Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Good Trouble and Grand Hotel’s Ken Kirby

The biggest lesson that Ken Kirby has learned as an actor is to enjoy the journey and to pursue your dreams, not for the notoriety, but because you love it. It’s sustained him throughout his already impressive career, including his two newest projects, Freeform’s Good Trouble and ABC’s Grand Hotel. Pop Culturalist spoke with this fast rising star about starring in The Fosters‘ spinoff, Grand Hotel, representation in Hollywood, and how he discovered his passion for acting and writing.

Good Trouble Questions

PC: What do you think it is about Good Trouble that has resonated with audiences?
Ken: It’s a fun, sexy show that tackles issues that the youth in America wants to talk about today: everything from civil rights to issues the LGBTQ community faces to pressures in the workplace. Our writers are not afraid to go after those issues—it gives this show substance. While it’s a fun show and ride, the dialogue is sharp, and you’re learning new things and growing with these characters. I think that’s the main reason that people have gravitated towards it: it’s very relatable. You’ll be like, “This is what it’s like to grow up in your 20s.”

Life is confusing. You need to figure out how to navigate life and make the right decisions, but along the way, it’s okay to make mistakes. People can relate to that. These girls aren’t perfect. They make mistakes, but it’s about picking yourself back up and moving forward. Those are themes that everybody can relate to and learn from.

PC: Was there any pressure or nerves heading into this project, given the success of The Fosters?
Ken: Yeah, I feel like there was pressure to do justice for The Fosters’ fan base. Initially, we wondered if people would be upset that we were only following these two characters. How would they react to including or not including certain storylines? I honestly didn’t have to worry too much about that pressure. I’m a new character in Callie’s world on the law side, which is a separate thing that she’s venturing off into. It’s the same with Mariana and the tech side.

Personally, I went in and just wanted to do the best job at making the world feel realistic. The stakes had to be there for Callie so that she could face those hard questions. How will she handle them? My character, Rebecca, and Judge Wilson are there to push Callie to see where her moral compass lies. What is she will to do to keep her point of view?

PC: Similar to Callie, Ben is a complex character, and you’re constantly questioning how far he’s willing to go to advance his career. What was your favorite layer of him to explore? Which one was the most challenging?
Ken: It’s what you just said: it was interesting to explore how far he’s willing to go to achieve success. As the show progresses, you’ll find out what makes him tick. Sometimes people can be quick to judge and be like, “Ben only cares about success,” but if you really break it down, there’s reasons for that. It could be family pressure, living up to how successful your parents were, trying to keep up with your friends, or striving for something you’ve never had. It’s the world that we live in with social media and the pressures of looking perfect, having the right clothes, taking the right pictures, eating at the right restaurants, being in the right circles—all those social pressures build, and it can lead to people prioritizing the wrong things.

PC: How much of Ben’s backstory were you given ahead of time or did you have to build it yourself?
Ken: I had to build it myself, but I had a good idea of who this character was from the description. During the audition, I got more insight into what makes him tick. I was able to bounce some ideas off the showrunners and get some insights into why he is doing what he’s doing and what drives him.

PC: With the season two pickup, what are you most excited to further explore with Ben?
Ken: I’m excited for the audience to see what makes Ben tick and why he makes the decisions he does. I don’t think Ben is a villainous character, though defendants of Callie would say otherwise, but I think once you understand why someone does something, then you have more empathy for them.

Grand Hotel Questions

PC: This year you’re also starring in the Grand Hotel. What should fans know about that show, your character, and what attracted you to that project?
Ken: Grand Hotel is a really fun show. We shot the pilot last year in March, so it’s taken a while for it to come out. It’s the perfect show for the summer—it’s got intrigue and mystery, set in the backdrop of Miami.

I play Bryon, a millennial whose family is very well off. They’re looking to invest in the Miami hotel scene. He goes and scouts the area, and that’s how he gets involved in potentially purchasing this hotel from the family that the show is based on.

