"The Dark Side of Hollywood Fame and Fashion: Kaye Laine's Story of Struggle and Survival"

[00:00:00] You go to Los Angeles and that's on everybody's head mindset that they're going to become this famous actor. And I think a good chunk of those people that are homeless in Los Angeles are, I went there for the dream and it didn't happen.

[00:00:12] It was going to this shoot magazine shoot for this other Miss Hollywood thing. And there's a few paparazzis there. And when I showed up and I was just in tears, I was just crying and they go, we want to use you in the shoot, but we're going to have to reschedule because you're not all together.

[00:00:29] And the reason why I was also not all together is because I was also designing clothes for people, not, there's a few celebrities, it was models I was doing for LA music awards and I show up.

[00:00:41] And at that moment, because my attorney said that I could take my daughter out of the county and I wasn't supposed to. And I had to pay my attorney to fix the problem too, because I was going to be arrested when I came back.

[00:00:53] Oh, and I was just crying in tears because my ex-husband sent them after me. I was like, for my divorce and surgery and designing clothes and then go into a photo shoot. It all was happening all at once.

[00:01:06] It was.

[00:01:06] It's just called stronger than I know. And it's just, it's about my trials all the way, even from how things stemmed when I was a child, because you get so used to that lifestyle of who's kind of beating you down.

[00:01:19] Yeah. But all in the end, it's okay to have therapy. Therapy is not a bad thing. I come from a generation that is just don't have therapy.

[00:01:34] Hey everyone. I am Ajay Tambay, the host and producer of Create Your Years. And today I have with me a wonderful guest. She is a fighter. Okay. She is an actress. She is in costumes. She is in design. She is in, you know, something that every artist would like to be a part of as a journey.

[00:01:53] She is involved into multiple things. She is multi-talented artist. She grew up on a farm in Oregon and she is now in California. She is really working hard. She is fighting for domestic violence.

[00:02:04] And she is putting out a word in this world that yes, being brave and being strong and making sure that you put your voice and fight against in this world and you still can become what you are looking to do.

[00:02:18] Okay. No matter what setbacks come into your life, it's not going to stop you. It's not going to make you weak. It's only going to make you strong.

[00:02:25] So today I have with me a very special guest. Welcome. Welcome to the show, Kayleen.

[00:02:31] Thank you. Thank you for inviting me.

[00:02:33] Thank you.

[00:03:04] Thank you.

[00:03:33] And, and so that kind of slowed me down, but I had a few photo shoots in the last couple of weeks.

[00:03:39] And I, I, I ran into a new PR person that's going to help me develop my social media better because it's, it changes so much.

[00:03:47] And I'm usually paying my kids to do my social media for me because I, I sometimes feel outdated.

[00:03:54] Yeah.

[00:03:54] But I really am jotting down notes.

[00:03:57] I mean, I just wrote a book this last year, but I really would like to always interact with my audience and, and make them laugh, you know, have them connect with me that they're not the only ones going through certain situations, but doing standup comedy, you know, I, I've had, I've had chances to, you know, to make audience laugh and not care what other people think.

[00:04:19] If they're going to walk out of the room, if they don't like my jokes, oh, well, see you later.

[00:04:23] Yeah.

[00:04:24] Yeah.

[00:04:24] I guess this is new to know about your standup comedy.

[00:04:28] Yeah.

[00:04:28] Sorry.

[00:04:29] I didn't mention it, but I, I was doing it for the last couple of years.

[00:04:32] So.

[00:04:33] Oh, okay.

[00:04:33] Okay.

[00:04:34] So what's your schedule look like in 2024?

[00:04:36] Like how, because you just got into heart surgery and I guess kind of slowed down.

[00:04:42] It was about a year ago.

[00:04:43] It slowed me down.

[00:04:44] Okay.

[00:04:44] A year.

[00:04:45] Okay.

[00:04:45] So how is your schedule related to art and anything that you do now?

[00:04:49] Like, uh, is it filled with films, auditions, standup comedy?

[00:04:52] How are you juggling out in July?

[00:04:54] A little over a year ago, I, I was able to write a screenplay and, um, write a screenplay and have some actors and myself perform in it.

[00:05:05] And I was able to, um, submit my first short film festival.

[00:05:10] And I, I was taking classes for that.

[00:05:12] Um, and the year before I did three short films and they, they are on YouTube, but I did a more to get experience, be learn what's behind the camera and what's in front of the camera.

[00:05:24] I've worked on most studios out in Los Angeles and Hollywood, but nothing like big and major.

[00:05:30] I did a lot more stand in, um, cause I stood standing for like John Cusack and Tig Notaro and John Cusack is a lot taller than me.

[00:05:39] So they had to put me on like really big heels and to get the blocking and everything.

[00:05:43] Right.

[00:05:43] I am a member of SAG-AFTRA and I, I'm always renewing my, my card just to be part of the union.

[00:05:50] You never know when something's going to pop up.

[00:05:52] My life really took a drastic change during the lockdown and, um, I gained custody of one of my kids back.

[00:06:02] And that really changed a lot of things and putting him first before I put, you know, worked on film and stuff.

[00:06:08] But I, because I took him in, I had to learn how to work with the film industry in a different way.

[00:06:14] Cause you know, not everybody will allow me to have him with me at places and stuff like that.

[00:06:19] I do have photographers from my old photo shoots that always ask, how's your son doing?

[00:06:24] Are you going to come bring him to the shoot?

[00:06:26] And, um, I'm really glad that they, they're okay with someone with autism.

[00:06:31] So.

[00:06:32] Yeah.

[00:06:33] Yeah.

[00:06:33] Tell me more about the film that you recently did, uh, just a glimpse of what the story is and what was the message?

[00:06:40] Well, we were given a subject matter because each film festival, there's subject matters that you have to kind of guidelines that you have to go under.

[00:06:46] And it was, it was just as, it was a subject matter of, we had to put the story as if people think it's something else.

[00:06:55] I'm trying to think what that topic is, but they think it's something else.

[00:06:58] And so when they're watching the video, they think the ending is going to be something totally different.

[00:07:03] And what I did is I made a video and a script about how, um, a news reporter, because I have all the stuff in my house.

[00:07:10] I'm in my multimedia room.

[00:07:12] I'm kind of blocking off my fabric right now with this thing, but I have a green screen right here.

[00:07:17] And I made it.

[00:07:18] We need a tour.

[00:07:20] I know what it was.

[00:07:22] I did a green screen and I'm pretend I was a news reporter and I interviewed somebody in their home.

[00:07:30] I did the video and the script over there at their house.

[00:07:33] And I, I did all the graphics and stuff.

[00:07:37] And I, I'm, I was interviewing a book of the week from like the Chicago news or whatever.

[00:07:42] And like the good morning thing.

[00:07:44] And I, I, I did, I think I did okay, but, um, I interviewed somebody and everybody thinks I'm interviewing somebody for a cookbook and ends up that this guy's dogs are the names of food.

[00:07:57] And it was a children's book about his dogs and he's a vegetarian and it goes crazy.

[00:08:02] And he's just, and I mean, I got a lot of applause and I didn't get any awards or anything, but it was the experience.

[00:08:10] I learned something.

[00:08:11] I really learned something.

[00:08:12] And that's the whole thing for me is like, I learned.

[00:08:15] And so now I know what I can do better next time, you know, and stuff like that.

[00:08:19] I mean, it all ties in with my education and editing.

[00:08:23] Um, I, I have two college degrees, one in psychology, one in studio art and I studied a lot of graphics and stuff like that when I was in college.

[00:08:32] So that's where I edit my own videos and stuff.

[00:08:35] I guess everything summed up, uh, whatever experience you had, you used everything in that one film.

[00:08:40] I guess the experience matters a lot when you are going all in for your own production.

[00:08:44] Uh, even it is a short film, I guess it takes a lot to make a film.

[00:08:48] You know, it takes a lot to, you know, just edit a five minutes film and then show it to people and make sure that message is right.

[00:08:54] So, yeah, it's, it's kind of a, kind of a journey in, in, in the making also.

[00:08:59] Uh, sorry, four or five years.

[00:09:02] I just want to jump back to you in Oregon where you lived in a farm and the moment where you got introduced to art, design.

[00:09:11] Your father was in military and your mother taught you of art and design and your father taught you about sewing.

[00:09:17] So tell me, take us back to your childhood where all these things were happening.

[00:09:21] What was Kay like back in her childhood?

[00:09:23] Back as a child, um, well, some of my earliest memories, even just living on a farm, it was not the farm experience.

[00:09:35] Although I do miss the animals.

[00:09:36] It was my, my mom always helping me with memorizing my lines.

[00:09:41] I remember bringing a script home from school and not just being a sugar plum fairy because after doing that Christmas performance and realizing that's something that I really love.

[00:09:53] It's just, it was one thing after another.

[00:09:55] And I didn't have to audition for a school place.

[00:09:58] They just gave me the roles and it was, it was just a fun experience, but it's like something that you connect with when you're on the stage.

[00:10:07] It's not, it's not just the people and the reactions and stuff.

