Kate Drummond Challenges the Status Quo
Kate Drummond refuses to be cast or defined by any mold. A former elementary school teacher turned actress, writer, and producer conveys reinventing one's self is always an option.
Kate is currently starring in the new Hulu original series Utopia Falls, a coming of age story following a group of teens in the distant future colony of New Babyl as they uncover an ancient forbidden archive of historical, cultural and musical relics.
Kate’s other passion lies in her philanthropy work where she supports causes close to her heart, including The Snoopi Project, Playa Animal Rescue, DIBS (Dogs in Better Spots), Canadian Horse Defense Coalition (CHDC), KidSport Ontario and Bytowne Association for Rescued Kanines (BARK). Recently, Kate teamed up with The Children’s Miracle Network and SickKids Foundation, raising over $10,000 in just over a week, through her social media platforms. Please read on for our exclusive interview with Kate to learn more about her work.
Where are you based?
I am based out of Toronto, Canada.
As a former elementary school teacher and someone who pursued acting later in life, what prompted your career change? Was acting always a passion of yours?
I think I always had a passion for acting, but I didn't always understand that was what it was, if that makes any sense. I mean, I knew that I loved performing and expressing myself, but it was just me being me. From a young age, I was always putting on plays, and writing stories and putting on shows in my backyard, but I don't think it ever dawned on me that it was "acting" and that I could do it for my job. I was just in love with being super creative and having fun. I spent most of my life playing sports and competing so the artist in me was on hold, I guess you could say. I think I first realized that acting was an actual and real passion for me when I was 30, and I put myself into my first acting class. It was like, "Oh my god, I'm home." It was a perfect fit. It was a name and an outlet for this wild creativity I'd had coursing through my veins my whole life but didn't have the means or place to really express it. So fast forward, I chose to be an elementary school teacher. This career path just made sense to me, after years of competing in sports and coaching young athletes and I loved teaching. My family would say that I was cursed with two passions.
What prompted my career change? My love for acting and an innocent question from one of my eight-year old students. At this point, I was 35 years old and had been acting more as a hobby for about five years. I did community theatre at night and started booking little roles in Movies of the Week in Ottawa and Montreal, while also teaching my students during the day. I loved teaching so much, but the day that changed my life, and my path, was when I was teaching my students about Martin Luther King Jr. We were talking about dreams and what our dreams were. These kids were ignited and so was I! I was telling them that they could do whatever they wanted to do no matter what and one little girl came up to me and asked quite plainly, “Miss D., what’s your dream?” I told her that besides teaching, it was to be an actress. She said point blank, “Then why aren’t you doing it?” That day changed me. I wrote a letter to my board asking for a leave of absence to move to Toronto to follow my dream, for the opportunity to stand behind the lesson I was trying to teach my students… that was ten years ago.
Your keynote speech at TEDx in Oshawa, Canada discussed your story of Chasing Dreams and Beginning Again. Why is this important to you?
I'm such an advocate for people following their dreams no matter how old they are, or how out of reach things may seem, or how unfamiliar or challenging the road is. I really believe that a lot of people are living their lives in auto-pilot and not honouring the passions that they were born with. And I get it! It's scary to take the road less travelled, the unconventional route. Fear is such a powerful force that really holds us back from achieving our true potential, but on the other side of fear is everything that makes our spirit soar. I wanted to tell my story with the hope that even just one person might find inspiration and get a little nudge to take their own leap of faith and follow their dreams. I never in a million years expected that my audience would be more than who was there on that day that I gave the talk. It's reached over half a million views and I get emails and messages almost daily, from people who are resonating with my story and sharing their stories with me. It's equally inspiring for me. It's magical. And that is the most rewarding part of the whole experience. In a way, I still feel like I'm teaching, just that my classroom got a lot bigger!
You made your writing and directorial debut with your feature Go Fish and won Best Feature in the Muskoka Film Festival (2017) and Forest City Film Festival (2017). How did you get interested in these aspects of film production?
