Exclusive Interview: Kimberly Dawn Guerrero Talks Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays

Kimberly Dawn Guerrero is a dynamic storyteller who is best known for her roles in critically-acclaimed projects including How I Met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls, American Horror Story, and Ray Donovan.

This year, she led the extraordinary cast of Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays. When an egotistical social media influencer’s dog is shockingly kidnapped, her long-suffering assistant teams up with a charming local vet to find the puppy before Christmas. As the two investigate suspects, they form a romantic bond along the way.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Kimberly about Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays.

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts and storytelling?
Kimberly: I was actually a really introverted little kid. My mom put me in a dance class at the age of five to try to get me out of my shell. Every kid had a recital at the end of the year. My parents thought it was going to be a disaster. They were like, “There’s no way she’s going to get on the stage.” [laughs] Not only did I get on stage, but I also ended up leading the entire performance. I got in front of all the kids. My parents were like, “Maybe she has something.” They put me in dance classes and that transitioned into theater. On stage, I felt at home. It completely changed my demeanor as a little kid.

I actually got my first professional job when I was eight years old. I went to a national open call for a voiceover spot to voice the character of Dolly in The Family Circus. From then on, this has been what I wanted to do with my life. So I knew early on.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Kimberly: Oh, gosh. I would say it’s all the different opportunities that I’ve gotten to work on. Two of my favorite sitcoms that I got to be a part of are How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls. Performing in front of a live studio audience and working on set have had big influences on me.

PC: You’ve had so much success already in your career. When you look back, is there a moment that stands out?
Kimberly: This past movie was an incredible experience. I’ve had it on my bucket list to work on a holiday film for so long. I had a bit of a role in an ION film a few years ago, but this was the first time that I led one. It was the most incredible experience. If I could work on a holiday film every year, I would feel complete.

PC: Tell us about Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays and your character.
Kimberly: Dognapped is a holiday movie. It’s a love story, a dog movie, and a mystery. I play Victoria Frost. She’s this egotistical celebrity who has a bit of a scandal happening at the beginning of the film. She goes to her assistant Emily’s hometown of Plattsburgh for the holidays. Emily is played by the incredible Sara Ball. She’s a fish out of water, and drama follows Victoria everywhere she goes because her dog ends up getting dognapped, hence the title. [laughs] The movie is all about trying to get Victoria’s dog back and finding out who the dognapper is. It’s a really fun holiday film.

PC: When you’re playing a character who is so different from who you are, is that more challenging? Is there more freedom?
Kimberly: I had so much fun with her. She’s so different from who I am, but I love tackling characters that are so different. I loved finding the comedy in her because she’s so out there. She’s so out of touch with reality. I was like, “She’s going to be a really fun character to play.” I actually auditioned for a different role.

The directors and producers were like, “We see her playing this character Victoria. We saw something in her where she might be able to play Victoria.” When they offered me the role, I was like, “This is totally different from what I auditioned for.” But it was such a fun role, and I’m so glad it happened that way because she’s such a different character from any I’ve played.

PC: This is also the first time that you’ve worked with an animal. Did you find that your experience doing theater and the unpredictability of the live stage helped you prepare to work with an animal?
Kimberly: Definitely. I’d never worked with a dog before, so I didn’t know how that was going to go, but I was actually shocked by how professional dogs are. I had no idea that dogs had reps and agents. [laughs] The dog we worked with was a seasoned pro. There were all these different tricks we would do to get him to do certain things.

There was this part in the movie where my character overreacts to everything. She says that he bit her, but he nipped her. We would give the dog some chicken to get the dog to “bite” me. It was so funny because I never knew that there were these little tricks. It was really fun. I love animals, so even though my character wasn’t supposed to be great with a dog, between sets I was getting all the puppy cuddles that I could.

PC: This is such a feel-good holiday film. Is there a scene in particular that you are excited for audiences to see? What do you hope they take away after they see it?
Kimberly: I don’t want to give away the movie, but there’s a scene where Victoria reveals whether she’s a good or bad person. I had so much fun playing that scene. I can’t say too much more, but it’s a complete 180 turn for my character. I had a four-page monologue for that scene, and I’d never tackled something like that before. It was an awesome scene to play.

PC: What’s next for you?
Kimberly: I have another project in post-production. It’s called Deadly Draw, and I shot the film with the late Ed Asner. It was one of his last projects before he passed away. Then for the new year, I hope to work more in comedy and sitcoms. I would love to do another holiday film.

To keep up with Kimberly, follow her on Instagram.

Photo Credit: Dylan Lujano // Hair: Mika Fowler // Makeup: Anton Khachaturian