[00:10:11] It's just as a performer, I think you just feel like you're, that's where you're supposed to be.

[00:10:16] You know, it's just on stage and, and sometimes you're, you're that light in someone else's life or you're, you're that connection, but it's not just that.

[00:10:25] It's you're doing something for yourself.

[00:10:27] Like everybody that goes to work every day, they, they, they, hopefully they enjoy their job.

[00:10:32] So yeah, if someone likes to be a teacher or caretaker, I mean, that's me, me is being on the stage.

[00:10:39] Being on the stage.

[00:10:40] So tell me how, you know, it's, it's really early at age of five, you played a sugar plum fairy.

[00:10:45] So tell me how you got, you know, that attachment towards acting.

[00:10:51] Was it something like, you know, you were you an introvert or how you got connected to, okay, I love whatever this is.

[00:10:57] And then you started, okay, I love this part.

[00:10:59] I love to be in the bar.

[00:11:01] I love to be in the play.

[00:11:02] And then you became excellent at it.

[00:11:04] So where did the connection happen?

[00:11:06] I don't know if there was a connection.

[00:11:08] I think sometimes you're just born with something.

[00:11:11] You're like, you want a reaction, not just a reaction from the world.

[00:11:15] You want, you feel connected to the audience.

[00:11:18] You just love that reaction that they give and you love dancing, not just for them, but like, I don't know how to explain it totally.

[00:11:28] But when my kids change my music in my house, okay.

[00:11:35] I tell them you better change it back because do you like the dishes done?

[00:11:39] Do you like your laundry folded?

[00:11:41] Do you like all these things?

[00:11:42] Because it's just something that you're connected with.

[00:11:45] It just makes you happy.

[00:11:45] It just goes with the flow.

[00:11:47] It's inside you.

[00:11:48] It's like when I go on the stage and I'm telling jokes.

[00:11:51] It's just inside you.

[00:11:54] Going on the stage, I didn't know that there was all that kind of performances.

[00:11:57] We had a TV on the farm.

[00:11:58] Guess what?

[00:11:59] Rabbit ears didn't work half the time.

[00:12:01] We played outside.

[00:12:03] I'm a Generation X.

[00:12:04] We played outside.

[00:12:06] We got an Atari, but my brother took it over.

[00:12:09] And we had one television.

[00:12:11] So am I going to hang out and wait for that TV?

[00:12:13] No.

[00:12:14] No.

[00:12:14] I'm going to go outside and play.

[00:12:16] The only TV I ever really watched is when I got into high school and I would watch reruns of Little House on the Prairie at five in the morning.

[00:12:24] Because six kids in the family, are you going to have time?

[00:12:27] Are you going to get your turn with the television?

[00:12:29] No.

[00:12:31] Okay.

[00:12:32] But for me to connect, how early on did I feel?

[00:12:35] I think it's just something in you.

[00:12:36] It just naturally comes at the right time when you're just, if you're feeling it on the stage and you know you can do this.

[00:12:42] But the thing is, I didn't even ever think I could have a career out of it.

[00:12:45] Because I felt that you had to live in Hollywood.

[00:12:51] And I lived in Oregon.

[00:12:52] And you also had to be related to famous people in order to have that stardom.

[00:12:58] I'm not related to any very famous.

[00:13:01] So, yeah, I guess it was a connection of you towards art.

[00:13:06] And it just happened very naturally that you didn't even realize, okay, I'm getting attracted, attached to this particular thing.

[00:13:13] And that's really good to know.

[00:13:15] So, tell me about moving to Southern California.

[00:13:19] You know, that was a big shift for you, I guess.

[00:13:22] How did this move influence your opportunities, you know, in modeling, acting, and what is, in filmmaking?

[00:13:30] I didn't do it right away.

[00:13:32] I was having kids and going to school at the same time.

[00:13:35] I raised them while I went to college.

[00:13:36] But I did do a few commercials and performed in a few things, even after my first child was born.

[00:13:45] And then it was more commercials for, like, local stores and stuff like that where I was living.

[00:13:52] You wouldn't know.

[00:13:53] In high school now?

[00:13:55] Well, not just high school.

[00:13:56] I mean, I got married when I was, what, 21 years old?

[00:13:59] And then I had my first kid at 23.

[00:14:02] And I didn't, I did a bunch of those little commercials here and there, performed in little performances.

[00:14:10] I was in, like, the musical Cats for the Broadway show, but I was a background dancer.

[00:14:15] Okay.

[00:14:18] But I didn't, moving to California, I really didn't get back into it until I finished my education.

[00:14:24] Well, it was towards the end of getting my bachelor's degree.

[00:14:27] And my kids, I had three kids at that time.

[00:14:31] And.

[00:14:31] What are you saying?

[00:14:32] I felt.

[00:14:34] Go ahead.

[00:14:36] So you're saying three kids and then you moved to California?

[00:14:38] No, I had one kid.

[00:14:40] We moved to California, but I graduated college.

[00:14:43] And I had three kids.

[00:14:44] I had two more kids after I moved to California.

[00:14:47] Okay.

[00:14:48] Yeah.

[00:14:49] And then, I mean, I was just at the end of where I was graduating in 2013.

[00:14:54] I started getting back into modeling and lookbooks.

[00:15:02] I posted a few pictures.

[00:15:04] Um, I posted a few pictures and then they got a few likes and I just wanted to see where

[00:15:08] I was with it because I was getting more compliments as I got older.

[00:15:12] I'm like, what can I do with this?

[00:15:15] Um, and I didn't really want to push it too far, but, um, in a big chunk of my marriage,

[00:15:20] it was, it was really pushed.

[00:15:23] He was making a lot of appointments for me and I ended up and he was, he was the one posting

[00:15:29] a lot of stuff online, but I ended up, um, one of my followers because I, I knew how to

[00:15:34] work social media and knew how to pull everybody on at the time, but social media was a bit

[00:15:38] new.

[00:15:38] It wasn't, it wasn't what it is today.

[00:15:41] Yep.

[00:15:41] Yep.

[00:15:42] Yep.

[00:15:42] And I, I got a huge following.

[00:15:44] I could just post a picture and within seconds I had 400 likes on it and I was like, wow,

[00:15:48] I could really, really do this, but he was posting that stuff.

[00:15:52] And when I was doing that and that's what probably leads me into doing the Kevin Sorbo

[00:15:56] film, Kevin Sorbo film where I play Mrs. Trosper.

[00:16:01] Um, I got asked to be in that movie.

[00:16:04] I, I did not audition for it.

[00:16:07] It's not my best, best movie I've been in.

[00:16:10] Okay.

[00:16:12] But, um, a fan reached out to me, it goes, I auditioned for this movie and they said,

[00:16:16] I get to pick out my own wife.

[00:16:18] Would you like to play my wife in the movie?

[00:16:20] And I'm like, sure, I'll be there.

[00:16:22] Wow.

[00:16:22] That's good.

[00:16:23] And they were filming in California.

[00:16:25] So here I am in California.

[00:16:27] Uh, tell me one thing.

[00:16:29] Your pictures are amazing.

[00:16:31] It looks amazing.

[00:16:32] Okay.

[00:16:33] Tell me about how you got into modeling, uh, how that journey started for you.

[00:16:36] Because you, uh, you know, in school, in school, this was more about acting.

[00:16:41] And then you moved out to high school.

[00:16:43] You got married, I guess.

[00:16:44] How, uh, that fashion thing, you know, how you got into modeling, how that journey started,

[00:16:49] I guess.

[00:16:50] Well, within the fashion industry, see, I always made my own clothes, my own prom dresses and

[00:16:57] stuff like that.

[00:16:58] My dad taught me how to sew.

[00:17:00] Okay.

[00:17:00] And, um, I always made my kids, my girls their dresses and, and stuff like that.

[00:17:05] And when I, I, I'm trying to think here.

[00:17:10] Okay.

[00:17:10] My daughter, my daughter and I, she was just a toddler and we were asked to be in a mommy

[00:17:16] and me fashion show.

[00:17:19] And, and I, I just remember that now I, I didn't realize, you know, that was part of

[00:17:24] the history.

[00:17:24] Okay.

[00:17:25] I'd like to hear that.

[00:17:26] We, we were asked to be in a mommy and me fashion show and walk, you know, on the runway,

[00:17:30] just her and I.

[00:17:32] And I thought that was pretty neat.

[00:17:34] Um, more than neat, but I mean, those little, little things that I did.

[00:17:40] But when I had a breast augmentation after I had my third child and I ended up doing a

[00:17:48] lot of swim and suit modeling, see, and that's when it comes back in.

[00:17:51] And I only went in to do swim suit modeling.

[00:17:54] And then I did fashion and look books and stuff like that, because I wanted to know how

[00:17:58] to run in the fashion industry.

[00:18:00] I wanted to know both ends.

[00:18:02] I ended up meeting designers, um, learning what not to do and what to do.

[00:18:07] And I still made a lot of mistakes.

[00:18:09] Um, I own a company called K lane exclusive and, and I custom made clothes for, for red

[00:18:17] carpet events for, for a few celebrities.

