Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie King.
Hi Katie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Both my parents were actors and involved in the arts growing up, so I grew up involved in theatre and acting through my high school. I started acting in my school plays and musicals as just a way to make friends! I quickly fell in love with it and started doing community theatre in Macon, Georgia! I remember when I was a senior in high school and it was time to start applying for colleges, I had no idea what I wanted to do. My art teacher told me that I should find what I love and make it my job. It seems like such a simple answer now, but it really changed my life. I started auditioning for college theatre programs and eventually decided to pursue acting at Columbus State University. After graduating there, I moved to Atlanta a couple of months later and I mainly work in the film industry here, Atlanta has helped shape me so much as an actor and just overall as a person.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Graduating in 2020 was definitely an uncertain time. Every plan I had was falling through and it seemed like the world would never return back to “normal”. I moved to Atlanta during the height of the pandemic. I worked several different jobs and gave up acting for a while. I didn’t audition for anything for 6 months. I felt so depressed without acting, but it seemed like it was impossible. Finally, things started to open up again and there were projects to audition for. I started doing student-produced projects and that led me to my first feature film! It was a horror movie set at Christmas and shot in South Carolina. I felt so fulfilled during that process and met so many great people. That was the first moment after moving to Atlanta that I really felt like I was in the right place doing what I was meant to do.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Being an actor in Atlanta definitely isn’t always easy. It’s hard to feel like you stand out in a room with so many people that are your same type. I’ve always felt like what sets me apart is my work ethic. I grew up learning that you can never be sure that you’ll be the most talented person in the room, but you can always be the most hardworking. This motto has really pushed me to be the best that I can be. I’ve worked as an actor on set and also a makeup artist. I come in prepared and ready to do the work every single time. I feel like hard work goes a lot further than just relying on your talent. I’ve also found that kindness goes really far in this industry. People want to work with people who treat others with respect and who are genuinely kind.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Atlanta is a great place to be for creative people. Not even just actors! This city is bursting with creativity. From art, music and acting, this city never fails to surprise me. For me, it just seemed like the next step in my career to move here. I honestly didn’t know many people when I moved here. Over the past year and a half, I’ve met so many people in the industry that stories have really stuck with me. People here are so welcoming, too. It’s easy to feel like everything is a competition when you’re an actor. That’s definitely how I felt in school. But here, it feels like everyone really wants you to succeed. There’s an overwhelming feeling here in the community that one person’s success does not negate another’s. Honestly, what I dislike most about Atlanta is the traffic!
Contact Info:
- Website: katierking830.wixsite.com/mysite
- Instagram: instagram.com/katherineressieking
Image Credits
Jay Batchler Mackenzie Tyra Clark Trey Walker
