OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Shooting All American: Homecoming in Los Angeles was a stark contrast to Kane Parks’ laid-back life in Ocala.
Parks says he doesn’t turn anything down but prefers the suspense in shows to a movie, citing shows such as How to Get Away with Murder as a prime example.
“I like how you can get glued in for months at a time as a watcher,” says Parks, who also enjoys the long-term security of a show. “With movies, you get signed, and you go in for a couple of months, and then you’re done.”
Parks says it would be a drama series akin to something like Shameless if he were to direct anything.
“I really love the rawness that Shameless comes with. You see Shameless, and they don’t really hold back in the writing. A lot of shows nowadays are very cookie-cutter. I really like it when shows are authentic and show real-world problems.”
|Read part one here: Actor Kane Parks shares his journey from Ocala to Hollywood
Parks agrees that streaming services have paved the way for so many up-and-coming actors relishing an opportunity to secure a spot as a television series regular.
However, he admits that last year’s highly publicized writers’ and actors’ strikes have halted a bevy of productions, some of which haven’t escaped the dreaded production hell.
“Right now is a very slow period. The auditions are very few and far between,” he says. “When I first got signed, I probably got four to five auditions weekly. I was non-stop studying and non-stop trying to play these characters. Lately, it’s been really slow. There’s a lot more opportunity when the industry is running how it used to.”
Still, four to five auditions a week is a lot. How does he handle it all?
“It’s intense focus,” shares Parks. “My strong suit is I’m really good at memorizing my lines. Give me an hour, and I can remember six or seven pages. I always focus on the longest scripts first, the ones that have paragraphs that I have to remember, then I’ll glance over the other auditions so that I can get a gist of what I have to say. It’s about focus and mental preparation of what you’re reading.”
Regardless of the tough times plaguing Hollywood’s acting circle and beyond, there’s definitely an aura of excitement and anticipation surrounding Parks’ talents as his acting career continues to make headway.
“I never looked at acting as this big thing because I always did it as something fun on the side. I remember being nervous before football games at UCF, and it never really compared to the acting world. Acting was always a fun outlet for me. I never try to be better than anybody; I try to act how I act. Whatever’s for you will come to you, and I fully believe that.”
Parks says it’s more than just the money that talks.
“Very rarely are actors ever rich; that’s just something you see on social media with all of the A-listers. My goal is to maintain a steady income, work in the industry, and do what I like to do,” he states.
Before our morning interview, Parks arrived back from LA following a chemistry read for an upcoming television series, in which he is set to be a regular.
In its simplest form, a chemistry read involves an actor interacting with the person who is acting opposite them in the show. It is an opportunity for the actors to get to know each other, their characters, and the vision of the directors/writers for their characters.
Parks says he is unable to share details about the show at this time but anticipates providing more information within the next week or two. Regardless, it looks like the City of Ocala has produced yet another star in its star-studded catalog.
“If you want to do something. go do it. No matter where you’re from. I know, being from Ocala, I thought that I couldn’t do acting because I’m not around anyone else who has done it. But do your research and go do it. It’s that simple as far as making it work. I put the work in, asked the right questions, and just kept going where the wind took me as far as the industry.”
Parks ends with, “Don’t think that you can’t go make it happen somewhere else because you’re from somewhere where it’s not happening.”