[00:18:20] And, um, then my divorce hit, but yeah, I mean, I did all those little things.

[00:18:27] I've been in fashion book books.

[00:18:29] My, one of my friends, Savan with SSS apparels.

[00:18:33] I'm not sure if she still runs that, but that was one of my, my foot in the door kind of

[00:18:38] companies that I wanted to learn good and bad.

[00:18:40] And I did, she helped me do a lot of modeling and she helped me meet a lot of people.

[00:18:44] Yeah.

[00:18:45] And I'm not exactly sure.

[00:18:47] I could just like reminisce here of, um, different modeling experiences I've had.

[00:18:54] Tell me, tell me one thing throughout this till 2024, how much of your career was involved

[00:19:00] in fashion designing and how much was it in films and acting?

[00:19:04] Like, can we draw in percentage, I guess, maximum of.

[00:19:07] Well, I have a lot.

[00:19:09] There's a lot of experience I've done in a lot of areas.

[00:19:12] You've got to know that the fashion industry and film and music, they're all intertwined.

[00:19:17] Yeah.

[00:19:18] Because people are looking at that, the fashion that someone's wearing in a movie and music

[00:19:22] videos and, and then, you know, it's, it's all together.

[00:19:26] It's all.

[00:19:28] I, I'm a member of SAG-AFTRA, but I, and I worked really, really hard to do that, to become

[00:19:35] part of that union.

[00:19:37] I worked on a set with Tig Notaro and doing work with her, but I was, I was her stand-in.

[00:19:44] But I, um, SAG-AFTRA was right there and I was signing on and I worked there for a whole

[00:19:49] week.

[00:19:50] And when I went to the union office, um, a nice portion of my, my, um, union, the whole

[00:19:57] fee to get in was already taken care of.

[00:20:00] So somebody must've liked me on one of the sets that I worked really hard on.

[00:20:04] Yeah.

[00:20:05] Um, go ahead.

[00:20:07] Yeah.

[00:20:08] Tell me, uh, I guess, uh, I'd like to focus more on your acting journey.

[00:20:12] Uh, so just for curiosity, which is the best film that you think, uh, was really memorable

[00:20:20] for you?

[00:20:20] So we can have, I worked more on, on television shows.

[00:20:25] Okay.

[00:20:25] Um, it's nothing incredibly exciting, but I, my favorite show that I've ever been on

[00:20:34] is, um, the new girl.

[00:20:36] It was season seven, episode one.

[00:20:38] I was featured on that.

[00:20:40] And I, I, I remember being so excited just to be on set with Zoe Deschanel and she was

[00:20:48] just so tired.

[00:20:49] And they always cut at a certain time because all the people on that, that set were parents

[00:20:53] and they wanted to be home with their kids.

[00:20:56] So it was just, I thought it was going to be something very exciting to be on.

[00:21:00] Yeah.

[00:21:00] But everybody was a parent and they were just tired.

[00:21:02] And, you know, every time he said cut, it's like, okay.

[00:21:05] You know, they're all yawning and everything.

[00:21:08] Okay.

[00:21:09] Okay.

[00:21:09] Okay.

[00:21:09] So, uh, we will now focus on your acting journey as a part of preparing for a role or a character

[00:21:15] or an audition.

[00:21:16] So, uh, what's your prep like when you receive a script and how you prepare for any role?

[00:21:22] Well, I first read over the script and sometimes there's always details of, of, um, what kind

[00:21:30] of character it is, what kind of mood is the setting around the character.

[00:21:34] And if there's an accent, I mean, I've, I've had to do accents like an Irish accent, like

[00:21:39] of a mountain woman one time.

[00:21:41] And that, that was interesting, but I, I have an older daughter that's 24, my oldest child.

[00:21:48] And she has been great of reading the script with me, even if she's for a whale send or

[00:21:54] something.

[00:21:54] And I said, let's go on zoom or, or FaceTime and let's, let's, let's knock this script out.

[00:22:00] I'm like, you owe me.

[00:22:01] Yeah.

[00:22:03] Well, you, you, you, you, you lend your kids money all the time.

[00:22:07] And so, you know, here we go.

[00:22:09] This is what we do, but it's just, you gotta, you gotta put yourself in that mindset.

[00:22:15] It's like, you're a, you're a method actor and you gotta do that.

[00:22:18] And when I was taking classes with Leigh Garrington and she's a table reading person, but

[00:22:23] she really focuses on helping us get into that character, into that mood and the mode.

[00:22:27] And sometimes I have to put everything around me as it, as it pertains to that character.

[00:22:33] For example, when I was talking about that Irish, that Irish accent and stuff, I put

[00:22:38] everything around me like that.

[00:22:40] I do have family background from Irish Ireland and stuff like that.

[00:22:44] But I also put my GPS with an Irish accent and I would just practice it because the Irish

[00:22:49] on the GPS, it's not going to tell you to turn right into the parking lot.

[00:22:54] It's going to tell you to turn right in the car park.

[00:22:57] It's not, it's, it's not a parking lot over there.

[00:23:00] It tells you even on the GPS that it's, so it's like everything you've got to surround

[00:23:05] yourself.

[00:23:06] And I would always look up doing research of different types of dialects of things because

[00:23:11] you go to another country and just like in the United States and here in America, we

[00:23:16] have different types of English.

[00:23:18] Yeah.

[00:23:19] Different accents.

[00:23:20] Accents, a lot of accents.

[00:23:21] So, and you've got to do Southern accent for some of the roles that you auditioned for.

[00:23:26] So you just have to submerge yourself in hearing it so you can, you know, have the right and

[00:23:32] correct accent when you're trying to portray that character.

[00:23:36] Got it.

[00:23:37] So do you have any acting exercise that you prepare for, you know, when you're preparing

[00:23:42] for a role or audition?

[00:23:44] Is there any exercise that you do?

[00:23:46] Any exercise that I do?

[00:23:49] I just try to meditate a lot.

[00:23:52] Okay.

[00:23:52] Meditation.

[00:23:53] Do breathing.

[00:23:54] You know, try to not surround myself with any negative situation.

[00:23:59] You know, even if you know, because sometimes you do know when a negative situation is going

[00:24:03] to come about.

[00:24:03] So you just kind of try to avoid and stay positive.

[00:24:06] And for me, it's just breathing.

[00:24:07] You got to just breathe and just release all the negative energy.

[00:24:11] So you're not tensed up because you just got to be relaxed.

[00:24:14] Like it's something natural to you.

[00:24:16] Not natural.

[00:24:17] Okay.

[00:24:18] So how is the thing with you with audition?

[00:24:21] Is it all self-tape or you go out and do the audition?

[00:24:24] Before the lockdown?

[00:24:26] Before the lockdown, it was audition.

[00:24:28] I can go in to half.

[00:24:30] Half my auditions were going in and auditioning at the studio, at the location where they send

[00:24:36] you.

[00:24:36] Yeah.

[00:24:37] But now it's all self-tape.

[00:24:39] Majority, about 90% of it is self-tape.

[00:24:41] Yeah.

[00:24:42] So how do you prepare for self-tape?

[00:24:44] You know, where you are alone in the room, I guess.

[00:24:47] And when you're preparing for it.

[00:24:49] So what's a prep like when you receive a script and when they send you some instruction?

[00:24:53] Hey, this is what you're looking for.

[00:24:55] How do you go ahead with the prep and then putting yourself on camera?

[00:25:00] Well, it depends on how quickly they want it because sometimes they'll give it to you a

[00:25:04] day or two before.

[00:25:07] And so I might hear my back studio in my house.

[00:25:11] I have a green screen or a white wall.

[00:25:14] But you have to make sure it is filmed right because sometimes they give you instructions.

[00:25:19] Sometimes they don't.

[00:25:20] Sometimes they want you to present it a certain way when you're cutting and editing the audition

[00:25:29] that you're setting it in.

[00:25:30] Because sometimes they want a full body shot of you and they want you to zoom out.

[00:25:35] And sometimes I don't have that accessory to do that.

[00:25:40] Like if I have another person, most of the time in my house at this moment, it's just

[00:25:45] my adult son with autism.

[00:25:47] So I just have to cut and edit and make sure that it's properly put on there.

[00:25:52] But if it's the same day or a few days before and I don't have time to really memorize,

[00:25:58] I have a screen in the back or I also have a script reader on my computer.

[00:26:04] But usually they don't like you and it listens to your voice and it rolls.

[00:26:09] What is it?

[00:26:09] Like a teleprompt.

[00:26:10] Teleprompt.

[00:26:11] Yeah.

[00:26:11] Yeah.

[00:26:11] Yes.

[00:26:12] But, but sometimes they don't like, because I've taken a class as an actor's lab and they

[00:26:17] teach you how to look at a different angle because sometimes they just don't want your

[00:26:22] eyes right there into the camera.

[00:26:24] They want them off to the side and to roll down.

[00:26:28] But I also have these boards that I put up and I print it out because sometimes I have

[00:26:33] to say, okay, my name is Kay Lane and I'm going to be reading the script today in my

[00:26:39] glasses.

