When one thinks of Kelly Ann Charles’s story, the only word that comes to mind is ‘courage’. The thirty-three year old Trinidadian actress is living the quintessential Hollywood tale of trying to make it to the big screen as an actress. Unlike many who choose to fast-track their way to fame by manufacturing a personality for reality tv humour, Charles’ path has been one where she has put her talent to the test, and she is now reaping the rewards of her labour. Originally from Diego Martin, and a past student of Corpus Christi College, Charles admited that she always held an interest in plays and theatre growing up with a mother who was a musician. After moving to Miami as a young adult, her career as an actress began, but not the way she expected. ”I went to support a friend who was reading for a part and the director asked me to read and I actually booked the lead for a movie called Whispers Within” she admitted. Although Kelly- Ann also had aspirations of studying sciences, she decided to choose acting as her career. She soon got agents to represent her and began to do print and commercial features.
Based in Miami, Kelly Ann thought it best to expand her scope geographically, so she also secured agents in New York and Atlanta in order to have a wider variety of choices for roles. Given the fact that the nascent actress has been pursuing her craft for more than a decade, Charles admits that she recently experienced a breakthrough emotionally as a working actress. “I felt like I was just going through the motions in acting. In the last two years, I gained an appreciation and understanding of what the industry was about. I started to realise that acting was more about being rather than playing a part, because before I would get some really challenging roles and was unable to connect,” she revealed candidly. “As a result, I became more aggressive, not so much shying away from opportunities” Kelly Ann added. This maturation in her understanding and outlook on her craft has also allowed her to nab more prominent roles, the most recent being a lead role on A&E’s The Glades and Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva. “My experience on these shows was wonderful. After getting out of character, it was pretty surreal for me,” said the blossoming actress who shared that the cast and crew were all encouraging and down to earth.
So how exactly does Kelly-Ann prepare for a role? The beautiful actress who is admittedly shy said that auditioning is quite nerve wrecking (as one would imagine!) and that she tries to separate herself from Kelly who is naturally reserved. She also thanks her Caribbean roots for allowing her to express her emotions more easily than most. “The nurturing that I have gotten from my culture- the theatre in carnival and growing up with a mother who was a musician has played a really big part in what I do” stated Charles. Aware of the constant vicissitudes experienced in the industry as a Hollywood actor, Kelly Ann has also secured another career path- yoga. A certified Hatha Yoga instructor, she has established her own company where she conducts private yoga sessions and workshops, a passion that she continues to nurture. “Since I developed a niche with Yoga, it has been easier. Before, with the uncertainty of work and cheques coming through was definitely hard. Very emotionally wrecking” she admitted.
For now, Kelly has decided to return to school as a Psychology major at Nova University where her schedule is flexible enough to accommodate her hectic schedule. In the meantime, she has secured another lead role in a movie that will be shooting in Haiti and Miami in the near future and is assiduously working on building her brand in Fitness and Health through her company Fit Pod Live. As a young girl from a small island who has finally made it to prime time television, one cannot deny that Kelly Ann’s achievements have been great thus far having appeared on the small screen and big screen in Hollywood. But like most actresses on the rise, Kelly Ann’s appetite is as insatiable as when she first started out. She dreams of moving to L.A. one day, joining the ranks of the esteemed William Morris Agency and securing a regular spot on a sit com. For those aspiring actors wishing to enter the field, Charles offers some sage advice, “Don’t give up at all because your dream is a possibility. Keep believing in who you want to be!"
