"This job is just like any other profession. You get out what you put in."
Kate Jenkinson has been a fantastic headshot photography client of ours for a number of years and it has been so exciting watching her career grow and grow!
She has most recently starred in the popular television show, Wentworth.
We asked her some questions to learn more about her story and see what advice she could offer to aspiring actors.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a passionate dog mother, lover of bad reality TV and a karaoke enthusiast. I make a living as an actor which was a surprise to both myself and my mother.
I was late to the game as an actor. I only started pursuing it when I was 19. I was lucky enough to be accepted into WAAPA (a performing arts college). I’ve been working in the industry for the last 15 years, working in film, TV and theatre both here in Australia and in the US.
What was your first acting job?
Two weeks before I graduated from WAAPA I got cast in a play called Zastrozzi for Perth’s Black Swan Theatre company.
Theatre was my first passion as an actor and doing that show straight out of drama school was a dream come true. I think I got paid $800 a week and I thought I was a baller.
What has been your favourite role?
I love so many of my characters! I’ve been lucky enough to play some real corkers but I think my ultimate favourite was the bitchy lawyer Kendall in the US comedy Super Fun Night. She was irredeemable. Plus she got to wear designer shoes which appealed to me.
Close second would be my character Maree in the ABC drama Hiding. A woman whose entire identity is stolen and she slowly unravels as she tries to keep her family from falling apart. The writing on that show was like amazing. Like Shakespeare.
Any advice for actors starting out in the industry?
This job is just like any other profession. You get out what you put in. If you are consistently hard working, professional, kind, punctual and enthusiastic then you will be an asset to any team/producer/director/theatre company.
Also, your agent should be your biggest champion. They should love your work, and you should love theirs.
You can follow Kate’s journey on Instagram: @katejenko