[00:26:41] So you have to tell them, you know, because they don't want the character in the glasses,

[00:26:44] but this is how you're going to get it for right now.

[00:26:48] Okay.

[00:26:48] So I guess it's a lot of hectic process, even though it's self-taping because there may

[00:26:54] be somewhere they're looking for a long shot and wide shot.

[00:26:57] Maybe somewhere they're looking just for the closeup and you have to adjust all of that

[00:27:00] and being a single person.

[00:27:02] The majority of the auditions that you're right here, they want just this part.

[00:27:06] They just want the middle of you.

[00:27:08] I can't see where my hand is, but the middle of you in your head.

[00:27:11] The half, till waste, we can say.

[00:27:14] It's basic.

[00:27:15] But I guess there's a lot of adjustment, even when you have limited time, you know,

[00:27:19] just 24 to 48 hours.

[00:27:20] And these are the things.

[00:27:21] I guess you have to go through a lot of adjustments and make sure you deliver everything properly.

[00:27:27] I guess that's the big challenge with self-taping, I guess.

[00:27:31] Okay.

[00:27:32] So now one more thing I'd like to know is, I guess you've been through a lot of auditions

[00:27:39] and a lot of on TV shows.

[00:27:41] How does it feel when you get rejected?

[00:27:44] When the call doesn't fall in you?

[00:27:46] Hey, I guess we are looking for someone else.

[00:27:48] How you react and has it changed?

[00:27:50] I don't react, dad.

[00:27:52] So how does it change?

[00:27:54] I don't feel like it's for me.

[00:27:56] You've got to know.

[00:27:57] I got a lot of auditions before the lockdown when I had to go in.

[00:28:01] I would get a lot of auditions and they would be looking for like a mom or a lawyer or a doctor.

[00:28:08] And when it's a mom, and they're just trying to match the family up when they're bringing me in.

[00:28:15] If I look good, they already have a husband picked up.

[00:28:18] They already have the kids picked up.

[00:28:20] If I don't match, I don't match.

[00:28:21] And to me, it's always like there's always something better out there coming up.

[00:28:25] I don't know what it is or if it's now.

[00:28:28] Because, I mean, I've had scripts written for me.

[00:28:30] But then there's a lot of things that like the lockdown happens and the script gets sold to someone else and then you don't get the part.

[00:28:38] So you just have to put in your heart and soul that there's something better for you.

[00:28:42] And I don't hold a grudge on that.

[00:28:44] And some people do.

[00:28:45] And some people get really upset.

[00:28:47] But you just have to tell yourself that it's just not meant for you.

[00:28:51] Something better is probably going to come.

[00:28:53] And I don't have that mindset all the time of something better is going to come.

[00:28:56] But I always tell myself that, you know, if you don't get it, it's not for you.

[00:29:01] It's not.

[00:29:03] You know, you don't match up with the whole scene, the energy of the people, you know.

[00:29:08] I mean, this is something that comes with experience of being in that environment.

[00:29:13] This is something that comes up with being in with those people.

[00:29:17] And I guess you kind of came very clear with this mentality that, OK, this is how this whole things work up.

[00:29:24] And if this if something is not for me, I mean, a lot of things fall into places to choose someone other and not me.

[00:29:32] And at the same time, the vice versa where you got chosen because I guess this is perfect for me.

[00:29:37] I guess these guys are looking for me.

[00:29:39] And I guess that's that's where you you make this very simple for you where things when things don't work out.

[00:29:46] OK, maybe there's something else that's going to happen and not this one, I guess.

[00:29:52] And that's that's really good to know.

[00:29:54] You are very clear with how things roll with you.

[00:29:57] So now tell me one thing is.

[00:30:01] What's the most important thing you've learned about acting after going through all the workshops and doing all the method acting workshops?

[00:30:07] Even the cold reading and being with actors and, you know, being in that environment.

[00:30:12] What's the one important thing that you learned about acting?

[00:30:17] One important thing that's there's a lot of important things.

[00:30:21] It's you've got to be yourself.

[00:30:23] You can't be someone else.

[00:30:26] Surround yourself with like minded people or you're not going to go far.

[00:30:29] You've got to be on you're on the same mission.

[00:30:30] You're not in competition with them.

[00:30:32] You're you're like them, that you're a team.

[00:30:37] I wish I wish I could give better advice, but just to be yourself, not to not to be someone else that you're not.

[00:30:45] But of course, it's all about acting.

[00:30:46] So you are going to be someone else.

[00:30:49] But you can't get too far in your head because I've seen other people that get way too far.

[00:30:54] And it's you know, you go to Los Angeles and that's on everybody's head mindset that they're going to become this famous actor.

[00:31:05] And I think a good chunk of those people that are homeless in Los Angeles are I went there for the dream and it didn't happen.

[00:31:12] Yeah.

[00:31:13] And, you know, being a method actor when you're when you're a method actor because you put yourself into that mindset and that being a method actor goes really deep with your emotions, connecting with those things.

[00:31:26] And I've been on set where they want you to really cry and you're getting you're you're going to that one spot that.

[00:31:34] That really pull something from some emotional part of your life just to get you to that point.

[00:31:40] And then you can't get out of it for a couple of weeks.

[00:31:42] So just.

[00:31:45] It's tough.

[00:31:47] It is.

[00:31:48] It really is.

[00:31:49] And I guess I can see that roles have really deep impact on your life, whichever I guess you play it, maybe because it takes a lot of you to go out.

[00:31:59] And with method acting, you try to get inside the character's veins, you know.

[00:32:03] Just to find out what's going on.

[00:32:04] And that's where I guess to get that out of your body.

[00:32:07] It's it takes a lot of you.

[00:32:09] So what what's your favorite type of character to play?

[00:32:14] There may be choices that you'd love to play.

[00:32:17] OK, I got this character.

[00:32:18] Is there something that with you that, OK, I'd like to play this kind of character?

[00:32:23] Or genre?

[00:32:27] The kind of genre I like.

[00:32:29] Yeah.

[00:32:30] Oh, I would like to play some comedic mom or whatever and be one of those mom things with like those other comedian, female comedians in movies.

[00:32:43] It doesn't it doesn't matter to me.

[00:32:46] I mean, no, I'm not.

[00:32:47] It's not serious.

[00:32:48] It's something that you, you know, like something that you dream of.

[00:32:52] So I'm not saying that, OK, you I know you are an actress and I know you like to be whatever comes to you.

[00:32:58] OK, I'm not talking about I'm talking about, you know, growing up, you watch certain films, growing up, you watch certain films in certain genres.

[00:33:04] And when we grow up and we have some control over our stuff, that's where you're like, OK, I'd like to be this kind of, you know, I'd like to play this kind of character or I'd like to play or be in some kind of genre, which is like this.

[00:33:18] That's how I place that question.

[00:33:20] Well, what I really like, if you did see my house, I have costumes in every closet.

[00:33:27] My favorite character that I watched is Mrs. Maisel.

[00:33:31] I really like Mrs. Maisel.

[00:33:33] OK.

[00:33:34] And I have 1950s dresses with petticoats and everything and the pearl necklaces and the long sleeves and the gloves and everything.

[00:33:43] Yeah, I love that stuff.

[00:33:45] But I love I love a lot of different costumes because I'm a country girl at heart and I I have a history also in dance and I love going country dancing.

[00:33:53] So, I mean, anything I could pull anything out of a hat because sometimes they as an actor, they want you to have other talents to that.

[00:34:00] That you bring to the set with you because you might need to be an old lady or a mom or even a guy that crochets or something.

[00:34:09] And you got to know how to do that.

[00:34:10] I can crochet so I can.

[00:34:13] These little extra little things.

[00:34:16] Yeah.

[00:34:17] Add to your acting thing because I can dance.

[00:34:19] I can swing dance.

[00:34:21] I can two step.

[00:34:22] I've been on a set with Eric Roberts and it was a country scene.

[00:34:26] I'm not I can't remember what movie that was, but.

[00:34:31] It was like they had if they had like a honky tonk bar and I had all the stuff ready for that.

[00:34:36] So I had to like dance the two step on just in the background and I've played dancing parts and and and the background of movies, too, because I really I love dancing.

[00:34:52] I really do.

[00:34:53] I guess whatever you have, something which is additional can be used in the character.

[00:34:57] And I guess that's one thing that you think really is helpful for you and really helped you in whatever characters like you are extra prepared for what's going to come to you.

[00:35:07] And that that really helps you out with whatever extra skills.

[00:35:11] It's kind of add on that you give to the character or the situation.

[00:35:15] It's just focus.

[00:35:16] I'm going to be a great actor.

[00:35:17] Focus on the skills that you can bring to the table, too.

[00:35:19] Yeah.

[00:35:20] Yeah.

[00:35:21] Good.

[00:35:21] Good.

[00:35:22] And here's the thing.

[00:35:24] Now I'm looking for questions.

[00:35:27] Well, there's going to be a rapid fire with you soon.

[00:35:30] But before that rapid fire, I'd like to jump on a place where I guess you got married and then there was kids and our whole family moved to California.

