Meet Conner Floyd

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Conner Floyd. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Conner, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Growing up, my parents told me to shoot for the stars. They taught me that I could do anything I wanted, as long as I worked really hard and really committed myself to it. For me, that was football. It was my life, my first true love. I am a big believer in “Everything happens for a reason” and a lot happened in my football career. I battled just about everything a college football player can come across. Injuries, coaching changes, terrible seasons, you name it. I broke my leg in high school my senior year – tore my AC joint and cracked my collar bone in college and had at least 2 -3 concussions in college. At a certain point I saw the light at the end of the football tunnel and the thought of pivoting popped into my head.

There was another love that I had, one that was purely fun and exciting. There was no pressure to succeed there, it was literally just fun. That was acting/film making. I adored movies. I had acted a lot growing up in theater classes in school and just playing around with a camcorder. My friends and I also grew up in the Youtube Era, so filming videos and trying to go viral was on the agenda every weekend . My senior year of college I decided to take a full semesters of classes related to acting and film. The more I learned, the more I fell in love with it. It sort of circled back to what my parents told me and my favorite saying “Everything happens for a reason”. I finished my senior year of football, graduated and then packed up the Jeep and headed west to Los Angeles to pursue a dream of an acting career in Hollywood!

So I believe everything I experienced with football lead me to this world of acting. Determination- hard work- perseverance- having thick skin and believing in yourself and your dreams.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

For the past 9 years, I have lived in Los Angeles and I have been pursuing a career in acting. Ive done just about every kind of production you can think of. Started out working on alot of independent productions. Student films, short films, commercials, small budget movies. Anything that could get me on set and solid footage and an opportunity to learn. I have done a handful of Lifetime movies including Malicious Motives and Help Wanted. I have even produced and written my own content. I was fortunate during covid to do live theatre and various stunt work including wire work.. From day 1 in LA and my purist of this career, I have been very open to anything and everything and it has served me well in all that I have learned about the entire industry along the way. Currently you can see me on CBS’s The Young and the Restless where I play Detective Phillip “Chance” Chancellor IV. Ive been with the show for 3 years now and Im honored to be apart of the historic family and amazing viewer and fan base that is Y&R.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Being an athlete most my life, especially a football player, I feel like my work ethic has really been sharpened. I was never the biggest, fastest or the strongest, so I had to put in the extra work constantly. I always assume someone is working harder than me and that seems to push me even further. So staying on top of my homework as an actor and being the hardest working person in the room is major for me. You’re never going to stop learning as an actor too, and I am obsessed with that. There’s always work to be done and always something new to learn.

Mental toughness is another skill I think I have carried over from athletics. The acting world is full of rejection, it can be confusing and frustrating at times and can really take a toll on your mind and spirit after a while. So making sure I’m clear and sharp in-between the ears is important for me. As well as making sure my heart is in the right place. I learned in football that you have to quickly forget about the last football play ( good or bad) and move on to the next. Acting is the same – you may think you had a great audition but you don’t get it- it’s ok, you don’t look back, you keep looking forward to the next opportunity and give that opportunity 150 percent. It’s important to keep your mind in a positive state and don’t let rejection bring you down and the same with success – keep your work ethic consistent and be the hardest worker out there. I am a huge believer in the Mamba Mentality. No one knew hard work like Kobe.

Last, being a kind person and doing the right thing is something I strive for everyday. I believe you should treat people the way you wish to be treated. That goes deeper than career, that’s just how I want to be as a human.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

Going back to that first question, they told me to shoot for the stars. If you want to be an actor, go be an actor but in all that you do in that journey give it everything you got – no shortcuts- don’t expect favors – your work hard everyday for everything! In the words of Ron Swanson, never half-ass something, whole ass it.
My family has always been my biggest cheerleaders. They’ll shoot me straight, they are always there for me and they watch and support everything I do- I have been very lucky in that regard. They basically planted in my mind, there is no mountain too high to climb. Go climb it!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @connergfloyd

Image Credits

Blake Eiermann