Katheryn Winnick now stars in the History Channel critically acclaimed show Vikings in the iconic role of Lagertha, but it took 14 years to find the right role to really embrace and represent Katheryn’s unique strength as a double black belt holder in Tae Kwon Do and Karate. Katheryn started her journey into acting by getting fired off of her first set by being too enthralled in the realism of the major action on set and instinctively starting to yell in the scene as a background artist. Her mother picked her up from set and Katheryn defiantly held her head high and told her Mom, “One day I’m going to be a lead actress and they won’t be able to fire me.” Katheryn is not only a lead actress, she is critically acclaimed and is on the short list for every major studio. Katheryn’s business savvy skills as a young child made her the proud owner of three Tae Kwon Studios by the age of 21. When she started to pursue acting in New York in her early 20s she avoided having the torturous struggling artists syndrome because she had a thriving lucrative empire back in Toronto.
After being chosen to be on the first season of “The It Factor” Katheryn landed an influential theatrical agent and started making creatively bold choices in the audition room that garnered attention from casting directors on both coasts. The self-taught, introspective woman studied her own feelings and gave herself her own assessment of each audition by keeping an audition journal. This journal allowed her to see and identify her strengths and weaknesses in the audition room. This journal allowed her to be more free with herself and the feelings she had in the audition that ultimately illuminated a courageous, thoughtfully crafted career that many seek to have.
Katheryn Winnick can be seen in the 5th season of History’s show Vikings, in The Dark Tower opposite Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba and in Call of Duty WWII video game.
Resources
- Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/that-one-audition-tv-film-performing-arts-education/id1262208420
- Katheryn Winnick on IMDb: https://pro-labs.imdb
.com/name/nm0935395/?ref_=sch_ int - Website: http://katherynwinnick.com
- Vikings Season 5 Trailer: https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=Ts_8uk1ddJI - The Dark Tower Trailer: https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=GjwfqXTebIY
QUOTES:
“No one is going to give anything to you. You’ve got to work hard for yourself.” CLICK TO TWEET
“Your dreams are only as big as your vision, so why not shoot for being the best version of yourself.” CLICK TO TWEET
“Tae Kwon Do taught me discipline, developed my mental focus, and along with my upbringing, provided me with a strong work ethic.”
“I don’t need to get the feedback, I don’t need to get the job. I just need to know if my two minutes was worth it for me. So I started journaling as a way of letting go.”