[00:35:41] I guess you guys moved to California.

[00:35:43] But there is a part where you went through a surgery.

[00:35:45] I guess.

[00:35:46] Tell me about that part, because I guess I had a hysterectomy.

[00:35:50] You want to know about that one?

[00:35:52] Yeah.

[00:35:53] Well, I graduated college and I was I graduated college after, you know, let's see, I think my youngest child was about three or four years old.

[00:36:04] And I graduated from Cal State San Bernardino.

[00:36:07] I graduated with two bachelor's degrees, one in psychology and one in art.

[00:36:11] But right as the week of my graduation, I got really sick and I had to have a hysterectomy.

[00:36:19] And within a year after having that going through all the women like stuff like menopause and stuff like that, because I was surgically called surgical menopause when you're forced into it.

[00:36:30] And that's when my divorce hit.

[00:36:32] But I was also bedridden and I.

[00:36:36] Because I had some other complications that were were in there.

[00:36:39] I love I love how our bodies work, but we need all these little devices.

[00:36:43] But I as being on bed rest, I saw a lot of things that were going on in my marriage.

[00:36:48] What was happening to me?

[00:36:50] Even though I had a husband that let me model, it was more not more letting.

[00:36:55] It was kind of like.

[00:36:58] He was kind of pushing me into it.

[00:37:00] He was pushing me into every aspect of doing all these things because he did not want me around the house.

[00:37:05] There was other stuff going on behind my back, going to school.

[00:37:08] The drive was two and a half hours away to go to college, but I couldn't be in the house with him unless I had a degree.

[00:37:15] And he was just pushed, pushed it down my throat.

[00:37:17] So every every every day before and after I had my first child, he'd always put an application, college application.

[00:37:27] I had to be educated to be married to him.

[00:37:33] I'm trying.

[00:37:34] I think I'm going off on a tangent.

[00:37:35] But during I mean, I had surgery and within all of that and even coming out after the surgery and seeing all that kind of stuff.

[00:37:45] I still at that time, I was nominated Latin model of the year.

[00:37:49] It was a company that was trying to become more like what Spanglish they're trying to integrate.

[00:37:54] Yeah.

[00:37:55] And they they they I got nominated to be Miss April April in Spanish.

[00:38:02] Yeah.

[00:38:03] Um, so I mean, I still was after even healing and after kind of coming out of bed rest, I still had that opportunity.

[00:38:10] Those opportunities were still coming in.

[00:38:12] I have some crazy stories about the model.

[00:38:14] I heard about I heard about the article that I read.

[00:38:18] And that was really disturbing.

[00:38:19] First of all, I don't know you'd like to talk on that.

[00:38:22] But I guess that surgery is the period that you mentioned, I guess, and the marriage part.

[00:38:27] I guess you found out something was going on.

[00:38:31] How did it broke you?

[00:38:34] And how what was that period like for you?

[00:38:37] Everything comes to an end or what was going on?

[00:38:40] Because you had a family, you had kids at that time.

[00:38:43] I had family and I I didn't know how much control was happening to me in my marriage.

[00:38:49] I had to I didn't know until I mean, I came home from my therapy or church that we were going to.

[00:38:56] The bishop of the church said for him to go to therapy and me to go to therapy.

[00:39:00] And then we'd come together.

[00:39:01] Well, I come home one night and the therapy that my my my ex-husband, my husband at the time,

[00:39:07] was telling me that I needed to tell him everything that was going on.

[00:39:10] And I had I graduated from college of psychology.

[00:39:13] He thought, oh, she's got a degree in psychology.

[00:39:15] She's probably diagnosing me in the in the therapy session.

[00:39:18] And he was just yelling at me about how I I was just diagnosing him and saying what medication he needs me on.

[00:39:25] He always inflicted what he was doing to me on to me.

[00:39:28] He would yell at me about it because for a while I found out he was convincing me I was always sick.

[00:39:34] And and the doctor was fed up.

[00:39:36] He goes, who's telling you that you're sick?

[00:39:38] You come in in every week.

[00:39:40] Why do you why are you saying this?

[00:39:44] And and I'm like, I don't know.

[00:39:45] Those one minute you're happy in the next minute.

[00:39:47] You're saying that you've got you have this.

[00:39:49] It was it was just a thing of control.

[00:39:51] So I mean, I had my hysterectomy.

[00:39:55] I found I found out a lot of things that were going on behind my back.

[00:40:00] And I and I had to sit there and just think, why is he doing these things to me?

[00:40:06] Because I would after you're in bed and watching everything happen and he's yelling at you to take your medication on days of the week that it's.

[00:40:14] So he remembers to put extra pills in your pill case.

[00:40:18] It was just like a whole entire thing.

[00:40:20] Why is he doing this to me?

[00:40:21] Why does he always want me to change?

[00:40:23] He doesn't like the way I am.

[00:40:26] OK, and coming into that perspective and putting my foot down when I came home from therapy that one day and he want he was yelling at me.

[00:40:34] He did a few awful things in front of our kids that night, but the police had to come.

[00:40:39] I put a restraining order on him.

[00:40:41] And when it came to that point of having to do that, my life just fell apart from the modeling and everything.

[00:40:48] I was still getting the jobs coming in.

[00:40:50] I was going to this shoot magazine shoot for this other Miss Hollywood thing.

[00:40:57] And they were, you know, doing these photos, this photo shoot at the beach, this one area.

[00:41:03] And there's a few paparazzis there.

[00:41:05] And when I showed up.

[00:41:07] And I was just in tears, I was just.

[00:41:11] Just crying and they go, we want to use you in the shoot, but we're going to have to reschedule because you're not all together.

[00:41:17] Yeah.

[00:41:18] And the reason why I was also not all together is because I was also designing clothes for people, not.

[00:41:24] There's a few celebrities.

[00:41:25] There was models I was doing for L.A. Music Awards.

[00:41:28] And I show up.

[00:41:29] And at that moment, because my attorney said that I could take my daughter out of the county.

[00:41:37] And.

[00:41:39] And I wasn't supposed to.

[00:41:41] And I had to pay my attorney to fix the problem, too, because I was going to be arrested when I came back.

[00:41:45] And I was just crying in tears because my ex-husband sent them after me.

[00:41:50] And and I called my attorney to fix it.

[00:41:53] But I was just so in tears.

[00:41:54] I was dressing Charlene Tilton.

[00:41:56] She is she's that beautiful blonde that's in the first Dallas.

[00:42:01] And she works with people with kids with autism.

[00:42:04] She does an autism theater.

[00:42:05] I'm not sure she does it at this point now.

[00:42:07] But at that point when I designed her address, that's what was going on.

[00:42:11] So I was I was like for my divorce and surgery and designing clothes and then go to a photo shoot.

[00:42:18] It all was happening all at once.

[00:42:19] It was.

[00:42:20] And there was a paparazzi at that shoot.

[00:42:22] And I was just crying.

[00:42:25] I was scared of my divorce.

[00:42:26] So I get home that night, which I lived about three hours from the shoot.

[00:42:31] And that moment I realized my kids need me more than anything.

[00:42:35] So I took my social media down because I.

[00:42:37] Yeah, that's right.

[00:42:39] I had hundreds of messages of men from men.

[00:42:42] Tell me, you know, when your divorce is final, we'll take you to the courthouse.

[00:42:46] When your divorce is final, you and I would have beautiful children.

[00:42:49] It was just harassment, harassment.

[00:42:51] Or I was I was at fault for my divorce.

[00:42:54] I had the worst stuff said to me.

[00:42:56] And I'm the sinner.

[00:42:57] You know, it's like.

[00:42:59] It was it was just really bad.

[00:43:01] And at that point, I I realized that my kids needed me more than that.

[00:43:05] So I took my social media down for a good good time period.

[00:43:09] Yeah, I saw that.

[00:43:10] And I didn't do.

[00:43:12] And I I think that kind of ruined me at the same time because I wasn't able to.

[00:43:17] When I got back into social media, it wasn't the same anymore.

[00:43:21] I had a hard time connecting.

[00:43:24] It wasn't like old Facebook.

[00:43:25] I knew the old Facebook.

[00:43:27] Yeah, it once I saw that article, once I read that article and then I saw your social media before even knowing about you.

[00:43:36] That's why I thought like, OK, she is really doing well.

[00:43:39] There is a lot of articles about Kaleen and social media is completely off.

[00:43:43] Then I come to know about this article that I sent you day before.

[00:43:45] And I thought, OK, this is disturbing.

[00:43:48] First of all, at the same time, this is something kind of called as downfall to the great career that she was having.

[00:43:54] And I guess you were in the middle of whatever you were doing.

[00:43:57] It was filled with, you know, fashion design.

[00:44:00] You're dressing people at the same time.

[00:44:03] My ex-husband, he held on to my fashion line during the divorce.

[00:44:08] And in the state of California, if you create a company within your marriage, even if they had nothing to do with it, half of it's theirs.

[00:44:16] So he made sure it died.

[00:44:18] And I and I I couldn't do anything.

[00:44:22] It was connected to my name.

