Actress Kerry Frances has been a storyteller and entertainer since a young age. Her upcoming role in Netflix’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery! , the latest installment of the popular Knives Out series, is just one of the many recent projects she’s been involved with. Her love for the film industry has also led her to writing, directing, producing, and starring in her very own short film MAMA MAMA. Beyond acting, her love for dogs shines bright through her involvement in several different dog-related initiatives, including Dogs Without Borders. To learn more about Kerry Frances and her part in Netflix’s upcoming film Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery!, read on.

Where are you based?
Hi! Thanks so much for having me! I'm based in LA and NJ, and I love both so much.

What inspired you to pursue a career in acting?
I've known I'm an actor and singer all my life — I was truly born to do this. I never really chose it; it was always who I am, being a storyteller and entertainer. I wrote my first song before I could even write (my mom had to!), and I would put on plays with the kids in my neighborhood — my first role was at age two as the Blue Fairy in a makeshift basement production of Sleeping Beauty. Once I realized other kids were on TV, I became relentless, pitching to go to LA for pilot season. I once watched an E! True Hollywood Story about child actors every single day of summer vacation. I was obsessed with this industry then and still am. I love acting and am so grateful to get to do it at this level and for a living.

Congratulations on your part in Netflix’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery! Can you tell us a bit about what we can expect to see from your character?
Thank you! Tammy is a really fun part of this movie and has an important job to do. While I can't give away too much, I'll say the reaction I'm getting is exactly what I was hoping for, and it seems my part is memorable for everyone who has seen it. Keep an eye out for her love of granola bars in a couple of scenes. She's very different from my role in the first Knives Out, Sally, and I loved playing each of them. Working with this writer/director and team over and over is one of the great gifts of my life, and I feel so lucky to walk onto sets or show up to premieres where they're all there with big smiles and hugs to greet me. Living out my dreams and getting to work with my friends is an even bigger dream come true than I ever knew I had.

What is your favorite memory from working on set for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery?
My favorite memory is my first day on set when I had just flown from LA to London. I wasn't shooting that day — just saying hi to everyone, doing another fitting, and observing. Glenn Close started chatting with me, and she is so fascinating, friendly, and inviting. I didn't want to take up her time, so I kept thinking maybe we were done talking, and then she'd tap me on the shoulder and ask another question. What a gift to not only watch her work but get to know her. She also had her dog, Pip, with her, and I'm a huge dog lover, so that was really fun. Filming on the Warner Brothers lot for the first time was also incredible.

What is the most challenging part about acting for you?
The challenging part is between roles! I love acting so much and want to be working all the time. It's hard to wait between things, but I always trust the next role is coming, and eventually there will be no breaks and I'll probably find myself longing for one. It's sometimes challenging to explain to loved ones that I might be hard to reach for a while. I really love to focus on the scripts, the work, and the role, and sometimes that means not being distracted or on my phone as much as when I'm not filming. Also, rest is so important, so sometimes with filming hours and time changes, it's hard to be in touch. Luckily, they mostly understand, and I have gracious people who love me.

Your first short film—self-written, directed, produced, and starring you — titled Mama Mama will show at the Animalis Fabula Film Festival later this month. What can we expect, and what inspired it?
Yes! MAMA MAMA is my first ever short and was inspired by the loss of my dog, Henry Bear. I started thinking about what would have happened and how others would have responded if I had lost a human son, and how women are treated differently when they're mothers and wives as opposed to not. I wound up writing the short in about 30 minutes. It premiered at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts in August, has played NY and NJ, and heads to TX next. It’s about a dissociated mother who sees her toddler where everyone else sees a dog, and it can be watched via the link in my Instagram bio @kerryfrancesofficial.

You are also a singer-songwriter and have a new single featured in US & Ourselves. What inspired you to start making music?
I've been writing music my entire life. I hear songs in my head that don't exist and scramble to sing them into my phone as fast as possible. I always felt a little weird about that until I heard my friend, prolific songwriter Sam Hollander, speak at an event for the first time, and everything he said suddenly made me feel completely normal and aligned with this gift I have. Releasing more music is a major goal for me and something I'm figuring out the finances for.

You led a fundraising initiative for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS while on the Fiddler on the Roof tour in Canada. What inspired you, and what was the outcome?
While on tour, there had been a major weather event that caused catastrophic damage in another part of the world, and it was on the news everywhere. This was when we did not have catastrophic weather events consistently, so it was devastating to see. All Equity productions, on Broadway or tour, fundraise for BC/EFA every year. Since this disaster had just happened, I brought the idea to my company manager, who helped make it happen in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross. When I hesitate to speak up any time, I remember that bold and brazen version of me who didn’t even think twice. That effort wound up raising over $55,000, and I'm so glad I shared my idea.

