Meet Kelly Piliouras: Actor/Comedian & Bodybuilding Athlete

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

Hi Kelly, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I think there’s this societal pressure that we see on social media to always be grinding at your dreams and work work work, but in reality life is happening at every moment and if we don’t slow down; we’ll miss it. Over the years I have taken that “grind at the dream 24/7” advice with a grain of salt; I still work hard at my goals but I slow down and take in the little moments more. Especially now that I have a 2 year old daughter. I love spending my days with my little family and watching my daughter grow and experience new things in life. And I am more strategic with my time and energy and how it’s being spent in regards to what coaching/classes I take, what projects I take on, what companies I agree to work with and make sure it’s all matching up to my ultimate goals versus trying to do everything. In doing that I am compelled to get my goals really specific and it makes me more efficient. Making time for your family, loved ones, close friends….that support system is so crucial to your mental health and overall happiness. I keep a small circle but I find having that good energy around me just keeps me going and inspired. And making time for doing things you enjoy – hobbies, etc. is so important to feeding your overall wellbeing. I have seen my success in my career actually have a spike in success since doing that. I think it comes with life experience and seeing that time passes no matter what, so you really need to do yourself the favor and enjoy it and be more intentional with what you’re doing; where you’re spending your time and what your overall outlook is.

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 love weightlifting and I’m a Comedian, Actor and Voice Over Artist. Really proud of my work I’ve been doing with brands on social media over the years; I work as a micro influencer primarily with fitness brands like Therabody, Vitacup, C4 Energy and other supplement companies creating UGC on my Instagram and Tiktok. Which basically means we partner on an agreed upon product, they send it to me, I make short promotional videos for them that they can use and I can use on social media and they’ll pay me for my time and effort in all that. In turn, that has aided as a professional portfolio for me which has led to many roles booked and connections made. I recently booked a Fitness commercial where I was featured weightlifting and building an agile rack and I got that connection to casting through my instagram portfolio. I’ve also been making headway doing Voice Over and recently did two commercials; one for Dove and the other for Love Beauty and Planet. There’s always challenges along the way but there’s also moments of success and gratitude; when I come across challenges I let myself feel the feelings but ultimately focus on working through them because I’d rather spend my time being happy. My personal brand for myself is a comedian who lifts heavy weights. Basically a bodybuilder who is also a professional in on-camera acting and comedy.
I think what sets me apart from others is just me and my energy. We are all unique and our superpower is being ourselves and nobody else. I’m loving learning more about myself and leaning into what feels right and natural for me and my business/life– slowing down and focusing on enjoying life while not losing sight of my end goal is what has been key. The journey is usually the best and most memorable part.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We’d have to get a workout in at Golds Gym in Venice for sure and hopefully the GOAT Arnold would be there. Then take them on a hike to the Hollywood sign for a nice photo opp. I’d head downtown and show them Grand Central Market and stop in to do some shopping at the outdoor malls there. We’d also have to do Disneyland and California Adventure for sure. My toddler loves that but also so do I so that’s just my excuse. If it was around the time of the fitness expos we would have to check out either the LA or the anaheim fit expo and meet the athletes, get free samples and learn about the fitness brands in the industry right now. We would definitely have to do the Grove as well– it’s such a classic thing to see while you’re here and grab lunch while there. Next up would be Santa Monica Pier and muscle beach. It’s also worth taking the drive into Malibu as well to see – El Matador is one of my favorites for beautiful scenery. Hollywood walk of fame is a must and check out all those awesome tourtisy places along the strip as well. We would need to check out a comedy show either at the Comedy Store or Flappers where I’ve performed stand up – also a big fan of The Improv, Ice house (Pasadena) and Laugh Factory. For another active activity we would do a hike at Runyon Canyon. For brunch I love The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker – they have this colorful latte there that is perfect for a cute IG post and really great breakfast options and drinks (they are totally not paying me to say this by the way but maybe they should haha.) And then for going out I love EP&LP for a nice rooftop bar or the Highlight room is also fun. A studio tour would also be cool to throw in– and one of those open air buses to see all of Hollywood. There’s so much to see and do here in LA! 

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family, friends, teachers/education and training and in the words of Snoop “I wanna thank me” hahah, but for real– my own motivation and work ethic has really paid off and kept me going.

Website: www.kellypiliouras.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kelly_piliouras

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellypiliouras

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kelly_piliouras

Image Credits
@emanshotme, @dropout_photography