[00:44:24] So anything if I used under Kaleen or anything like that, he would get half of it.

[00:44:30] And he'd always make if I was going to a set.

[00:44:33] So did you do anything?

[00:44:34] Did you work anywhere?

[00:44:35] You'd always want half of my paycheck.

[00:44:37] And so I said, no, I didn't use my stage name.

[00:44:39] I'm not.

[00:44:41] Oh, so I I I got it back in 2018, totally dead.

[00:44:48] And and then just this last year, I renewed my LLC.

[00:44:53] I had a lawyer look everything over to make sure no one can take it from me.

[00:44:57] So that's hopefully within the next year or so, a lot of things will be coming back to me.

[00:45:02] I'm not sure if I want to do fashion right away.

[00:45:05] I want to build up a name first and then have that one of my streams on the side.

[00:45:10] Good.

[00:45:11] Because the reason I even pushed out that question is to get something that I like to know,

[00:45:17] OK, what can happen and what extreme things can happen to someone who is doing a lot of things

[00:45:22] and cannot expect something fishy is going on at the same time?

[00:45:26] It is something that can help others.

[00:45:29] Your story, the story of have happening of abuse at the same time, domestic violence

[00:45:34] and control, having control over their own intellectual property or whatever that is.

[00:45:40] And then it getting distributed and for no reason.

[00:45:43] But to go through that and to find yourself at zero or dead is kind of a biggest shift that can happen.

[00:45:53] Being in L.A. and then seeing this happening in front of your eyes,

[00:45:56] the thing that you built from your childhood, then over the years,

[00:46:00] finding something that's going to crash or going to zero, that's terrible.

[00:46:07] And then you picked up slowly after 2018.

[00:46:10] I guess that's the period where you really started to figure out things with your children.

[00:46:14] Today, I'm talking to you.

[00:46:16] I can feel 10% of I'm talking to an artist, 90% I'm talking to a mom who is managing kids, a family,

[00:46:25] and then trying to be here because this is what she was for, I guess, 20, 25 years.

[00:46:31] And suddenly something changed and she's trying to build her up again.

[00:46:34] So that's what I see when I'm talking to you.

[00:46:38] And I can see certain things that you really got great connections.

[00:46:42] So within a few years, I guess, within one or two years, you're going back up there with your design.

[00:46:47] I guess that's your pro design and modeling.

[00:46:50] You know, that's going to be back with you.

[00:46:53] I guess you got guys figuring out that for you.

[00:46:56] But this story, I really wanted to be out here on the podcast because it's maybe something that will help a lot of people,

[00:47:03] but also make people aware this kind of things may happen or will happen.

[00:47:08] Or even one person can get aware of this.

[00:47:12] So first of all, I hope you go well after this, you know, something.

[00:47:17] Well, I have something else.

[00:47:19] I don't know if you want me to share it, but I have this.

[00:47:21] Oh, yeah.

[00:47:22] I forgot.

[00:47:23] I forgot about this.

[00:47:24] Okay.

[00:47:24] I forgot about this.

[00:47:25] Now we are jumping on.

[00:47:26] We are really running short, but we'll try to figure out with your autobiography.

[00:47:32] So now coming on to the point where we will now talk only about your autobiography.

[00:47:39] But tell me about when you thought of like after or before, what was the period where you thought of, okay, I need to write this?

[00:47:46] Because there's a lot of struggles going on.

[00:47:47] To write a book, you need a time.

[00:47:48] You know, it's not just happens where you just thought of it and then it happens.

[00:47:52] Because you take your whole trauma period aside and then you come up with the healing portion and then you decide.

[00:47:59] So tell me.

[00:48:00] It took me a good 10 years because a lot of this started in 2014, 15.

[00:48:04] I didn't realize a lot of stuff.

[00:48:06] I had a lot of control over me.

[00:48:08] And it took me 10 years to say I'm okay.

[00:48:12] I'm surviving.

[00:48:13] I'm more than surviving.

[00:48:14] I'm okay.

[00:48:16] Because there was a lot of trauma that happened and it still does.

[00:48:20] You can showcase the book if it's possible.

[00:48:22] You can just put it in front.

[00:48:25] It's just called Stronger Than I Know.

[00:48:27] And it's about my trials all the way even from how things stemmed when I was a child.

[00:48:33] Because you get so used to that lifestyle of who's kind of beaten you down and how I overcame things.

[00:48:42] And the things that I conquered.

[00:48:46] The situations that I dove through.

[00:48:49] But all in the end, it's okay to have therapy.

[00:48:52] Therapy is not a bad thing.

[00:48:54] I come from a generation that just don't have therapy.

[00:49:00] Generation X.

[00:49:01] I mean, you just kind of work through it in other ways.

[00:49:05] There's nothing coming along with you.

[00:49:08] A lot of things kept on changing over the years.

[00:49:11] Yes.

[00:49:12] Yeah.

[00:49:13] Go on, go on.

[00:49:13] Now tell us about the book and what's included.

[00:49:17] Well, yeah, it's just about how I ended up in my marriage and the things that happened in my marriage.

[00:49:25] But it also connects how I am with my father.

[00:49:30] But how I overcame all that stuff.

[00:49:35] It was very traumatic writing.

[00:49:36] Because you go back and you edit and there's something you don't want to read again.

[00:49:42] It was that shameful.

[00:49:44] Because something happened to you.

[00:49:46] Yeah.

[00:49:47] You know, because there was a modeling experience that I had that, because he pushed it down my throat.

[00:49:52] So I came home and I told him, because it was for someone's catalog.

[00:49:56] And they wanted to get all the models in, but I had finals and stuff.

[00:49:59] I was going to school.

[00:50:00] And so I go there late at night, right after I get done with my last final.

[00:50:06] And for the photo shoot and the photographer, he can't keep his hands off me.

[00:50:10] I usually have an escort.

[00:50:12] I didn't have my escort at the time.

[00:50:15] Because it's not a safe world out there in the industry.

[00:50:18] And I get home and I told my husband at the time what this photographer was doing to me.

[00:50:25] And when the photo shoot, the pictures came up.

[00:50:29] And my ex did this.

[00:50:31] All he did was like, I really like how he turned out.

[00:50:33] You need to get more work with this photographer.

[00:50:36] Even after I said, this is what happened to me.

[00:50:38] I didn't have anybody there to protect me.

[00:50:41] I'm not looking for someone that's a jealous husband in my life.

[00:50:44] I'm looking for somebody to say, hey, this is not right.

[00:50:48] Let me take care of you and I'll take care of the situation.

[00:50:50] But I didn't have anybody even protecting me in the industry.

[00:50:53] It was always push, push, push.

[00:50:55] I didn't have my husband protecting me in the industry.

[00:50:57] It was push, push, push.

[00:50:58] But when it came to, when the divorce happened, he used all those things against me.

[00:51:03] Like I'm the one who went.

[00:51:05] I wanted it.

[00:51:06] I wanted it.

[00:51:07] But I wanted to have those experiences.

[00:51:10] It was my fault.

[00:51:11] That's why guys like me.

[00:51:13] It's easy to point the finger at the pretty woman.

[00:51:15] You know?

[00:51:17] And I mean, there's a lot of things that, there's little stories in the book that even from when I,

[00:51:24] from when I was designing clothes for LA Fashion Week, not LA Fashion Week, but LA,

[00:51:30] the LA Music Awards and stuff like that.

[00:51:32] And I'm up for nights just designing the clothes.

[00:51:35] And then it's just awful things that I'm feeding my kids McDonald's through the drive-thru because I'm sewing every day.

[00:51:43] And then the girl that's taking the order won't take her order.

[00:51:47] And then come to find out my ex-husband's doing something with that person.

[00:51:53] And I'm being told I'm crazy for days just because the McDonald's lady is telling me, telling him that I'm crazy.

[00:51:58] And I'm like, no, I have mascara running down my face because I'm not sleeping for days because I'm sewing.

[00:52:03] I mean, it was just these little weird stories that I've triumphed over, that I'm not apologizing to people anymore.

[00:52:09] Or I'm still apologizing little bits here and there when I'm having a down day.

[00:52:14] But yeah, all these little things I've learned from, I'm not sure exactly.

[00:52:20] I'm going on tangents right now, but, you know, it's made me a better person.

[00:52:28] That's little stories in there, just little things of, you know, from my childhood, from the Mormon church,

[00:52:34] because I grew up as a Mormon and overcoming that.

[00:52:40] I'm not a member of the church anymore, but I think that played a big role in my marriage.

[00:52:48] And, you know, I don't know exactly where to go with this, but you'd have to find out.

[00:52:53] Yeah, just one thing I'd like to know more about is tell me about your dad.

[00:52:58] Tell me about how he impacted you.

[00:53:00] Because I guess whatever you're doing, the major impact is ensuing.

[00:53:04] Okay, so I guess even learning that thing.

[00:53:08] He was in military.

[00:53:09] Okay, and that's not a small thing.

[00:53:11] What kind of impact, what kind of teaching you got from him and impact that you got from him and you still remember?

[00:53:18] I guess that's in the book.

