Meet Kandis Boone | Actress, Voice Over Artist, and Vocalist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kandis Boone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kandis, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
In my opinion, if you are pursuing something that you TRULY love and that makes you feel like YOU more than anything else, you don’t give up. I think your approach to your pursuit, the timeline expectations, and your definition of self worth may have to adapt, but I don’t think a person should ever “give up.” In previous years, my definition of success was earning a full time income off of my acting and vocal work. When it was good, it was great, but when there was a drought of gigs it was awful. After years of this, I had to reevaluate my approach. I hadn’t allowed myself to explore other areas of talent or interest, because I thought that to do so would mean I was giving up on my first dream. Fast forward three years, and I’ve found a new balance. I work a full time job that frees me from the audition anxiety I had been suffering from for so long, and I’ve booked some of my favorite gigs. With days off and voice over opportunities I’m able to balance the artist in me and the successful marketing coordinator and event planner I never knew I could be. Artists are multi faceted people, and shouldn’t put limits on themselves.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Hello reader! My name is Kandis Boone and I am an actress, voice over artist, and vocalist. Like many on screen actors here in the Southeast, I’ve had the opportunity to appear in several true crime reenactment series, as well as a handful of independent short films, and a few network/streaming television shows. I discovered my passion for voice over in 2019, and have since voiced 5 animated characters on “Squishville,” a YouTube series created by the makers of Squishmallow toys, I’ve recorded 45 vocal tracks for Fisher Price’s “Laugh and Learn” series, and I’ve had the recent pleasure of narrating a renovation show that is yet to be announced!

As an artist, a person, or a “brand” I aspire to bring joy and comfort wherever I go. That could mean I am able to make the director feel that their vision is being understood and executed, or I make an audience member laugh. I enjoy giving, nurturing, and entertaining (which is probably why I’ve found a majority of my success in children’s entertainment).

I’m proud of the body of work I’ve built since 2017, and I’m so thankful for every opportunity that I’ve been given. One thing I’m extremely proud of is that with almost every production I’ve worked on, I’ve been asked to come back and work on 2nd project. Being “hirable” is amazing, but being “re-hirable” is an even bigger compliment!

I don’t think any working artist would claim that they achieved success without struggle. For me, growth has come in many forms. Training with great acting coaches, working SO many odd jobs, learning how to care for my mental health, and learning to allow myself professional and personal balance. At the beginning of my pursuit as an actor I had my personal worth completely tied up with my professional success, and that mindset was completely unsustainable. Once Covid FORCED me to take a break from auditioning while the world stood still, I found my way back to feeling like “just a person,” and that was extremely important for my journey.

In the entertainment business you are taught to create a “brand,” but beware of allowing that to be confused with who you really are. No human is a brand. A brand is given to a product, a THING, and we need to see ourselves as so much more than that. We all ARE more than that.

This mindset is important for protecting your mental health, but an artist that can find balance will also have SO much more to give to your craft. This has proved true for me at least, and I am thankful to have made it to the other side of that lesson.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love living in Atlanta! If I had visitors AND an unlimited budget here’s what I would do; we would kick things off with an early dinner at The General Muir, my favorite Jewish deli and bakery, and then we’d make our way to The Fox for a touring Broadway performance! In the following days I’d make sure we caught a Braves game at Truist Park, explored The Battery, visited the H Mart in Doraville before eating at Kura revolving sushi, we would walk through the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, spend an afternoon at Ponce City market shopping and trying as much as we could hold in the massive food court, see a comedy show at the Rolecall Theater, and as a grand finale we would have brunch at Douceur De France and then visit Pullman Yards for a fabulous and interactive experience!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe so much of my confidence on screen to my time spent training with Lisina Stoneburner at The Company Acting studio. She is a brilliant coach!

Website: www.KandisAlayneBoone.com

Instagram: @kandisalayne

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kandisalayneboone

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@KandisAlayneBoone

Image Credits
Abigail Blake