Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenisha Johnson.
Kenisha, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story is definitely not the typical one of an actor – Growing up, sports was my life (specifically tennis). I played tennis competitively since I was eight years old but I was very fortunate that while growing up, my parents exposed my sister and I to several other things and pushed us to be involved with various activities, such as acting. My first play was in elementary school as Annie. It was so much fun and really sparked my interest for theatre and performing!
From there, I started doing community theatre, church plays, and joined my high school’s speech team. At some point, however, I kind of had to make a choice with how demanding both were – tennis or acting? I choose tennis and that was a great decision as it led me to a college scholarship and the opportunity to play at the Division I level. I graduated with a degree in Broadcasting with a minor in Marketing from Wright State University and eventually went on to get my MBA and Masters of Sports Administration from Ohio University. After college, I worked primarily in the marketing and sports world working with events and sponsorship within NASCAR, Indycar, Chicago Bears, Bengals, Invictus Games, and others. It was an exciting time and in many ways has prepared me for my job as an actor as far as time management, fast-paced lifestyles, and being prepared!
So, how did I get back into acting? Originally from Chicago, I moved to Atlanta for a marketing job (and to have warmer weather 🙂 ) and without knowing it had stepped into one of the largest hubs for TV/Film in the country! God knew what he was doing! My job at the time had a program called “Get a Life” where you do exactly that…you get a stipend to use for classes, memberships, etc. to help you get a life outside of work. I decided I would use my funds to step back into something I loved doing, acting! After signing up for classes, attending networking events and doing A LOT of research on the industry and the SE Market, I decided that THIS is what I wanted to do with my life! That led me to eventually take the leap to act and do voiceovers, professionally!
Since then, I have been able to get an agent and be cast in a couple of TV Shows and short films! It’s just the beginning but it feels amazing and fulfilling to be doing something that I’m so passionate about! I also still do some freelance marketing and event planning work, which allows me to stay connected and leverage my experience in that area while maintaining the flexible schedule that is required in the entertainment industry!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all but everything has taught me something! The hardest part for me has been that there is no “playbook” to being an actor. To be a doctor – you go to Med School, to be a plumber you go to trade school but to be an actor….there is no ONE way! That’s something that I’ve struggled with – understanding that my path may (and probably will be) different than other actors and that’s OK and also really exciting! But, having a supportive acting community and building a core team of people around me have been monumental in that process of figuring out this industry. I continue to learn more and more every day and just try to constantly grow as an actor – both as a performer and on the business side.
Please tell us about Kenisha Johnson.
Acting – Acting, Voiceovers, Hosting Freelance Marketing – event marketing, sponsorship, event planning, brand activations, website creation.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Any time that I got to spend with my family! I grew up in a tight-knit family and we traveled, went to sporting events, and really did a lot together (and still do)! And, I thank God all the time that I was able to have that kind of childhood because in high school my dad passed away from Cancer. I feel incredibly blessed to have had those kinds of great memories with him and to this day I continue to strive to make memories with my family and my husband as much as possible – those are things that you can hold on to forever!
Contact Info:
- Email: KenishaJohnson708@gmail.com
- Instagram: @_KenishaJohnson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnsonkenisha2
Image Credit:
George Lott, Amy Bley
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