Kate Drummond is an award-winning and highly sought-after actor whose diverse work experience includes film, television, voiceover, stage and video games. As a former elementary school teacher who became an actor later in life, Kate is an advocate for people following their dreams, no matter where they are in life. In 2014, she was the keynote speaker at TEDx in Oshawa, Canada, where she told her truly inspiring story of chasing dreams and beginning again. The talk generated over half a million views. Kate now stars in the highly anticipated Hulu original series Utopia Falls which premieres this month. We had the pleasure of speaking to her about her career and aspirations.
Hi, Kate! Thank you for granting the interview. Congratulations on your many successful career and life choices to date. We are here primarily to talk about your acting career, so how did you make the transition from being an elementary school teacher to starring in feature films, successful television productions, and voicing video games?
I never in a million years ever imagined that I would be where I am today. Right out of university, I went to teacher’s college and right out of teacher’s college, I started teaching my first kindergarten class at the age of 22. I loved teaching. I LOVE teaching. I was a passionate teacher and adored my students. I used drama a lot in my classroom, to help kids get excited about their subjects, and for ways to foster confidence and self-expression. I sat on art councils and helped with school board plays but I never thought that I was an actress, for some reason. When I was 30, I was in a real funk in my life, feeling unfulfilled, personally. It had nothing to do with the people in my life, or my job… it was something inside my heart that was unfulfilled. I remember sitting in a grocery store parking lot after the store had closed, having one of those “crying in my car” moments, and was desperately trying to find the answer for what was “wrong with me”. I asked myself, “When you’re 80 years old and looking back over your life, what will you regret not doing?” and the first thing that came to mind was acting. It wasn’t a big shock because as a kid, I was a performer; plays, stories, anything creative…but I had never even thought of pursuing it. I just helped others do it! So, I put myself in my first acting class and it was magical… I felt like I was home. Things started to feel right to me; like I’d ignited something inside of me that had become dark. For 5 years, I balanced teaching during the days, taking acting classes and doing community theatre at night. I started to do the occasional Movie of the Week in Ottawa and Montreal but really, everything changed for me the day that I was teaching my students about Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech. I was teaching a grade 3/4 class, and we were talking about our dreams. I was trying to get them excited about their futures, even at such a young age. The kids were making collages and then one of my students pulled me aside and asked me, “Miss Drummond, what’s your dream?” I told her that besides teaching, I had always wanted to be an actress. She looked me straight in the eyes and asked, “Why aren’t you doing it?” I don’t think that little girl knew how profound that moment was for me in my life. That moment changed everything. I asked my school board for a year off. It was for me, of course, but it was also for my students. I wanted to stand behind my words, even if they were too young to know what was going on. I knew in my heart that I needed to do this. I needed to follow my passion.
Six months later, I’d sold my things, rented out my house and moved to Toronto to pursue the dream. Even after I had a prospective agent tell me that I was “too old to dream of being a movie star”, I stuck with it. That was 10 years ago. From there, I just kept working. Taking classes, learning from people… honing my craft.
You star in the new Hulu original series Utopia Falls, premiering this month. Please tell us more about the series, your role and what viewers can expect?
Utopia Falls is a unique sci-fi series that incorporates music and dance into the storylines. It’s a genre-bending show that explores the themes of youth activism, self-expression, eco-awareness. It takes place in the future, in New Babyl, a place governed and devoted to predetermined laws, history, and culture. Pop culture as we know it does not exist. It’s a completely isolated and self-made land. The show follows a group of teenagers who are selected to compete in something called The Exemplar, which is a talent competition voted on by the different sectors of New Babyl. It’s like Hunger Games meets America’s Got Talent. This group of kids, however, stumbles upon a hidden archive of pop culture relics (voiced by Snoop Dogg, of course!) and soon they start to question everything they knew, everything they’ve been taught… even who they are. Different genres of music like hip hop and EDM, as well as different cultural dances and fashion trends, are discovered and they start to permeate into their performances. This is where I come in. I play Authority Phydra, who is the head of the New Babyl police force and the enforcer of the established norms. When I start to realize that the traditional ways of song and dance and self-expression are changing, then I am determined to get to the bottom of it and stop it. I’m a staunch believer in upholding the laws and established norms of New Babyl.
