Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabby Kennedy
Hi Gabby, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2008 I began my journey as a model by joining a modeling troop who sought to inspire young women to chase their dreams. Prior to this I was a pageant girl and had built my confidence by participating in the many competitions and winning crowns. My confidence also came from being the captain of my basketball team which taught me leadership and loyalty. Through the modeling troop, I learned a lot about how to build my own brand and one of my goals was to travel to New York and be seen by the top agencies. What was supposed to be a group trip turned into a solo relocation from Florida to New York for me. Not long after moving to New York I was discovered by an Artist/sculptor and my dreams began to unfold. I walked runways, did print work, modeled for catalogs, and even tried out for Americas Next Top Model! I had so much fun and met all my goals but in reality, I was so young, and I did not know what I was building. I knew I wanted to become a model but what was I building long term?
One day I lost my phone in a cab and my world stopped! In 2009, 2010 Facebook and Instagram were not the same, I could not reach out to the designers, photographers, and producers who helped me work and say, “hey guys, lost my phone… sorry, here’s my new number”!
I had no way to work with them and the gigs stopped. I did not have family or friends to say “girl, keep going”. So, I got a job, put my head down, and worked went about life the best way I knew how.
Fast forward to 2019 the flame was relit, and I began to rebrand and rebuild as an Actress & Host. I began to see my dreams again and one day after posting a selfie on IG a Director from New York found me and asked me to be in his film “Black Fruits Matter” where I played the publisher of a magazine named Brittany. I began to connect in Orlando and found OIF (Organization of Independent Filmmakers) and completed 3 short films. From student films I moved to background work, from background roles I moved to day player roles, from day player I moved to supporting roles, and after landing a lead role my goal is to keep the momentum growing. I continued to build my resume with on set experience and took classes to develop my talent working my way all the way to a Netflix production.
During this time, I worked as a co-host on 3 different platforms until the opportunity came for me to build something of my own. After working on a feature film as the lead actress I wanted to promote the film by highlighting all of the talent around me. I produced my own talk show and “The Actors Talk with Gabby Kennedy” was born. My show was built out of the necessity to highlight the amazing independent talent in Florida that has real creatives with real messages that the world needs to hear. In addition, there was so much I did not know before I decided to dedicate my life’s work as an actress. I thought ” if only I could speak openly about some of the real things that happen then I could help the next person to be resilient, learn, and grow in entertainment”.
I found a way to change the world, one conversation at a time through “The Actors Talk with Gabby Kennedy”.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I believe that building a career is so much deeper than what meets the eye. So, the answer to your question is “No”. Before I even booked my first gig as an actor, I opened my life up to God and let him mold my purpose from the inside out. If you know you know, and the inner work is the real journey, the becoming is the journey, and the preparation is the work!
The hard part has been unlearning bad habits and replacing them with CEO habits. Adjusting to the #actorslife has transformed my mindset and some days I want to run back to a corporate job just to be comfortable. Going from being paid every 2 weeks, to having money whenever the checks come is a real adjustment-mentally.
My biggest struggle- (I think) has been not having a team to partner and build with me. Also, being on the other side of an opportunity that I thought would change my life and the course of my career and finding that nothing changes sometimes after hitting certain milestones.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an Actress & Host!
I am known most for being a Host of my own show called “The Actors Talk with Gabby Kennedy”
The Actors Talk specializes in producing engaging content and marketing materials through in-person interviews tailored to your production. Our aim is to provide audiences with an exclusive glimpse into the personalities behind the scenes, showcasing the cast and crew while boosting visibility for your project. A platform for creatives to openly share their insights and experiences.
I am most proud of the person I have become through the work that I do. I have a real “world changer” attitude and I believe by giving voices to creatives who have stories to tell is a part of creating the change I want to see. I love what I do, and I want the opportunity to do this on a bigger scale.
My most recent accomplishment was hosting the 3-day Orlando Urban Film Festival. I leveled up and showed up as the version of myself that I have worked so hard to become, I hosted some of the biggest interviews of my life with directors, actors, executive producers, trailblazers, international filmmakers, and the legendary Emmy award winning actor Glynn Turman!
What sets me apart is my heart for the filmmakers. Connecting with someone creatively, eye to eye is no small thing and I know that after people have a conversation with me, they are not the same. I speak to a creators love language, and I can’t explain it but this work is bigger than me.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Support is a big topic for me, because as creatives we have to be vocal about what support means to us specifically!
I need a Team to partner with me so that we can help each other meet goals. I will be traveling to different cities to host “The Actors Talk” and the sky is the limit.
I need people inside and outside of Florida to connect with me and invite me to film sets to host their cast & crew interviews. While you’re at it book me as an actress for a supporting role!
Connect with me on Instagram or through my website.
Email me and request my Pitch deck! I need to create partnerships, finances, and endorsements to grow as an actress & host. I want to hear from voices in entertainment who have a story to tell so that I can take my new media talk show to the next level and beyond!
Pricing:
- *Independent filmmakers pay what you can
- *Established filmmakers pay me what I’m worth
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gabbykennedy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_GABBYKENNEDY
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@theactorstalkwithgabbykennedy?si=zFfFzpzUk5yiepbm
Image Credits
David Kashner
Ron Bowjack
Brian Knight
