Meet Kalyn Elizabeth Wood | Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kalyn Elizabeth Wood and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kalyn Elizabeth, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
My journey into a creative career, mainly acting stems from a deep- rooted love for movies that I developed while growing up. At a young age I was introduced to people like Lucille Ball, which sparked my love for the old black and white films era. As a child, I was always captivated by the magical world of cinema, and it played a significant role in shaping my imagination. On one day I could be Lucy stomping on grapes in Italy, the next I could be Rose in Titanic holding my arms wide in the front of the ship pretending that dear Leo was behind me. It wasn’t until I was around 12 years old that I discovered what acting truly was. Up until that point, I would find my self acting out scenes in my bedroom mirror without realising that it was an actual profession.

What drew me to acting was the realisation that it provided a profound underrating of people and how we, as humans, operate. I’ve always been fascinated by the intricacies of human emotions, relationship, and the diverse range of experience that make each person unique. Acting, for me, is a way to delve into the complexities of the human psyche and explore the various facets of life through the lens of different characters.

One of the mains aspects that truly resonates with me is the process of building and discovering a character’s. It’s akin to bringing someone who is stuck on a page to life. I sort of see actors as a the conduit through which the character can express itself. The challenge and joy lie in the immersing myself in the characters’ mindset, understanding their motivations, and portraying them authentically. It’s a transformative experience that allows me to step into someone else’s shoes and communicate their story to the audience. In acting we are able to make people feel. We help people to heal, escape and fantasize about another world. This is what movies did for me and that is what motivates me too. The idea that someone can sit in a theatre and on some level relate to something my character is going through. If that person smiles for the first time that day, or finally cries about something or maybe they just feel seen… then I feel that I have done my job.

In essence, my love for movies, coupled with my own understanding of the my craft, has furled my passion. Acting is the love of my life. The ability to connect with people on a profound level and the joy of creating and embodying characters are the driving forces behind my choice to pursue a career in acting.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In this career and industry as a whole there are no certainties and no fast track to get there. Wherever your ‘there’ is. I more of ‘here’ person. This is where I am now, but can’t wait to see where I go. The one thing in this crazy up and down career that has remained constant for and I would say should remain constant for anyone in any career is the LOVE for what you do. Not the outcome from what you do. It’s the work itself that you gotta love. That’s what I love the work. To be a bit cheesy, it’s like the saying, “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”. While yes of course I have goals and so many things I want to do, but I remind myself to live in the moment day to day and enjoy the moment. In my job, to enjoy the work of the character, the production, that development of the little family that is created when working on a film. While I have had ups and downs, and many disappointments, I’m always reminded by why I do it… my love for it, and I always remember younger me sitting in a dark theatre and allowing my imagination to run wild or escape into another world, feel seen, cry, laugh, and sit in awe of what was happening in front of me.
This is career is not easy, but it’s all about your outlook on in it.
I think another thing to do or rather think about is finding your own way of doing something. Take note of the performances, actors, directors and writers that you like and ask yourself why? For me I have always been drawn to subtle performances. Where the dialogue is almost like a background noise to the silence in the room and the space the actor holds. Real life is about details and the little subtleties that make up our day and interactions with people. For me, in anything that I do, I would love for an audience member to look at my in a scene and without me speaking understand or know what is going on inside the character. That can only happen if I truly do the work to create the internal world for that character. The bottom line is, is that I LOVE acting. It’s the only thing that feels right to me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well first anyone who knows me knows that I don’t go a day without a coffee. So definitely have to make a stop Alfred’s on Melrose. Yes, I know. very LA… Next would be one of my favorite things, Griffith Observatory. It’s a great hike to do in the morning because there aren’t too many people, but my absolute favorite time to go is a night. You walk out to one of the lookouts and all you see is where the black sky meets the lights if Los Angeles, and the silence is so peaceful. When you’re up there you just feel like anything is possible. It’s a magical time. Another thing I would say to go and do is walk along Santa Monica Pier and also watching the sunset on the beach at Santa Monica with a picnic. You can’t come to LA without eating some good food. There are so many places to choose from. One the best things about being in Southern California is the access to some of the best street tacos. So find yourself a food truck and park yourself there with your friends and also order a round of homemade margaritas! End the your day with a picking up something sweet at Jeni’s Ice Cream and make your way up to Griffith.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh wow, okay! The first people I want to thank are my Parents. To my dad for always supporting me and introducing me to so many amazing films that have shaped me. To my mom for always being my best friend and supporting me. Thank you for driving me to my first auditions in high school. Thank you BOTH for always believing in me, even when there are are times when I doubt myself. Thank you for being the best parents a girl could ask. This career is a wild ride and I would not where I am and where I am going if it wasn’t for the two of you. To the rest of family and friends for standing by my side and loving me dearly. To Aston Management for the content love and support.

Instagram: @kalynelizabethwood

Other: imdb https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5929964/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_2_nm_6_q_kalyn%2520wood

Image Credits
UnDefiled – Film release 2024 credit: Matt Macaulley (Poster and ‘undefiled marked photos) Molar- Release 2024 credit Jon Campbell Rose (Molar Poster and photo of me on bench with bangs) Yellow belly Photos (for headshots) Screaming Silence poster credit Hal Waghorn