Interview with Kim Dildine

Mr. Kim Dildine is a journeyman actor from the Chicago area who has been on more than 80 Film,  TV, Commercial and Video sets for more than two decades. He began his on-camera acting career in 1993 in the film Natural Born Killers. Kim has performed in 26 stage productions from community theatre to the Lyric Opera of  Chicago. Now he has also branched out into the realm of Producing with the film Appollo & Thor.

Who is Kim Dildine?

I've been at this long enough that I am what other people say about me; consummate professional, smart and funny, dedicated. My dad was a self-made businessman and from the time I was old enough to work I was earning a paycheck. Later in life I also became a businessman. I know all about hard work and that reflects in my approach to acting.

How did you get started in acting?

My first exposure to acting was during High School. I performed in Musicals. My first time on a film set was on "Natural Born Killers". I was a background Prison Guard the first day and the next two days I was a Stand-in for one of the supporting characters. On my first day, Oliver Stone yelled at me. It was a great introduction into the world of film.

I also worked on several other films and videos while in Chicago before I moved to LA. A few are; Small Comforts, Real Funny, Tough Times, and The Undeadeding.

What are some of your favourite acting roles so far?

My best Stage experience was an Ariadne Auf Naxos at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. There is nothing like performing to an audience of 3000+ people. My favorite theatre role was playing Mr. Miyagi in Miyagi! A Karate Kid Musical. The on-camera role I enjoyed the most was on my most recent TV show, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.

Hollywood can sometimes beat a person down. How do you keep motivated?

I came up with an inspirational quote that’s on my fridge. It says, “I’m the Lead in an Oscar-winning movie that hasn’t been cast yet.” And the letters are the color of money. This helps me stay focused.

What other type of roles have you played?

All sorts. I’ve played Fathers, businessmen, and a plumber. I even played Carl Rove in INQ409, and a ghost in this little film called Barbershop in the Old Town.

Tell us about Apollo & Thor.

Apollo & Thor was my first project wearing the Producer’s hat. I wanted to create a Sci-Fi film where I could be the Lead character. As it turned out I play three characters; the Father, who is dead and only seen in a video, the Son who is conducting a memorial service, and Thor an alien from a bird planet. For the alien, I had a cast made of my face for the Special Effect Makeup, which was an interesting experience. Once on set it took about three hours to be transformed into a bird.

What are you currently working on?

I’ve been reworking my press and marketing and am always auditioning and creating new opportunities for my career. And on the producing side of things, I am working with a composer to orchestrate a song I wrote. From that, I’m going to make a music video.

What's next for you?

I just reconnected with a wonderful producer I worked with a few years back and we are in discussions about another project he’s got in the works. And I have five projects in development that will be TV or Web series. One of them is expanding on the short I produced, Apollo & Thor, as the concept.