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

Hi Khara, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?

I’m from a small town 30-minutes outside Boston, called Chelmsford, MA. My Dad always worked 2 jobs – retail in the day, restaurant at night – while Mom stayed home to take care of us. We didn’t have the money for fancy BMWs or vacations. We did have killer clothes, but being cool in a small town high school is nothing compared to the talented, beautiful “somebodies” on the other side of the country. To be in Hollywood, in the movies- THAT was EVERYTHING. Where we were… I felt like a nobody.

I had no ties to the industry, there were no artists in my family, and I’d never taken an acting class. To top it all off, Boston had been a town of losers since I was born, with our Curse of the Bambino Red Sox and pre-Brady Patriots. In a weird way, I felt like a loser, too. With this Boston chip-on-my-shoulder, underdog mentality – and being the only girl among 5 brothers – I definitely had something to prove. I still do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I’m a hyphenate. A writer-actor, like my favorite Bostonian, Matt Damon. Now I add filmmaker to that list. I’m out there, networking, meeting potential investors, reaching out to producers and production companies to partner with, and A-list actors to entice them to read the script. The guts it takes to stand for my work, tell people WAY more accomplished and successful than me why they should work on my project- it takes some brass ones. I guess that comes from being the sister of 5 brothers. But to me, it’s do or die. We have this one life, why not swing for the fences? I’m not afraid of rejection; as an actor and writer, I wake up rejected! But once you realize it’s all part of the process, that rejection is PART of being in the game, at least you know you’re in it. Eventually, acknowledgment and celebration become part of the process, too. My script, SEAHORSE, about an athletic, titan of a woman who learns she has a rare form of cancer while pregnant, and must choose with her loving husband which life to prioritize, was chosen as the Grand Prize Winner for the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, and several others. I won some festivals and I lost some, but when you love and believe in something, you don’t stop until the goal is complete. For me, the goal is making this film the best it can be, for people all over the world to see and love. To create joy for moviegoers and give back the great filmmaking experience my forefilmmakers gave me.
Today, I was talking with my nephew and he told me he got a Gremlin for his birthday – he’d seen the movie from 1984. He’d also seen ET. He’s five. If kids today are watching movies from when we were kids, it means there aren’t enough being made for a new generation. I find it a personal responsibility to keep a tradition of excellence, creativity, and imagination alive – whether the audience is young or young at heart.

To propel this notion forward, I began posting on instagram everyday until SEAHORSE’s target day of production, as an act of accountability. At first it was a video everyday, now I mix it up, posting stills and videos intermittently. It keeps people involved and forces me to keep this engine moving toward the goal, bit by bit, each day.

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.

We’d hike Temescal Canyon or Westridge on the westside. If we went to Hollywood to hike, we’d do Runyon and then have bottomless mimosas at Saddle Ranch outside with my dog. Gotta have outdoor seating for the pups! For fun Mexican, it’s El Cholo in Santa Monica – their margs are great. Italian food at Spumoni on Montana Ave. Head there on a Monday night for 50% off the menu but get there early – it’s packed. Chicken parm there is on point. R&D on Montana Ave or Hillstone on Wilshire are great grill food. Get Hillstone’s sushi rolls to start. Anyone who puts macadamia nuts in their sushi thinks outside the box and I dig it.

I will forever be loyal to O’Brien’s Pub on Wilshire and 23rd. Forever. Tell owner Willy O’Sullivan Khara says Hi. Sonny MacLeans just 3 blocks east of O’B’s is for only the finest Bostonians/New England fans. Yes, that’s right. Loyalty travels west.

Make sure to get to Washington Blvd in Marina Del Rey and have a happy hour drink looking at the ocean at The Whaler. Before that however, start with brunch at Mercedes Grill – I recommend the Skinny Grill. For dinner, have enormous portions at C&O Trattoria and have some pour-it-yourself wine while singing That’s Amore with the staff.

The obvious choice at some point is a trip up the PCH to Nobu in Malibu – or Mastros – though Mastros in Beverly Hills is old school and my fave. Make sure to order the filet and the butter cream cake (at least).
Lastly- you MUST take Sunset from Brentwood to West Hollywood. That windy, tilting, turning, roller coaster road is more fun, beautiful and perfectly LA than any road I’ve been on. If you can drive it in a convertible, it’s magic.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents and siblings- especially Chris and Ashley. My younger brother Chris, a cautious financial advisor, co-signed my student loan for film school. To him, I’m the risky one- but he believed in me, and he put himself on the line. Ashley, who finally arrived when I was in kindergarten, is the sweetest sister I could ask for. She has supported me in EVERY way. My parents, whom I’ve already described, worked their butts off to provide everything – from the coolest shoes to cheerleading or field hockey practice, and a constant roof over our heads. Finally, my best friend, Robynne. Artists live a lean life for our cause. Many times we’re broke and can’t afford anything extra. Robynne let me live with her and her family, when I pivoted from LA to Boston for several months to seek film finance for my movie-to-be. She is a wife, mother, career-person, juggler of all things, and a beautiful, funny, once-in-a-lifetime friend. WHEN my film gets made and the financial success arrives, it is the people I’ve described here I look forward to spoiling.

Website: https://www.gofundme.com/f/get-seahorse-the-feature-film-made

Instagram: Kharacampbell1

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/khara-campbell-47a98430

Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/user/kharacampbell

Other: https://www.amazon.com/Seahorse-Khara-L-Campbell/dp/1480874264/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=26167391-d3df-4254-ac8b-b88ce6a78844

Image Credits
Khara Campbell Tim Schaeffer from Cellar Door Studios https://www.cellardoorstudios.la/

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