[00:53:19] Well, it's good and bad, what I got from my father.

[00:53:23] I mean, yeah, my dad taught me how to sew.

[00:53:25] And he was really starting the fashion.

[00:53:29] And he was raised by a girl, I mean, by his mom and around a lot of girls and foster girls in the home.

[00:53:36] But I also was always afraid of my dad at the same time.

[00:53:42] Okay.

[00:53:43] I'm not exactly where to go with that because he, it could be, I would be eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the table one day as just a little kid.

[00:53:51] A little kid.

[00:53:52] And he'd ask me a question and I would know a big word.

[00:53:55] And it really meant like if the word was communication or whatever.

[00:53:59] And I'd always get in trouble.

[00:53:59] I'd be hounded for just knowing big words.

[00:54:02] He never really liked anybody smarter than him.

[00:54:04] If I'm, I don't talk to my father this day, but when I, when I was, he would, if my education ever came up, because he needed to know some information, I go, this is what I know.

[00:54:14] And this is how we got to play this out because I was a life skills coach for school.

[00:54:18] I used to work at a middle school and a high school.

[00:54:22] And I'm trying to help him solve an issue.

[00:54:25] If I bring up my education, I'm in trouble.

[00:54:29] I'm still in trouble this day with him.

[00:54:31] If I, I don't talk to him, but he doesn't want anybody smarter.

[00:54:34] He's like, he yells at me, do not bring up your education around me.

[00:54:38] And that's in the book too.

[00:54:39] That's about how he doesn't want anybody to be smarter than him, especially women.

[00:54:45] My parents aren't married.

[00:54:46] They were married for 25 years and lasted that long just because of the church and religion.

[00:54:52] And the impact.

[00:54:55] I thought it was stiff.

[00:54:59] My dad though, the impact on me, I think I learned what I don't want to be around and what I want to be around.

[00:55:06] My, my dad's a wonderful tailor.

[00:55:09] That's the only way I have a good conversation when I was younger was if we talked about sewing.

[00:55:15] And also when I had a degree in art, I welded through college and he was a government welder.

[00:55:19] And he was also in the military, but I didn't bring that up.

[00:55:22] But our conversations only has to be based around subjects that he knows.

[00:55:26] Not how I'm doing, not how the kids are doing.

[00:55:29] It's only what he knows.

[00:55:30] That's it.

[00:55:31] And it's really kind of sad to live in that small little box.

[00:55:34] Yeah.

[00:55:34] So tell me, who were your, your people who had your back?

[00:55:38] Were there any, because throughout the story, I haven't.

[00:55:42] Oh, my grandfather.

[00:55:43] My grandfather.

[00:55:44] Your grandfather.

[00:55:45] Yes.

[00:55:46] I loved my grandfather so much.

[00:55:48] My dad's dad.

[00:55:50] When I was in high school, I lived with my grandparents my senior year.

[00:55:55] I got in a lot of trouble.

[00:55:56] I was just trying to fight for a voice and I got kicked out of my parents' house and I

[00:56:01] lived on the streets.

[00:56:01] My grandparents took me in and I became very close with my grandfather.

[00:56:05] He had a few strokes, but I, I read, I read books to him.

[00:56:10] And every day after school, I would either do that or I would sit and watch old reruns

[00:56:16] of Cagney and Lacey.

[00:56:17] And that's one, one show that I think they should remake or into a movie is Cagney and Lacey

[00:56:23] about two women cops from the eighties.

[00:56:26] But that was his favorite show.

[00:56:29] He would sing, he would try to get his voice back because he had strokes.

[00:56:33] He would sing church hymns, but just to walk into a room and his eyes would just light

[00:56:38] up every time he would see me.

[00:56:39] It just gave me a great deal of comfort.

[00:56:42] I just loved him.

[00:56:43] I still love him.

[00:56:44] I, I, and I, you know, I do miss my grandfather.

[00:56:49] I guess there are someone who really had your back.

[00:56:52] I'm really happy to know that, you know, throughout, I was like, oh man, what's going, what's,

[00:56:57] what's happening with her?

[00:56:58] And then it's really good to know that you had your grandfather with you, you know, helping,

[00:57:03] supporting, uh, and you know, someone had your back.

[00:57:07] That's really great to know.

[00:57:07] Uh, look, your journey and the things that you're doing are really an ex, like it, it's

[00:57:15] something that is everything has a story for you.

[00:57:17] Like every period, everything, even in the year, you have something that's really going

[00:57:21] on and it's all of roller coaster.

[00:57:24] So it's, it's not a similar phase.

[00:57:26] And I guess, uh, that's what makes your story really interesting.

[00:57:30] Uh, now, first of all, this, this book to every listener, uh, her book by the name, uh,

[00:57:37] please show the book for the one last time.

[00:57:39] Uh, it's available on Amazon stronger than I know by Kayleen it's autobiography and it's

[00:57:45] available on Amazon.

[00:57:45] The links will be mentioned in the description.

[00:57:47] So you can go and check that out and, uh, read the book.

[00:57:50] Uh, first of all, uh, now I guess we have covered the major part of this, uh, particular interview.

[00:57:57] I'd like to have a small little good rapid fire around acting.

[00:58:02] Okay.

[00:58:02] So it's something that I'd like to know, which is the one that, uh, you like the most.

[00:58:07] Okay.

[00:58:07] So, uh, now we each start the rapid fire here.

[00:58:11] Who is your biggest inspiration in film industry?

[00:58:15] Biggest inspiration in the film industry.

[00:58:18] There's, I have many, but I really love, um, Queen Latifah.

[00:58:23] She's she's one of my favorites.

[00:58:25] I have, I have interesting stories.

[00:58:28] I, I, I have a dream that I actually cook a dinner for, for Queen Latifah.

[00:58:33] She just loves my cooking.

[00:58:36] But that's kind of good, good dream.

[00:58:38] It's kind of fantasy for you.

[00:58:40] Okay.

[00:58:40] But I've always wanted to meet her because I just thought her personality is just sensational

[00:58:45] and anything that she's ever played in.

[00:58:47] She's got an attitude.

[00:58:50] Oh, okay.

[00:58:51] Okay.

[00:58:51] I guess that puts you in something that you, uh, would really love to do in your real life.

[00:58:56] Okay.

[00:58:57] Uh, comedy or drama?

[00:58:59] Comedy.

[00:59:01] Comedy always.

[00:59:02] Okay.

[00:59:02] Great.

[00:59:03] Well, drama is out there, but comedy is, yeah.

[00:59:05] But comedy.

[00:59:06] Okay.

[00:59:06] Good.

[00:59:07] Uh, what's your favorite movie of all time?

[00:59:10] Favorite movie of all time.

[00:59:12] Wow.

[00:59:13] It, it changes, but there's, there's one, um, gosh, now I can't even remember the name,

[00:59:21] but it's, it's an Irish movie.

[00:59:23] Um, gosh, I wish I could, I could Google it, but it's about a whole little town that wins

[00:59:30] the lottery.

[00:59:32] And the guy died.

[00:59:33] You can text me the name later.

[00:59:35] I'll put the poster here.

[00:59:38] Okay.

[00:59:39] Stage or screen acting?

[00:59:40] Oh, it's, it's waking Ned Devine.

[00:59:43] Waking Ned Devine.

[00:59:45] Yes.

[00:59:45] I love that movie.

[00:59:46] It just has a funny twist and it has different meanings.

[00:59:49] Now, what did you say again?

[00:59:51] Stage or screen acting?

[00:59:53] Screen acting.

[00:59:55] Screen acting.

[00:59:55] Yeah.

[00:59:56] Uh, if you could work with any director, who would it be?

[01:00:01] If I could work with any director?

[01:00:03] I've never thought of that.

[01:00:06] Just, just to, just one that doesn't jerk your arm around on set.

[01:00:12] I've, I've been on, on different ones when I played on Picard and, and I, the director

[01:00:17] is right there grabbing my arm.

[01:00:19] They're not supposed to touch you.

[01:00:21] We want you over here.

[01:00:22] We want you over here.

[01:00:23] Cause I played a scientist on, on a card before.

[01:00:28] Um, okay.

[01:00:29] Good.

[01:00:29] It doesn't matter to me as long as they're, um, as long as, yeah, they're, they treat

[01:00:34] their people nice.

[01:00:36] Oh, that's, that's, you gotta know in the industry here, they're there.

[01:00:39] Yeah.

[01:00:39] You can go both ways.

[01:00:41] Hmm.

[01:00:42] And I guess, uh, it's a lot of where we, where you go South, I guess for maximum.

[01:00:47] And it really works out very for like one or 10% where they go North.

[01:00:52] Okay.

[01:00:52] Uh, now, which is the next one?

[01:00:55] I'm looking for it.

[01:00:56] Uh, if you weren't an actress, what would you be?

[01:01:05] What would I be?

[01:01:07] You know, I had a hard time even answering this in, in high school.

[01:01:10] Cause I didn't know what I wanted to be, except I loved performing and I didn't think

[01:01:14] that was a career.

[01:01:15] No.

