenes and perform 3 original impersonations. I did Sandy Cheeks from Spongebob (of course), Steve Erwin (R.I.P) and a rapping, break-dancing house DJ (we all still have some questions about this one). Long story short (and quite anti-climatic), I won the contest! My life drastically changed after that. I had never been to Hollywood, I had never met “celebrities” and I had never acted, Now, I was living in Hollywood as an actor, working with my idols. It was quite the ‘glow up’ (did I use that hip phrase correctly?). After shooting 2 seasons, I decided I wanted to return home to Boston. I attended high school and graduated Emerson College with a degree in Broadcast Journalism before returning back to Los Angeles to pursue acting again, as an adult. Comedy has always been my favorite and quite frankly, for a very long time it was the only genre I thought I was capable of doing. Then, after several years of auditioning as an adult, I booked a role on the drama series “Ambitions.” My character, Lori, was sort of a modern-day film fatale character. She was strong, sexually-driven and in short, a boss-ass bitch. At first I was very nervous to take on this role because I had never done drama before. As soon as we starting shooting, I fell in love with playing Lori and it exposed a new skillset that I had no idea I had.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Favorite restaurants: Sushi Dan, Studio City Margo, Culver City Chulita, Venice Tatsu Ramen, West LA Flake, Venice Bui Sushi, Malibu Scopa, Venice Butcher’s Daughter, Venice Toca Madera, West Hollywood Favorite Coffee spots: Love Coffee, Santa Monica Flowerboy Project, Venice Deus Ex Machina, Venice Bear Coast Coffee, San Clemente Activities: Skateboard around Inspiration Point, Corona Del Mar Huntington Library & Gardens, Pasadena Rock-climbing @ LAB or Cliffs of Id Surfing in Malibu Rosenthal Winery, Malibu Grand Central Market, Downtown See a show at The Comedy Store / The Improv Hiking/rock-climbing at Malibu Creek State Park, Malibu Yosemite National Park Cinespia, Hollywood Forever Cemetery Melrose Trading Post, West Hollywood (Sundays)

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 am very grateful to have so many kind & genuine people on my team that have supported me from the very beginning. My parents have been at the forefront of this crazy & turbulent journey since day 1. Not only would I not be where I am today without them, but I wouldn’t be a fraction of the human I am. I am very lucky to have parents who support me unconditionally. My boyfriend is my biggest fan (next to my parents). Not only does he give me the space to pursue and explore my creative side but he encourages it daily. He is always there to help me with my lines or shoot my self-tapes. But, most importantly he is always there to lift me up when I am feeling stressed about my work. I am also very lucky to have such a great team of representation. My theatrical agent, Tina, is such a badass and she helped get my first role in Hollywood after a 15-year break from the industry. My Voice over agents at CESD are like family to me. My manager, Matt, was actually working as a booth director at CESD before I signed with them. He is the one that called me in when I tried submitting to the agency. He’s been rooting for me ever since! Brian Reise, in my opinion, is the best acting coach in the city. I started taking his classes after a year of living (and feeling very lost) in Los Angeles as an adult. I was immediately hooked and immediately humbled. He teaches you exactly what happens on a set. There is zero bullshit. His class not only made me a confident actor but it prepped me for my role on “Ambitions.” There are so many more people who deserve credit & who I need to thank. I have a great group of friends on both the East & West Coast. A lot of my friends on the West coast are also in the industry, so we understand each other. We help each other with self-tapes, we visit each other on sets, we attend each other’s premieres, and we get together and cry and drink wine after we’ve bombed an audition (kidding, but not really). Believe it or not, I also get a lot of motivation from kind people on Instagram. I have mixed feelings about social media. I either love it, or I am fighting it, but I know, when used correctly it can be a great platform.

Instagram: @christinakirkman
Twitter: @CKirkman7
Other: TikTok: @christinakirkman

Image Credits
Haley Ringo