We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Candace Kirkpatrick. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Candace below.
Candace, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
In a nutshell–God! Returning to the entertainment industry after having left for more than 2 decades wasn’t easy. Yet I felt the Lord calling me to do so. However, when I did return, I erroneously assumed that I would just be able to pick up where I had left off. Far from it. Whatever traction I had gained, I was now back on the bottom rung. Yes, I had grown in wisdom, experience, life, and in my faith, but I was still starting fresh. So I questioned God and I questioned myself. I continually prayed, “Lord, I want to make sure that it is You that is calling me to this. I want to be in the center of your will. If you can use me in this industry, then please open doors and if not, close them. Either way, deepen my faith.” I felt His voice saying, ”Yes, this is the way. Walk in it and trust My timing.” And truth be told, He continues to surprise me when I surrender and let go of the steering wheel.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Hello, my name is Candace Kirkpatrick. I am an actress, speaker, voice over artist, co-host on a talk show and soon to be producer. I work primarily on family-friendly and faith-based entertainment.
I recently wrapped on a Hallmark feature entitled Branching Out which I happily just learned will begin airing April 27th. And hopefully, in a few months, a film I shot last year entitled My 7 Grandmas will be released. I can also be seen as the quirky Janet in the crime drama tv series Vindication; Dr. Flores in the Christmas feature An Angelic Christmas; Angels Unaware; Running the Bases; Porch Pirates: A Holiday Heist, and the upcoming epic docudrama The American Miracle.
I am also thankful to do voiceovers for audiobooks and audio dramas and some real zany commercials. When I’m not acting, I’m blessed to be a frequent co-host for the award winning television show The Christian View, which takes today’s hot topics and weighs them against God’s Word.
As for my latest adventure: I’ve created a production team with some talented women called TriLight Pictures. We’re currently fundraising to launch our first film, Crowning Lori. It’s a delightful comedy with a heartwarming message that is created by women, about women, for women. We would love to have you join us on this journey at http://crowninglorimovie.com
God gave me this passion when I was a very small child. Now, after raising a family, He has enabled me to again enter this industry: hopefully wiser and more mature about my brand and what I want to portray. I’m proof that it is never too late to pursue your God-given passion.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities that have impacted my journey are training, perseverance,and authenticity.
Training: I earnestly believe that we have to earn the right to sit at the table. If I want to be taken seriously as an actress, my quality of work must be evident. I began acting at age 4 when my mom dropped my siblings and I off at a daycare center before she went to work. I continued doing theater all throughout my schooling. However, it wasn’t until college and graduate school that I truly honed my craft, studying methods like Stanislavski, Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, and Sanford Meisner. I learned to analyze and dissect scripts, to understand objectives and what drives one’s character; I worked on voice, movement, dance, being fully present in the moment, and how to deliver an honest performance night after night or take after take. My encouragement for anyone who is serious about working in this industry is to get solid training with a respectable teacher at a respectable school or studio. Then while doing so, look for opportunities to serve projects in your area and grow in your skill sets. Not only will you learn the importance of collaboration, you will also acquire more tools in your toolbox, which will make you a valuable asset to any production.
Perseverance: Returning to this field after such a long absence hasn’t always been easy, but it has definitely been an exciting ride. By God’s grace, I have experienced divinely appointed encounters that I could never have orchestrated on my own. These have opened doors for me for a series regular, films, audio dramas, even a co-host. But, I have also experienced my share of obstacles. Many times I have nailed an audition but did not get the call because of things outside of my control: height, ethnicity, location, needing more diversity, look too similar to the lead, look not enough like the lead, etc… Other times, I have been passed over for some wonderful roles for someone more famous. Not easy. This journey stretches my faith tremendously, and I have had to press into His Word and His promises. God reminds me daily that He sees me and is working all things out. So I persevere, show up, do the work, seek to add value to the story, and trust that He is working even when I don’t always see it. He reminds me over and over again that He is a God of abundance and not scarcity and He will bring me to those projects that He has already divinely orchestrated. My advice would be to learn to see rejection as redirection and even as protection in some cases. Then move forward to the next audition with joy and skill trusting that He has you.
Authenticity: So often in this industry we are tempted to to be like someone else. We twist ourselves into a pretzel trying to decipher what we believe the director, casting director, producers want, failing to realize that We Are Enough. As no two fingerprints are the same, God has uniquely designed and gifted each of us. The challenge is figuring out our special gifts from our unique experiences and emotions and then learning how to best showcase them. It is when we show up, share our gifts, and bring our whole self into the audition, that we shine. This authenticity frees you up to explore the character, make bold choices, take risks, and genuinely have fun creating. So be you, and not them. Along the same lines, I have learned that comparison is the thief of joy. I can NOT be looking to the left and right, comparing my career to someone else’s journey. I am on my own path directed by Him. So I compete with myself and not other people. That is, I learn from my past auditions as well as the projects I have been able to do, and continue to progress creating a consistent body of work.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed or disappointed because things have not turned out the way I wanted or hoped, I go quietly before the Lord. I go to His Word and read over and over again of His faithfulness. And likewise, I look at my own dreams that have come to fruition in greater ways than I could have anticipated. Third, I practice an attitude of gratitude. Rather than complaining about “the one that got away,” I reflect on all the wonderful opportunities that I have been given. Moreover, He reminds me that my value and worth lie in Him and not the roles I book or don’t book. The fact that I get to work in this industry doing what I love, collaborating with some incredible artists telling stories of love, hope, and redemption is a gift for which I am eternally grateful.
My advice when tempted to doubt, give up, or become discouraged would be to look to the Lord. After all, He is the One who has placed that dream in your heart and given you those talents. Trust that He will bring them to fulfillment in His perfect timing. So with eyes fixed on Him, keep moving forward with each step: growing, learning, and working. Then buckle up because with Him, it’s quite the adventure.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://candacekirkpatrick.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candacekirkpatrickactress
- Other: imdb.me/candacekirkpatrick
https://imdb.me/candacekirkpatrick
http://crowninglorimovie.com
Image Credits
Black dress and Pic with makeup artist–Christine Tonkin Headshot–Barb Jones Photography
