Why Underrepresented Stories Matter - Shari Rigby & Kristen Grace Gonzalez

In this episode of Called As Creatives, Actress Kristen Grace Gonzalez reveals how storytelling transcends entertainment to become a powerful ministry tool. From overcoming personal struggles with faith and identity to portraying complex characters like Rose in A Lady in Defiance, Kristin's journey in Hollywood is deeply rooted in purpose, courage, and grace. Her upbringing in a missionary family shaped her worldview and craft, turning her career into an act of obedience rather than ambition. Kristin navigates roles that challenge her convictions, relying on spiritual discernment to stay true to her purpose. Her transformative experiences, including moving to New York at 19 and studying at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, highlight her journey as a Latina woman in Hollywood’s often stereotypical landscape. She emphasizes authentic representation, the power of diversity in storytelling, and her vision for influencing culture through faith-based projects.

Kristin shares that true success isn’t about fame or fortune but aligning with God’s calling. Her work with the Kendrick Brothers’ ministry-focused projects and her voice acting debut in A Lady in Defiance offer practical advice for believers pursuing their passions while staying true to their convictions. This episode is perfect for spiritual creatives, aspiring actors, and anyone interested in the intersection of faith and film. Kristin’s story is a testament to the idea that when you walk in obedience, your work becomes a ministry — a legacy rooted in purpose and grace.

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Kristen Graces's Instagram - @iamkristengrace

Song: “Blessing in Disguise” 
Performed by: Carlie Conner
Written by: Carlie Conner, Maggie Youngs
Produced by: Nick Lewkowski

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

This podcast is a celebration of women who are shaping culture, influencing the world, and boldly stepping into the entertainment industry to create God-honoring content across all media platforms. I'm your host, Sherry Reapy. Grab your coffee, settle in, and join me for an inspiring ride. Today's guest is a woman who embodies quiet strength, unwavering faith, and a bold obedience in an industry that constantly demands more. I just keep thinking about that she is called, she is courageous, and she is covered by grace, literally. Actress Kristen Grace Gonzalez began her journey in Lakeland, Florida. She stepped out in faith to train in New York City and now continues to build a powerful presence in the world of faith-based film and television from Atlanta, Georgia. From Saved by Grace to Divine Influencer, from Sugar Creek Amish Mysteries to Miracle on the Precipice. There we go, precipice. I got my word cut off here. And now stepping into the world of audio telling with a lady in defiance, Kristen is not just building a resume. She's building a legacy rooted in purpose. But what I love most about Kristen is she is not simply who she is and when she plays her roles, but it's really the heart that she carries behind them. And today she's here to share that journey with us. Kristen Grace, welcome to the Women in Way World.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Oh, thank you so much. Oh my gosh, that introduction was so sweet.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

I, well, first of all, I love everything about you and everything I said. It really was, I was thinking about it as we were getting ready to do this interview, just who you are. And every time I encounter you, what I feel like when you and I are in the same room together. And so, really, you know, just courageous and full of grace. And and I love that your name is Kristen Grace because it just fits you so perfectly. So I wanted to just kind of jump right in and start to talk about who you are in this industry, but I want to go back a little bit. So you grew up in a missionary family, which I think is absolutely fascinating. So tell us a little bit about your backstory and then how you found yourself working in film and television and what type of faith journey has shaped these stories that you tell today because of your past.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

So my uh my parents were missionaries. They met, well, they were in a program called WYWAM. So they kind of met in passing one time. They kept in touch by writing letters for each other because they were always just both in different parts of the world. When they started having kids, they took a step back and then just, you know, started working normal jobs. So by the time I was around, like they were no longer missionaries, but I definitely grew up in a very strong Christian household. And so just hearing these stories all the time and just seeing the example that my parents set out before me just really set my foundation of who I am as a person. I always knew that I wanted to be an actress ever since I was a little girl. It's just kind of one of those things where it just, when you know, you know. And I just, I just knew I had always wanted to be an actress. I always like I knew I wanted to be an actress, but at the time I didn't know that it was possible to be an actress and in the faith-based industry because I there wasn't much of a faith-based industry when I was growing up as a kid. And so it was just kind of like something that I knew that I wanted, but I didn't know how to put into words. And so it's been so incredible that as I've been on this journey of pursuing this dream, I've got to work in these incredible faith-based industries and these projects. And it's like that's the dream, like what I wanted as a kid, and I just never knew that it was possible. And so just getting to live out those things, it's like that's more than anything I could have ever hoped or wished for.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Yeah. I love it. With your parents being missionaries, do you think that that was something that really did just kind of propel you to tell these faith stories? Do you feel like it gave you a deeper well to pull from as an actress and as a person so that every character you go into, because you and I all talk uh in a few minutes about a project you and I were on last year where you got to work in that in that type of a situation for a nonprofit. Do you feel like some of those those times in that missionary situation inspired or has encouraged the characters that you develop today?