Dogs are incredibly important to you, and you’ve volunteered for several initiatives involving them, including Dogs Without Borders. Can you tell us about DWB and your work with them?
I've volunteered, adopted, fostered, and fundraised for many dog rescues all over the country. For DWB, I spent time volunteering and quickly found myself with a foster dog, Lady, who I later adopted and renamed Layla June. While she was only with me a short time, she impacted both me and Henry greatly. DWB is a great organization that rescues dogs in need out of the LA shelter system and takes in dogs who are dumped by owners or part of hoarding cases, and so on. I'd highly recommend adopting or fostering with them to anyone in the LA area, but there are great rescues and shelters full of dogs in need everywhere. Spending time walking or hanging out with dogs waiting for their families is life-changing for both the dogs and the volunteers.

You are planning a dog film festival in partnership with a Los Angeles rescue. What can we expect, and what inspired it?
I am! We're hoping to launch next year, ideally in the spring. I'm hoping to partner with different rescues around the country and bring it to various cities. My hope, in addition to shining a light on animal-based films, is to raise money for rescues and shelters and to get more pets adopted. Many people don't know how to adopt or foster or where to start, or how many “desirable” breeds, puppies, and kittens are in their local shelters. I'm hoping this will help educate people so more animals get families. There’s a major animal crisis in our country and around the world, and often people have no idea it exists or what to do. Movies and TV have a sneaky way of getting people to pay attention — that’s what I'm hoping for here.

How do you decide what films to show at a dog film festival? Any you’re excited for people to see?
So far we only have three films, one of which is mine, and I'm very excited about all three! I'm hoping to put out a call for submissions soon. The films will need to be shorts and feature a dog as a main character or storyline.

You also volunteered with the Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, and People magazine teams for fire relief in 2025. Can you tell us more about your involvement?
Yes! I'm lucky to know some really wonderful journalists, and one from EW shared an Instagram story about joining them to volunteer, and I wrote them right away. We created hygiene kits for displaced families, and it was a really great thing to be part of.

Why is volunteering and dedicating your time to helping others so important to you?
I feel exceptionally blessed to do what I love and to have the life and career that I do. That privilege isn't lost on me. To be so lucky means it is required to give back, to help others live a blessed life, too. I think a lot of it came from what was modeled to me as a child. My mom is the most giving, generous person you will ever meet, and within my family it's normal to go above and beyond for others, especially loved ones. Everywhere we went as kids, everyone knew my grandma and my mom (this still happens today). Service was also instilled in me through going to church and Catholic high school, so it's become part of my person.

What advice do you have for young girls looking to pursue a career in the entertainment industry?
Stay true to yourself and pursue it for the right reasons. You have to love what you do so much and can't be in it just because you want to be famous or have a lot of followers. Study the craft—whether it's acting, writing, or directing—study and learn everything you can. Get on sets as soon as possible and meet everyone you can, because this is a relationship industry. Do not let anyone take advantage of you in any way, and speak up as soon as it happens. Be a good, interesting, fun, whole person who people want to know and who they want on their sets. Find people who believe in you and understand your innate worth and gifts.

Are there any upcoming projects you’re working on that we should be on the lookout for?
I'm currently in meetings for my feature films and pilots—both my original scripts and books I've optioned. I'm looking forward to selling projects, so keep an ear out! I'm also looking forward to getting back on set again very soon and am hoping to be on Broadway in the next few years after taking a break from musical theatre.

It has been a crazy few years, and we expect at least four more. How have you stayed positive?
I'm a naturally positive person who believes the best thing can happen at any moment. I try not to watch the news or anything negative. I'm careful about who I spend time with or the energy I'm around. I'm a sensitive artist empath and will absorb it if I'm not careful. I take really good care of my physical and mental health by doing Lagree, walking, having a therapist and somatic therapist, and visualizing and meditating. I've had my own hard times, but I think it's dangerous to fall into negativity spirals—for both yourself and those around you. I lean on my faith a lot and encourage people to find what they believe in. Wake Up Dead Man touches a lot on faith, and I'm interested to see how it calls out faith from others.

What is your motto in life?
I have a few, but the lyrics to “Move On” by Sondheim are one. The famous Muppet lyrics—“Life's like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending. We've done just what we set out to do. Thanks to the lovers, the dreamers, and you”—are another. But mostly my motto is “thank you thank you thank you” on repeat. I'm so grateful to the people who believe in me, who work with me on repeat, who champion me, and who love me. Starting everything with “thank you” is a powerful way to live.

To learn more about Kerry Frances, please check out the links below:
www.kerryfrances.com
Instagram: @kerryfrancesofficial
TikTok: @kerryfrancesofficial
Dogs Without Borders
Pup Culture Dog Rescue
Shih Tzus & Furbaby Rescue
Pet Finder

Kerry Frances: Acting & Impact