I've always been really interested in all aspects of film production. When the opportunity came up to collaborate with my creative partner at the time, Brett Heard, to write, direct and produce a feature film, I jumped at the chance. Brett was an incredible mentor and had already had experience with successfully writing and directing a full length film so it was the perfect chance to learn about this side of the camera. I was also surrounded by an incredible cast and crew who made the learning experience that much richer. Together, Brett and I wrote and directed this beautiful little film and from that moment on — I was hooked. I plan on stepping behind the camera more and more in the upcoming years.
Can you tell us about your role on the new sci-fi series Utopia Falls?
I play the role of Authority Phydra. She is the head of New Babyl's Police Force and is the ultimate enforcer of the laws. She's the antagonist of the series, for sure! Phydra is a staunch believer in the established laws and cultural norms of New Babyl, so anyone who attempts to challenge them, change them, or question the status quo, is someone Phydra has a serious issue with and will stop at nothing to prevent things from falling out of order, for the good of society. When the hero teens start showing signs of dissent, Phydra pulls out all the stops to keep them in line. I've heard her compared to President Snow from Hunger Games, which I LOVE! Phydra also has a complicated past and once the audience learns about this, we see why she is the way she is. No villain ever thinks they're the villain, and in this case, Phydra is just very dedicated to protecting the citizens of New Babyl.
You are heavily involved in animal charities such as The Snoopi Project, Playa Animal Rescue, DIBS (Dogs in Better Spots), Canadian Horse Defense Coalition (CHDC) and many more. Tell us about your philanthropic pursuits. Why are these organizations important to you?
Volunteering has been a huge part of my life since I was young. I went on a mission's trip in high school and it changed my life. To see people in such need, and to know that I had the ability to help make a difference... it was a powerful lesson for me that I think really impacted who I am today. I just feel like helping others is the right thing to do. It's the way I live my life. These particular organizations are important to me because they are self-funded and are doing incredible things for animals. I'm a huge animal lover and have grown up with rescue dogs. I know how a second, third or even fourth chance can change a life of an animal and they deserve our love and care. My current pup, Zelda, is a street dog rescue from Mexico and I'm currently supporting the organizations that helped to save her life. I also support the CHDC because horses were a huge part of my healing journey after losing my last dog, Jackson. I learned so much about their beautiful power and I want to help protect them in any way that I can.
Congrats on raising over $10,000 in just over a week for The Children’s Miracle Network and SickKids Foundation. What inspired you to promote these charities?
Thank you, but it was definitely a community effort. I put the call out on social media to help raise funds and offered a personal thank you video for every $50.00 donation. I never imagined that we would raise this much money in such a short time. It just goes to show the power of community and how much we can accomplish when we come together. As a teacher, my passion is kids and I'll do whatever I can to help organizations that take care of them, so supporting this cause was an easy choice for me.
Can you tell us about your partnering with Gamers for Sandy Hook?
That was a really emotional time. Thinking about those kids, those parents, that community... my own time as a teacher. Video games and gamers were under serious attack at that time and Gamers for Sandy Hook was stepping in to raise money and awareness around the subject. Splinter Cell Blacklist had recently been released and I felt that as one of the leads of the game, and as a former teacher, it was imperative that I step up and join in with Gamers of Sandy Hook.
As someone who is involved with so many causes, looking at our current state of affairs, what would you like to see people focusing on more to help improve our world?
I would love for people to pay more attention in general... to themselves, to each other, to the world around us. I still believe in us. I believe in the good in humanity. For anyone who wants to help, but doesn't know where to start, even just helping a neighbour take out the garbage bins, or holding a door for someone... it all matters. Every little act of love helps heal our planet. I truly believe this.
What is your motto in life?
Choose Kindness. Let your dreams always be stronger than your fears.
To learn more about Kate Drummond please follow her via the following platforms:
https://dibsrescue.com/
https://defendhorsescanada.org/
https://www.sickkidsfoundation.com/
Twitter: @katedrummond_ (there's an underscore there at the end)
Instagram: @kate_drummond
Facebook: snoopiproject
Photos by Helen Tansey.