I got the opportunity to interview the super talented actress that is Krystal M. Harris. Going into this interview and coming up with questions, I initially had the intent to get a glimpse into the acting industry and get advice for any potential actors or actresses that might be reading this. What I did not expect was to get this and so much more. The lessons in this can apply to everyone, not just to aspiring actors. I truly hope whoever is reading this gets as much joy out of reading these stories as I did and learns a few things. I also just want to say thank you to Krystal for being so open and detailed and willing to go there with all of us.
Her Campus (HC): When did you realize you wanted to seriously pursue acting professionally?
Krystal Harris (KH): If you ask my mother, I knew I wanted to do this from the age of two. Seriously, I would point in the television and tell her, “I want to be in there.” At first… my mother being very logical, would say… “You can’t go in there, it’s full of wires and you can get electrocuted.” But then over time, as my incessant cries never wavered, she understood. I wanted to be like the people on TV. I wanted to tell stories using my likeness, my voice and my soul. I knew I was meant to do this. It’s more than being an actress. I like to say “Storyteller” instead. Storytellers have been guiding the world since the dawn of time. Without storytellers, the ancient peoples would have struggled endlessly to find their place in the world. Greek mythology came from storytellers trying to make sense of their world, and thus, I too wanted to take part in that tradition. So to answer it briefly, I am one of the blessed people who never had to question through life what I wanted to do. I always knew what I was meant to do.
HC: What initial steps did you take to enter the field?
KH: After I graduated from high school, I moved to a major Hub. Los Angeles. Now, that was only because I was Cali born and raised but anyone else near a major hub could choose whichever is nearest them. After getting to L.A., I enrolled in college and studied English with a focus on creative writing. I learned how to tell provocative stories, stories meant to stir the spirit and awaken the thinking mind. When I wasn’t at school, I was doing background work on television sets. I thought if I could learn set etiquette and how movies and television shows really work; I wouldn’t be unprepared when given the opportunity to lead in one of these areas. So I did that. School and background work. Rinse and repeat. I then soon went on the hunt for a representative. You need someone to be able to vouch for you and push you for roles. I found a listing of all of the agencies… HUGE ones, and some boutiques. I walked to every single office on that list to hand-deliver my materials. I encountered laughing receptionists at a major (Three-Lettered) agency who thought when I said, “I am here to drop off my resume” that I was looking for employment within the firm. Once they retorted, “Oh, No… we are referral based only,” through bouts of laughter I simply took my materials back and turned around. I said, “That’s ok. I’ll be back.” Sure enough, that agency came calling for me eight years later. My first agent took a chance on me because when I went to their door to drop off my materials, I saw a sign that read: ABSOLUTELY NO ACTOR DROP OFFS. I hesitated, but then instead saw a pile of mail on the floor. I stuffed my headshot into the mail along with my resume and the next day, they called and signed me.
KH: My first speaking role was on CSI: Miami. I was so nervous. All of my background work did not prepare me for the fact that I was going to get my own trailer. I was going to go into the hair and makeup room instead of waiting outside to be checked by the second AD. (The person who checks that the background artists don’t look like a complete hot mess.) Will I remember my lines? Will I be good enough? These thoughts plagued my mind. Truthfully, if you are prepared and taking the craft of bringing a character to life from a script seriously, you’re ready. I remember I got into the scene, did what I was supposed to do and then, we did it again. It was such a surreal moment because when you are playing another person, you momentarily step away from yourself. It wasn’t until later when I was walking to my car that it really hit me that I had finally just executed what I had longed to do for so long. It was joyous, it was surprising. It was the beginning of a love affair with understanding humanity and being able to accurately portray it. My advice? Breathe! Remember what you are there to do: live truthfully in the imaginary circumstances. It is not about becoming famous off of this moment. You have a duty to portray the reality of the situation. As my mentor said once to me: You didn’t win the lottery. You are there to work. So think of it as such and celebrate after you have done the work.
HC: What kind of mindset/mentality do you think someone has to have to be successful in this industry. Or what kind of person?
KH: This is tough because success is relative. Some join the industry in hopes of fame and freebies. Some join it because they are storytellers and dedicated to their craft. Both of these people have different ideas of what “success” means to them. I think if you are someone after fame, you have to be unabashedly confident. Arrogant in your charisma—note I didn’t say abilities—and you have to be willing to do whatever is asked of you (besides things that are considered crimes!). At some point, you will have a nice 15 minutes of fame and people will know your name. Success right? Questionable. You’ll also get a lot of fake people surrounding you with the intent to use you, as well as lots of loneliness and insecurity. For the craftsperson, success looks like celebrating each win. If it takes a long time, that is a testament to the longevity you will have in your career because you will book work. You will have casting offices know your name, and you will succeed. There isn’t a clear “success” moment. It is the joy that comes with each audition, the joy that comes with each booking, the learning that comes from each rejection and the pride that comes with living in truth. Your goal is the truth, so every time you step on that stage or that set and you deliver truth, it is a success. I played a tree in a children’s theater in a retelling of the famous Shel Silverstein book The Giving Tree. I was crying after every performance and so was the audience. The truth being poured out of the performance affected the audience and stuck with them and at that moment, we connected. To a craftsperson, that is success.
HC: Studies have shown that there are major gender and racial inequalities in Hollywood. At any point in your career, have you ever felt the effects of this?
KH: There are definitely inequalities in both the gender and racial subcategories. I have experienced them. Going into a casting room and being the token “ethnic” option, or being passed up on writing opportunities because a white man was in the running. But this is changing. The era of only white men telling everyone’s stories has come to an end. There is still a place for them but now they are asking for input from the people whose stories they are portraying. Again, if you want to affect people, you have to tell the truth and so varied voices are joining into the storytelling arena and we are getting much more authentic content that speaks to our soul because it is telling the truth. Sometimes, that perspective is so necessary and I think Hollywood is finally catching up to the fact that we as a human race are not a monolith. We are varied and so our stories must tell that kaleidoscope of variation with honesty.
HC: Do you think some people are simply born to act or do you think it is a skill that can be developed and perfected later in life through practice?
KH: Because acting is a craft, it can be learned. Some people are naturally gifted but that doesn’t mean that they are good at acting. It is something even the naturally gifted have to work at. Because even if you can read lines in an emphatic way, you are still not understanding the duty of taking on the role of someone else. Therefore, they must be taught the tools for success. The only requirement is that you love it. If you don’t, you should get out because then it’s fruitless and will bring you no satisfaction. Therefore, if you don’t have a passion for it, I don’t recommend it as a career at all, as it is, by far, one of the riskiest things to do for a career. But if you do, you will go to places you never dreamed of and you will understand yourself and others in deeper ways that will change you and how you interact with the world. You will have an understanding of humanity that is unmatched. But only if you do it right. The only prerequisite to this field is passion.
HC: How do you define success? At what point are you satisfied with what you have done and deem yourself as being successful? Or is satisfaction and success something an actor or actress never stops chasing?
KH: Success to me is defined by being able to start a conversation. I know, it’s simple but it is true. Once I do what I do, whether that be writing or acting if I have affected you to the point where your mind now starts to question and wants to discuss your findings… I have succeeded. That is a job that never finishes. Until we collectively break the barriers that need to be broken or speak on things that need to be spoken, there is more to discover. More minds to open. More stories to tell. So yes, a craftsperson never stops wanting to evoke emotion and thought. That is our purpose. For someone who is looking for fame and fortune, they will stop once they realize that does not fulfill them. But for the craftsperson, our work is never done. We will continue to speak for those whose stories long to be told.
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