Authority Magazine

Rising Star Kijsa Gifford On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

[as originally published on medium.com]

As aa part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kijsa Gifford.

Kijsa Gifford is actor, entrepreneur, and multi-award-winning athlete. Currently residing in Tampa, Florida, Kijsa spends much of her busy schedule between the entertainment hubs of Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York City. Kijsa’s early years of rigorous training in gymnastics, volleyball, lacrosse, and collegiate pole vaulting, have prepared the budding actress for an array of roles in action films, as well as her other genres of interest which include drama, comedy, and rom-coms. With a unique family connection to iconic actress Marilyn Monroe, Kijsa aptly named her production company Norma Jean Entertainment, poising herself to undertake her own future film projects.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Well, I grew up in the town of Evansville, Wisconsin. It is a community outside of Madison, Wisconsin that still has that small-town feel and people are genuinely good. I am grateful for living there during my formative years because it taught me a lot and I developed a love for the country and the simple things in life. I’ve also lived in Illinois, Michigan, and Florida growing up.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I have always modeled and acted but walked away from it to focus on gymnastics, though I knew that when I had the opportunity to, I would be back at acting again. In fact, I remember when I was 5, in kindergarten, they had the parents come to school to talk about what everyone wanted to do when they grew up. All the other kids said that they wanted to be doctors, teachers, police officers, and engineers. When they got to me, I said, “I am going to be an action hero in Hollywood and do movies.” Everyone busted out laughing. It was funny then and even funnier now that I am actually pursuing that path.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

It was my first time at LAX airport and I had to navigate my way over to the Uber pickup area. The signs were not very helpful and I got super lost. I was looking for two hours. And by the time I got to the rental car place, they were closed. So, when I went to book a ride to get me to the hotel, my phone died. It was stressful, but now I know at least I know how to navigate LAX.

It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I was working on this TV series that is on a Christian platform, which is great. It was one of my first jobs, so I was super ecstatic. They asked me to bring some of my clothes with me for them to look over. Apparently, the dresses had to below my knees and my shoulders had to be covered, which I did not know at the time. On shoot day, I arrived and the wardrobe lady had me hang up my stuff on this rack where everyone else was hanging up their stuff. The look on her face told me everything. I realized in that moment that I was supposed to bring clothes that were conservative for the show — and these were not conservative. I had to run out to T.J. Maxx and grab some new clothes immediately.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I have quite a few things up my sleeve for next year and, if the strike ends, I am sure that I will have a lot more projects. I just wrapped the first episode of Season 2 of an existing TV series this in summer. I will also be filming a Christmas movie here in Florida in November. And I’m guest starring in a TV series episode that is on a streaming platform. I have a feature film that I am slated to begin filming in North Carolina in January where I am one of the lead actresses. I am also in talks for another feature where I will be the lead who comes from a bad home life. It will have some action blended with a lot of great drama. I am not allowed to release any names of projects yet, but I will let you know as soon as I can.

As a rising star, you’ve likely faced challenges along the way. How do you stay motivated and overcome obstacles in your career?

Obstacles are something that I have become quite the expert at. I’ve dealt with so many of them in sports too, which prepared me well for the work ethic, determination, failures, practice, and drive required to be successful at acting or anything in life. I’ve overcome obstacles by staying true to who I am and realizing that if it’s meant to be, it will happen. I tend to focus only what I can control, which is just being the best version of myself.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

Diversity is so important to me because I am of mixed ethnicities myself, Asian and White. My grandmother is from Thailand, so having people from diverse backgrounds represented is a more accurate portrayal of the real world that we see every day. It also enriches our experiences to make us all more well-rounded and less ethnocentric as an industry. Diversity allows one to see various points of view from the unique perspectives of all people and races while also teaching invaluable life lessons.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?

1. I wish that someone had told me to join Facebook acting groups sooner. I’ve met so many other industry professionals and newcomers on those groups.

2. To be as organized as possible in order to get in as many auditions as you can in a day.

3. Spend more for better headshots and reels the first time. I have spoken to a lot of people who have spent more time and money purchasing cheap headshots for the 100th time, whereas if they’d just spent the money the first time, they would have been happier.

4. Take classes, but not too many at one time. In the beginning I was told to take all the classes that I could fit in, so I did. I became overwhelmed and didn’t feel that I was fully giving 100% of my attention and effort.

5. Become good a videotaping your auditions. In the beginning I used my iPhone and the quality of the audition was not as good.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I wish that I had the answer to that one. But one thing that I did learn from sports was balancing tasks and time management. I use a planner and check off everything that I need to do each day. I need to have a visual reminder in front of me. I get overwhelmed by huge lists that seem insurmountable, so I’ve found that if I break it down and take on the small parts, one by one, I can accomplish things better. Burn out is real. I have experienced it in the past, so it is something to watch out for.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I would like to see more women in film as directors, producers, and writers. Even though we have seen some amazing movies from women in the past few years, I think that we could use a lot more of them. We have so many amazing stories and experiences that are unique to us that when articulated through our own eyes, it conveys a different emotional impact and connection.

None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Of course, my mom and sister have been pivotal to my success. And my papa was always an inspiration as a famous track star for the University of Kentucky. His name is Paul Baldwin. He ran with and competed against the GOAT Steve Prefontaine from Oregon. He taught me my drive, work ethic, and determination in sports. My acting coaches — particularly David Wenzel and Amy Lyndon — have helped me to hone my craft. Their critiques are comprehensive and honest. They help me to dig deep and pull out the best possible performance. I am very fortunate to have all of them in my life and career.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Hard work beats talent when talent stops working.” I love this quote because you can have all the talent in the world, but without ambition and work ethic, it amounts to zilch.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.

Hands down Greta Gerwig. She is the most amazing director and one of the most prolific moviemakers of all time. She has been able to cut through the red tape and emerge as the premiere female writer and director in Hollywood, even with all the obstacles that I am certain she has faced. I would love to have breakfast with her and find out where she draws her inspiration from and how she has navigated the industry. I would tell her that Lady Bird and Barbie have inspired an entire generation. Her work has inspired me to keep writing my own scripts and to exquisitely develop the characters. In Barbie, she allowed the world to look through Barbie’s lens — which is not what we typically see in movies — and to write it from her frame of reference, turning the tables and giving that “aha” moment to the audience.

How can our readers follow you online?

My Instagram is @kijsagiffordofficial and my website is kijsagifford.com.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!