It’s a fun role because this character has no real responsibilities and has tons of money to play with. [laughs] That usually means a lot of shenanigans.

PC: There’s been a lot of conversations about diversity and representation in Hollywood. As an Asian-American actor, what has your experience been like, and have you felt the slow progress that’s being made?
Ken: There’s definitely progress being made. Crazy Rich Asians was a huge step last year. Everybody that I knew in the industry—writers, talent, etc.—were all rooting for it to be successful. We knew it would open doors for more opportunities, and it has. This year, during pilot season, there were two shows dedicated to Asian families. I don’t know if they’ll get made, but it was nice to see. They were both looking for all Asian casts. Also, I think there were more Asian men roles that were written this year that I auditioned for in the fall than in any previous year.

Change is definitely happening, and it’s just the beginning. It’s about time that we saw more stories that weren’t just Kung-Fu…those were the role models that we had growing up, as far as Asian male leads. For me, specifically, they were Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and John Cho, but you start to list them off and you start to run out pretty quickly, which is sad when you can list off 200 or 300 Caucasian actors that were movie stars. I think that’s going to change in the next five to ten years.

Career Questions

PC: How do you discover your passion for not only acting, but also writing? Is there one that you naturally gravitate towards?
Ken: Right now, I’ve been writing a lot because we’re pitching a feature that I have around town, and we’re almost finished with a second one. I wanted to get my comedic voice out through my own material. It’s that weird idea where it’s like no one is going to write you as well as you can because you know yourself.

That’s one thing that I would suggest to anyone out there trying to a pursue a career in this industry: write a short for yourself! Write a feature that highlights what you want to show the world. If you’re sitting around waiting for the perfect role to come around, it could, but the chances of that happening aren’t as high as if you wrote it yourself.

I’ve always loved acting, comedy, and making people laugh; that’s why I got into this business. I booked an audition, drove my car down, and that’s what inspired me to come down here and do everything. I get a rush entertaining people and making them laugh. It’s therapeutic for me.

PC: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned being a part of this industry?
Ken: Patience! There’s a quote that Sarah Paulson said, which is, “Don’t be quick to succeed.” I think it’s really nice. It’s getting back to the art of why you love what you’re doing. The industry can jade people pretty quickly, and I think there’s a lot of patience required. You need to enjoy what you’re doing as well as the journey. It’s as exciting as you chalk it up to be. You put so much emphasis on getting work, but then you’re sitting on set in chair in between takes, and you’re like, “Is this what I moved here for? For this four hour break? Or did I move out here because I love making people laugh?” As long as you enjoy the process and the journey, you’ll have satisfaction. It’ll be more evenly spread out than basing it on booking work. If it’s all end-goal oriented, then you’ll never be satisfied. You’ll go from booking one show to needing another, then needing this film, this nomination, this award. You can go down a dangerous rabbit hole of chasing things.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Ken: Chef’s Table. I don’t know if it’s a guilty pleasure, but after I watch it, I order Postmates. [laughs] So, that’s why I feel guilty.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Ken: I’m a sucker for anything Chris Farley: Sheep Boy, Tommy Boy, any of those classics.

PC: Favorite book?
Ken: I actually read a book that my dad recommended to me recently and it was fantastic. It’s called Mindset. It breaks down the difference between a growth and fixed mindset. It’s a great read and an eye opener.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Ken: Book of Mormon was hilarious. It was so off-side. I was laughing so hard that the guy next to me thought I had a problem. [laughs]

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Ken: Remy Shand’s “Take A Message”

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Ken: Killing Eve

PC: Hidden talent?
Ken: I know a lot of cheese puns and fish jokes. I don’t know if that’s a hidden talent or more of a thing that my friends hate when I do. They’re always embarrassed when I do it. I’m also a ski instructor.

To keep up with Ken, follow him on Twitter and Instagram, and catch him on Grand Hotel on June 17.

Photo Credit: David Higgs