Disrupshion Magazine
There's Something About Kijsa Gifford
+ She's Proof You Can Cater to All Your Talents, even at the same time.
Kijsa Gifford has mastered the art of being able to cater to all her talents, never allowing anyone to box her in. From the outside looking in, Gifford’s life has been a whirlwind of dedication and success and she’s just getting started. Her work ethic and enthusiasm have made her extremely successful in the gym, behind the camera and on her journey of entrepreneurship, as has her positive mindset.
[as originally published on disrupshionmag.com]
Kijsa Gifford is actor, entrepreneur, and multi-award-winning athlete. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Kijsa spends much of her busy schedule traveling between the entertainment hubs of Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York City. Highlighting her versatility and commitment to her craft, Kijsa recently wrapped filming a feature film for the Lifetime Channel. She will also make her mark in the upcoming short film “The Coffee Shop” and is slated for numerous lead roles in feature films set for production in 2024, including "Myra’s Last Hope" and "The Time is Now." With her early years marked by rigorous training in gymnastics, volleyball, lacrosse, and collegiate pole vaulting, the budding actress is well-prepared for an array of action roles 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. For more information on Kijsa, please visit: kijsagifford.com.
Though Kijsa’s acting journey began at age 4, it took a backseat to her athletic endeavors for much of her childhood. Now ready to fully take on the pursuit, Kijsa is embracing her passion for acting. She’s recently wrapped an episode of “Space Transports, is in pre-production for “Solace in the Little Things,” appeared in the upcoming short “The Coffee Shop,” and is slated for a number lead roles in feature films set for production in 2024. Kijsa now balances her busy schedule between Tampa, Florida and the bustling industry centers of Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York Meet Kijsa. This is her story.
Your earlier years consist of rigorous training in gymnastics. What prompted your interest to get into acting and the film industry, well action performance to be exact?
I actually started acting when I was 4 years old. I auditioned for TV commercials and did plays and pageants. I had to step away for a while because of my intense training as a gymnast since it didn’t leave any room for acting in my schedule. So, once an opportunity opened up for me to begin acting again, I took it.
Being a natural athlete has prepared you to naturally overcome and work hard and face obstacles that may come your way in the entertainment industry. What has been your motivation to keep going?
My reason for being an actor may be different than others because my ability to express myself artistically as a child was only through my sport. I love acting regardless of the outcome. I love the artistic expression of becoming another character or person and being privileged to tell their story. So, for me the joy is within the art itself and not the outcome. I try to stay focused on delivering the best performance that I can. If that leads to something, that’s great. If not, then I move on. No big deal.
How has it been juggling school at USF and pursuing your entertainment endeavors?
It is a struggle for sure. I am only taking one virtual class next semester so that I can focus on training and acting. I am going to take classes year-round so that I can free up time and space in my life to focus on acting.
More women are becoming comfortable with being behind the scenes when it comes to producing, writing, directing and just taking over the entertainment film industry. Your latest venture—your production company Norma Jean Entertainment—is named after your distant cousin Marilyn Monroe. What is the primary focus? What inspired you to create it?
Besides acting, I am a really good writer. I was getting asked to look at scripts and give feedback or give my input on them. I noticed an area that could use some help—female characters. I noticed that many times the character could use more emotional depth and development. Often I saw that she was written to be entitled, a bully, shallow, over-sexualized, as well as other negative traits instead of positive traits. Then I started looking at a lot of the roles out there for girls like me. Many of the roles required nudity, among other things. It made me wonder: if I was a young girl growing up and saw women that looked like me on TV, and they were almost always being used as sexual objects or painted in a not-so-positive light, how would that affect my psychological development and mental image of myself? So, I started Norma Jean Entertainment to help launch some projects that will develop scripts and productions that are good stories about women with solid character development. Don’t get me wrong, if nudity is done in good taste and it makes sense for a role to add to the character, then by all means it has a place in the film. But I wanted to see more positive role models for young girls growing up. Marilyn Monroe also struggled with roles that typecast her for many years. She dreamed of being taken seriously as an actress, and she was a fantastic actress. So, Norma Jean Entertainment will produce films that Marilyn would have enjoyed and wanted to be a part of—films with class and sophistication… READ MORE