[01:01:16] Um, I didn't even want to be a teacher.

[01:01:18] I used to be a life skills coach for a school district, but probably just a painter, an artist.

[01:01:26] I used to teach, um, I used to have an art studio and I would teach second through fifth

[01:01:30] graders out of it, like for summer camp.

[01:01:33] Um, I just love, um, painting and drawing.

[01:01:38] And I have, I have a tattoo here on my arm that I drew and they put it on.

[01:01:43] What's that?

[01:01:45] It's, it's just, it's flowers.

[01:01:47] I drew the flowers and they put them on and I have this one that has a lot of meaning

[01:01:51] to it, but it's just, I only put stuff on my body that I, I, I created.

[01:01:57] I don't allow another artist work on me, but I love.

[01:02:01] So you design it and then you tell them to draw that on.

[01:02:04] Yeah.

[01:02:04] I went in and, and they even offered me a job and I'm like, I can't do tattoos on other

[01:02:09] people.

[01:02:09] If I make a mistake, then they're going to come after me.

[01:02:14] Oh, wow.

[01:02:15] Okay.

[01:02:15] That's good to know.

[01:02:16] Uh, yeah.

[01:02:17] And it's really, uh, I guess that's where your art thing comes into play.

[01:02:22] Even the tattoos you want your design to be.

[01:02:24] Artist, fashion.

[01:02:25] I don't know.

[01:02:26] Not acting.

[01:02:26] Yeah.

[01:02:27] What's the best piece of advice you, you have received related to acting or overall in this

[01:02:36] field of media and entertainment?

[01:02:39] Well, the best piece of advice that I received, um, I don't know directly, but just to,

[01:02:50] if the part's not for you, you know, don't dwell on it.

[01:02:53] Really.

[01:02:54] Oh, okay.

[01:02:55] Okay.

[01:02:56] That's what I heard in the beginning of this episode.

[01:02:58] Yeah.

[01:02:58] Yeah.

[01:02:59] I mean, that's been with working with Lee Garrington and, and I mean, a few other people that I've

[01:03:05] worked with in the industry.

[01:03:07] Yeah.

[01:03:07] It's like, you know, you just do your best, you put your best foot forward and, you know,

[01:03:11] you get your callbacks and, and if it's not meant to be, you know, you can't, you can't

[01:03:16] dwell on it.

[01:03:16] There's something better out there.

[01:03:17] There really is.

[01:03:18] It's not meant for you.

[01:03:20] Yeah.

[01:03:21] I guess, uh, this is, this is the lighter part of the interview.

[01:03:24] We went through some really emotional and really serious stuff, uh, throughout this,

[01:03:29] but, uh, I guess this kind of light, uh, did, uh, did lighten some of the whole interview

[01:03:35] session.

[01:03:35] Uh, first of all, thank you.

[01:03:36] Thank you, Kay.

[01:03:37] Thank you for being on the show.

[01:03:38] Uh, thank you for, uh, taking out your time.

[01:03:40] You are really busy with whatever schedule you have as a mom, as an actress, as a designer,

[01:03:46] whatever.

[01:03:47] There's a lot of things going on in your life, but finally, I thought this would take a month

[01:03:51] for you to come up with a date, but, uh, I'm really glad that you messaged it.

[01:03:54] Hey, tell me the time and we can figure out.

[01:03:56] So it, it's really good that Monday night worked for you.

[01:03:59] And, uh, I'm really happy that whole thing came into play, uh, with your movies and the

[01:04:04] way you perform and the way you started your journey.

[01:04:07] It's just really amazing.

[01:04:08] Very few people, you know, uh, uh, uh,

[01:04:11] who go through this, but can't come back and bounce back and then, uh, be where they

[01:04:16] really wanted to be.

[01:04:17] Even whatever comes into their life.

[01:04:20] Even now you're, you're with your son who is going through autism and you're trying to

[01:04:25] figure your life out at this moment for you.

[01:04:28] But, uh, before that also, you went through a lot and it's, it's really good to see you

[01:04:32] someone like you who is fighting against domestic violence at the same time, who, uh,

[01:04:37] make sure that you will never give up.

[01:04:40] Uh, that's, that's that you do have to go towards life also.

[01:04:43] What I want for people is not just to say there's there, of course there's therapy and stuff

[01:04:48] like that.

[01:04:49] But when you're going through the trauma and they can relate and, you know, I, I'm not

[01:04:52] the only one who's going through that story.

[01:04:54] You're not the only one that's going through the story, the person who's reading the book,

[01:04:57] but I don't want people to forget who they are.

[01:04:59] Really?

[01:04:59] I don't.

[01:05:01] And if it takes, cause I remember just sitting down at one time and, and all these things

[01:05:05] come are crashing down and I'm like, why doesn't he like this about me?

[01:05:11] Why doesn't he like this?

[01:05:11] So I started keeping a list of the things that I liked about myself and I didn't want

[01:05:15] to lose that.

[01:05:16] So I don't want people out there to lose, to lose the things they like about themselves

[01:05:20] and don't let people take those away from you because that's, that makes you who you

[01:05:25] are.

[01:05:27] Yep.

[01:05:27] Yep.

[01:05:28] That's true.

[01:05:28] And, uh, now Kay, just help me with the last question.

[01:05:32] The last part of this interview is you being an artist from last 20 years, 20 plus years,

[01:05:37] I guess.

[01:05:38] What advice you'd like to pass on to the artist overall in various different fields?

[01:05:43] Uh, what is the advice, one piece of advice that you'd like to put out, uh, from your experience

[01:05:47] to the up and coming new and someone who is stuck in the situation, what advice you'd

[01:05:52] like to pass on?

[01:05:54] What advice would I like to give them?

[01:05:57] Yeah.

[01:05:58] From your experience.

[01:05:58] Oh gosh.

[01:05:58] There's so much advice.

[01:06:00] It's just, you gotta be yourself.

[01:06:01] You can't, you can't let, um, a role that you didn't get ruin the rest of your day or

[01:06:07] the rest of your life.

[01:06:08] You know, you still got to keep on living and there's always something better out there

[01:06:12] in the future.

[01:06:13] If you didn't get one, you know, just keep on practicing.

[01:06:15] If you, if you see those little qualities that you want in yourself, you know, strengthen

[01:06:19] them.

[01:06:19] And just keep on practicing.

[01:06:23] And just keep on practicing.

[01:06:48] And because I noticed within me when there's certain subject matters that I'd like to talk

[01:06:54] about that I love of the things that I'd love to do.

[01:06:57] Like, I love getting reactions from people.

[01:06:59] I like writing jokes.

[01:07:01] I like the writing part of the joke and kind of like, let's see how I can get that out

[01:07:04] on stage.

[01:07:05] There's a light in my eyes compared to other times.

[01:07:07] So just don't give up.

[01:07:09] Even if it's something you went to an audition and you, you felt like you're kind of kicked

[01:07:13] in the gut a little bit.

[01:07:14] You didn't do your best.

[01:07:16] You just keep on practicing, surround yourself with like-minded people that love to do it.

[01:07:20] Not, not for a competition basis, but for, for a team basis, because you guys are all on

[01:07:27] the same team and you're trying to go into the, you know, those directions of that, the

[01:07:32] way the actor is.

[01:07:33] And some, some people don't, are not out there to just do TV and stuff like that.

[01:07:37] I mean, we have a little theater that I'm not part of down here, but, and there's people

[01:07:41] that just love to perform just for fun.

[01:07:43] And, and that's what they like to do.

[01:07:46] And now that my son's 21, I can take him to comedy clubs with me.

[01:07:51] So I'll just, sometimes he just doesn't like to be around so many people, but you just

[01:07:56] got to put the sound headphones on and take them with you.

[01:08:00] So.

[01:08:02] It's, it's, it's really, yeah.

[01:08:04] Thank you.

[01:08:04] Thank you so much for your advice, Kay.

[01:08:06] Thank you for experience.

[01:08:07] Thank you for sharing all your experiences, you know, all the things that happened to

[01:08:11] you.

[01:08:12] At the same time, the advice that you do is really precise to, okay, it clears the head

[01:08:17] up, it clears the mind for people who are in the situation.

[01:08:20] And it makes sure that, okay, okay, I get it what she's saying.

[01:08:23] And now I kind of unlock where I was stuck.

[01:08:26] So thank you so much for your advice.

[01:08:27] Thank you so much for your time and your story.

[01:08:31] This was me.

[01:08:32] And to every listeners, everything related to Kay Lane is mentioned in the description

[01:08:36] of this episode.

[01:08:37] So make sure you go and check out the description.

[01:08:39] Also, make sure you go and follow her on Instagram and whichever platforms you are really good

[01:08:44] spending time on.

[01:08:46] So make sure you connect with Kay.

[01:08:47] Everything about Kay will be mentioned in the description.

[01:08:50] So yep, that was it.

[01:08:52] This was an exclusive interview with actress Kay Lane.

[01:08:56] I am Ajay Tambi.

[01:08:58] And now I guess it's time to sign off.

[01:09:02] Thank you for listening.

[01:09:02] Thank you for watching.