Meet Kabir Mcneely | Actor

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

Hi Kabir, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think being an actor means constantly taking risks – not only in my work, but also in life. There’s so much pressure from the world to take the “traditional” and “safe” route – to have a 9-to-5 with a steady paycheck. That doesn’t exist for creatives, so it involves a huge amount of discipline and trusting yourself without any guarantee of success. That’s honestly the biggest risk I’ve taken in my life as an actor was just taking that leap of faith and deciding to move to LA and pursue it full time.

It’s risky and at times very stressful, but I’ve enjoyed the ride so far and can’t wait to see what’s to come. It’s led to some of the greatest opportunities, adventures and relationships that would’ve never come otherwise. But there are no guarantees in art, so I believe you have to be a risk-taker in order for such a career path to be fruitful.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I really enjoy scenes where a character’s feelings are conveyed to the audience without any dialogue. I find filling in those blanks and being able to fully bring myself to those moments to be one of the most rewarding things. I’m really excited for an upcoming movie I’m in called Fallaway (It’s in post so I haven’t seen it yet), where my character Giovanni has so many of those quiet moments. It was a really beautiful role to be able to bring to life and I’ve really been able to take so many of the lessons I’ve learned, particularly the importance of bringing myself and using my personality in any role rather than hiding behind the character. I think that really tripped me up when I was starting out. I thought of acting as putting on a mask which it really isn’t. I think magic really happens when you’re able to bring yourself and your imagination to the roles that you play. Whenever I’m able to find a peace of myself in a character – especially if it’s someone I have “nothing in common with” on the surface level, that’s when I think acting is the most rewarding.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would honestly recommend finding a good local taco truck. You won’t have trouble since they’re all over town. My other recommendation would be to go on a hike. There are so many incredible trails and the views are very beautiful – particularly around sunrise or sunset.

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 owe almost everything in my creative life to the many acting coaches along the way who have never steered me wrong and whose belief in me has never faded even on my worst performance days. I honestly think that’s the most important thing for an actor to have is a network of other actors who believe in you and what you’re doing. I wouldn’t be where I am without the actors and other creatives who’ve been there for me.

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