The viewers can expect to love the kids, but not like Phydra! HA! Phydra is a hard ass but she believes in her actions and her reasons for taking such a harsh stance on things. She is the antagonist of the show.
The viewers can expect to love the music, the many different storylines that take place even outside of the competition itself, the themes… the viewers can expect to be entertained.
You have amassed a significant body of work in several film and television including the FLOWER SHOP MYSTERY SERIES (HALLMARK) starring alongside Brooke Shields and Beau Bridges, and WYNONNA EARP (SYFY) playing the role of villain Agent Lucado. Please share your experience working on these popular productions.
Oh wow, we could be here until next year talking about these experiences. Let’s just say I am incredibly grateful for every single role I’ve had and all the people I’ve worked with!
Flower Shop Mysteries were so much fun. From day one, Brooke and I got along like long lost best friends and I cherish that friendship to this day. The chemistry between us, in that show, was real and that’s what made it so much fun. It was like hanging out with your best friend all day! Those movies were an absolute blast to film… everyone was great to work with, we laughed a lot, we were filming up in Northern Ontario in the middle of winter, but we loved it.
Wynonna Earp is another production that has a very special spot in my heart. It’s no secret that I’m a lifelong “Earper” (the name given to a fan of the show). My experience for those first 2 seasons was incredible. I was playing the antagonist, and I think it might have been the first time in my career that I was such an adversarial character. I learned so much. The cast and crew were amazing and supportive… everyone rallied around each other and believed in this show. Spoiler alert, I die. But even still, I feel very connected to the show and to the fans of that show, who I refer to as a “fam-dom” because they are like family. I am fortunate enough to be invited to Wynonna Earp conventions all over the world and celebrate my love for the work, this show and the fans… for Emily Andras, for trusting me with Lucado. Truly, a highlight of my career has been my experience with Wynonna Earp.
You have received an Achievement in Acting Award and a recent Canadian Screen Award nomination for your performance as Claire Porter the award-winning film NOWHERE TO BE FOUND/SECRETS OF A SMALL TOWN (LIFETIME) How significant was that moment in your career?
This movie changed everything for me. It was an opportunity to do as Carrie Fisher said and take my broken heart and turn it into art. About 10 months before I got the offer for that movie, I had lost my dog and best friend of 13 years, Jackson. I was heartbroken. Devastated. I would say it was the darkest and saddest I’d ever been in my life and I was shut down. I also wasn’t booking any work so that didn’t help how I was feeling. I would audition but nothing would land. Looking back, I realize it’s because I just wasn’t myself. Anyways, I was ready to give up and just a few days before the offer came in, I was at my parent’s house for a holiday weekend and I had decided that I was quitting acting. I jumped on the computer and started looking for teaching jobs on the internet. It broke my heart, the thought of giving up on my acting dream, but I just didn’t know what else to do. I needed to find something to fill this void in my heart, and I thought it was going to be going back to the classroom.
A couple of days later, I was offered the role of Claire Porter in Nowhere to be Found. The offer came out of nowhere!!! When it was pitched to me as the story of a mother who’s daughter goes missing, I knew it was the story that would set me free. I finally had a place to put all of this sadness, and grief. It was my time!
But I was terrified going into that production. I had never been the lead of a movie before and I started to question whether or not I was good enough to handle it. I knew where it was asking me to go emotionally, and that also scared me. But when I got to set, it was that same feeling I had going into my first acting class: I was home. I became dear friends immediately with my co-star Rya Khilstedt, and the entire family there was just so supportive and loving. We did all bond over the making of this movie. I knew that without a doubt, that I was meant to be in this profession forever and that I would never question my place in it again.
