Meet Keelia Clarkson | Actress & Novelist

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

Hi Keelia, why did you pursue a creative career?
To be honest, I never made a conscious decision to pursue a creative career path. It was not so much something I chose to do as much as it was something I did from a young age, and kept on doing. The languages of math and science always felt foreign, impossible to learn, to me; there was never a chance of becoming an accountant or engineer. But the language of stories, performance, and words have always intuitively made sense to me, captured my imagination, and been the lens through which I viewed the world. And so, I naturally gravitated toward the arts. I remember watching “The Lord of the Rings” as a little girl and upon realizing that the people on screen, who were acting out and bringing to life a compelling, sweeping tale, were *real* people and not simply beautiful holograms, I had no doubt that I wanted to do just that when I grew up — be part of beautiful, connective, inspiring stories, however I could manage that. That turned into auditioning for every school play I could, hunting down acting classes, and even writing down the stories that grew in my own mind. There’s never been a time that I can remember when I wasn’t walking down a creative path.

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’d love to say that I was magically discovered one day at a mall, but my journey as a creative is one that has taken years of dedicated work in one direction — with less fruitful seasons and constant rejection along the way. It can take around 100 auditions for a union actor to book just one job, and the writing world isn’t any easier to get into. Unlike most other career paths, a creative’s isn’t linear; there’s no guarantee and no one way to find success; no two actors’ or writers’ journey will look the same. This can make it frustrating sometimes, but it’s also taught me to be tenacious, faithful, and even excited to live out the unique story that is mine to live. It has taught me to not wait around for good things to find me, but to actively seek them out and even create them myself.

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to work on indie films with producers like Alex Coco, land small roles in TV shows like New Amsterdam and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, act across my husband in two of his feature films, and even put together a feature film of my own; I also recently signed a two-book deal for my novel series, Avila Falls, which will be out early 2026.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of the things I love most about LA is the variety that can be found in each pocket of it. Every neighborhood feels like visiting a different character, so it’s hard to narrow it down! But there are a few stops I’d absolutely have to make. First, we’d need to get breakfast at a donut shop — my personal favorite for this is Donut Factory; a couple croissant sandwiches with your favorite fixings and some iced coffee (it’s surprisingly good), and you’re ready to start the day. I’d insist on In-N-Out (mustard-fried cheeseburger with animal style fries, iykyk), and probably stop off at Aroma in Studio City to people watch. We’d visit Griffith Observatory for some classic Hollywood vibes, and maybe stop off at Barnsdall Park for the view. A drive down Sunset would show them the most iconic LA staples, and we could catch the sunset as we make our way down the PCH.

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?
One of the difficult things about living a creative life is that it’s a kind of life that is not always easily understood by others, which is why I couldn’t be more thankful for my husband, Nathan, who is also an actor and writer, and who has been a never-ending source of encouragement in my creative journey. From helping me with countless auditions, to listening to every draft of my novel and offering feedback, to using his extroversion to pull my introverted self out of my shell, to casting me in two of his films, he has been instrumental in my career and successes. The gift of having a spouse who not only supports but understands my creative dreams and drive, and is chasing that kind of life alongside me, is priceless.

Website: https://www.keelia.me

Instagram: @keelia.clarkson

Image Credits
All images are my own.