A little intel about the movie: I brought Jackson’s green dinosaur toy to set and placed it in my daughter’s room. It was used in the movie.
I think I made Carrie Fisher proud of this film.
What have been your most enjoyable roles to date and why?
Well, definitely the role of Claire Porter in Nowhere to be Found/Secrets in a Small Town is in there… but really, all of my roles have been extremely enjoyable in their own ways. I have loved playing the villains like Agent Lucado in Wynonna Earp and Phydra in Utopia Falls as much as I have loved playing sweet, quirky best friends like in Flower Shop Mysteries. I have loved playing loving mothers, and conflicted mothers. Every role has asked me to celebrate a part of me, even the parts I’ve hidden, through storytelling. It’s truly an honor.
Does your approach to voiceover acting or working on video games differ from TV/film productions?
Not really. My goal is always the same; to bring as much authenticity and realism to my roles as I can. If I’m voicing a video game, or I’m on a television set, the characters I’m bringing to life still need to feel real and believable, even if they are in unreal circumstances.
You made your writing and directorial debut with the feature ‘GO FISH’ in 2016. Is directing something you’ll be doing more of?
I certainly hope so! I love directing and working with actors so much. I’ve had such amazing coaches and directors in my career, and I am really inspired by them. I know how they have made me feel as an artist, and I want to be able to have that same impact on other artists. I also think that directing comes naturally to me because of my teaching background and coaching sports.
Are there any actors, directors, and producers you’d be overjoyed to work with?
Whoa, this is a very loaded question. I’m overjoyed to work with most people, doing what I love. I would love, however, the opportunity to work with more female directors. I’ve worked with only a handful of female directors to date…. Melanie Orr (Utopia Falls), April Mullen (Wynonna Earp) and Lauren Hadaway (The Novice)… and I appreciate the female perspective to my roles so I’d love more of that. As for actors? I have my wish list, but I keep it to myself. It’s long. Very long.
What advice would you give budding young actors, looking to be successful in film and television?
Network, volunteer in the industry and your community, never assume you’ve gotten anywhere, begin again every single day, never be afraid to ask questions and learn… be in class always, and also, respect the profession. I believe it’s a responsibility and an honor to be an actor, a storyteller. Through our work, we have the opportunity to reach people, connect with people… so it’s important to never take it for granted.
You’ve been the keynote speaker for TEDx in Canada and your presentation has garnered over half a million views globally. How did this opportunity arise?
I was invited to be the keynote speaker at a TEDx event back in 2015 through my publicist at the time. I was so excited to be asked to speak, but that excitement quickly turned to immense panic, when I realized that I needed to come up with a 16-minute speech, about something meaningful! To this date, that experience remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It was such an honor to be on that stage, sharing my journey, hoping to inspire others… and opening doors of dialogue between dream chasers all over the world ever since.
Do you have anything else in the pipeline we can look forward to?
I do! As of this moment, I have a couple of movies coming out this year; The Novice and A Dangerous Test. Also, I am in pre-production for a beautiful film called Healing Hearts set to shoot at the end of the summer in Utah. Other than that, I’m keeping fingers and toes crossed for a season 2 of Utopia Falls because I’d REALLY like to dig more into Phydra’s story. Outside of acting, I’m hoping to finish the screenplay that I’ve been working on, as well as the first book in my kids’ books series!
So where can we keep up to date with your activities?
I’m pretty active on social media, and I keep everyone updated on Twitter @katedrummond_ and Instagram @kate_drummond.
Also my website www.katedrummond.com has lots of information too! But be warned, my Insta account has a lot of pics of my Mexican street dog rescue, Zelda.
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Visit me online:
Northern Stars – The Canadian Movie Database
Thanks for the interview!
Photos by Helen Tansey
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