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Yeah, I I would say so. I think some of the stories that they've they've shared with me, it's like, you know, there's people out there that, you know, go through things that are what we can't even understand. And especially for my dad, he used to do a lot of ministry in third world countries and he's seen parts, literally corners of the world that I think us living here in America, we probably couldn't really fathom. And so I think it just brings a sense of depth and reality. You can kind of look at the Christian lifestyle and it can seem a little bit perfect and polished, and it's like, oh, well, I have God and like that's all I need. It just seems very, it can seem very plastic and very superficial, but then it's like underneath there's just so much raw and pain and grit that people go through all the time. And I think just hearing and understanding those stories, it definitely does bring a sense of awareness that it's like it's not just here on the surface level. There's so much that lives underneath. And staying true to those stories and trying your best to kind of carry that and present that. I think, yeah, it definitely just adds a lot of depth that I think it's important for people to see and to understand.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Yeah, no, I love that. I love that. I I think that there's so much, everything I believe, as a creative, uh especially when we're talking about, you know, creating stories, we get to pull from our past, or at least I hope we do, because I think that's what really gives us a well of um information to build off of. You know, I I was thinking about all the roles that you've played, and I was thinking about just the talent that you have and and and really truly when you walk into a room, just that grace. But was there a specific moment for you, whether it was New York or Atlanta, when you felt like God was, you know, wasn't allowing you to act, but actually calling you into as a creative into the media ministry field? Because there is a real conversation to be had, especially I think with people who are believers when they get called into this space and place, that it's not just about being in front of the camera behind it, but I feel like we really feel that there is a mission field here. We're telling stories that hopefully, you know, change culture and impact lives. And yeah, that is such a huge deal. Do you feel like there was a moment for you? And and then what does it look like for you to be called into that? Do you feel like you're part of a ministry?

SPEAKER_01 6:51

Yeah, that's really good. There is, there was a moment for me, and kind of like what I was saying before, it's like I grew up in a very strong Christian household. Going to church on Sundays was not a question. It's like you're going, like no matter how you feel, like we're going to church. I moved to New York City at 19 years old by myself at such a young age. I think it was such an eye-opener for me in so many ways. It's like, who am I as a person? What is my faith outside of what my parents believe in? It was just a huge kind of awakening for myself, not throughout my entire time in New York, but I think, especially towards the end, because I was there for eight years. It's a very long time. I kind of lost myself and I kind of just like fell into a lifestyle that is very far from anything that's like of the faith. Yeah, I just completely lost myself. I knew what I was doing was wrong, and I just didn't know how to stop and like how to get out of it. I think it was when I moved to Atlanta, you know, just carrying all of the baggage and the guilt and the shame with me because I just didn't know what else to do with it. And and it's like I all I always knew, like, yeah, run to the Father, surrender it, uh, you know, all those things. But it's like I I just felt like I I need to carry this because of what I did was so bad that like it'd be too easy just to be like, oh, take it, God. Thank you so much. It's like I felt like I needed to just, I just did not feel like a good person, is what I'm trying to say. So yeah, there's a time when I was when I was living in Atlanta and I was completely alone. I'm living in a solo little studio apartment. I don't really know anyone here in Atlanta, and I was just completely alone and isolated. And it was there that I felt like for the first time in my life that I truly, truly met God for the first time. And and it's like, yeah, like I was a Christian my whole life. There were times where I felt like I was really close with the Lord, but it was in this time when I was by myself where me having no one, I was like, I have to fall on my knees and just surrender to God because I just I had nothing. I had nothing. I was completely empty, it was completely broken. And it was just so incredible that God met me where I was. He just completely released all of the shame and all of the guilt from me. And he just completely met me where I was. Yeah, it just I I I just never felt so connected in my life. And it's just, it's just so beautiful too, because it's like by human standards, I should have been canceled. But, you know, the Lord saw like past my sin and my shame and my filth and my guilt. And he was like, I chose you and you're my daughter, and I called you. And so it was just it was just such a a beautiful time in my life. And I think after that kind of experience, it just kind of put a new perspective on for me. And I was like, okay, like I I know who I am now, and I nothing else matters. Like all of the worldly things that I was chasing and pursuing, it's like it doesn't matter. And I think that's that whole experience kind of rebirthed me in a way and just kind of shaped for like what I want as an actress, what I want my career to look like, and the things that I say yes and no to, I think that just kind of set a new like foundation for me. Um and it's it's been that way ever since.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

I love it. I love it because uh, you know, what you're saying is that, you know, God calls us into these places and spaces, and we really do have to lean on him for all of it. And I I as I was listening to you, what I keep thinking is um, I find it really interesting too that he called you to a show called Saved by Grace. Yeah. Um, and when I think about, and I tell people this all the time, I said, you know, when we are believers walking in this industry in entertainment and media, it is crazy to me to have conversations with so many men and women, and obviously probably more women than men, but where all of a sudden God calls them in to tell some type of story and it reflects their life in some way. And what you see is really the heart of ministry in it. And it really is this opening up to go, you know, it's like God says, like, do you want, do you trust me to go deeper and bigger and wider with you? And use because when I say I'm gonna use it all together for my good, you know, that's what he's getting ready to do. But tell us a little bit about the projects that you've been on because, and let's start with um Saved by Grace, which was probably kind of your maybe a launching moment for you, which was a series on Pure Flix. So talk about the that project, your character, maybe a little bit of the backstory, and then some of the projects that came after that.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

Yeah. Well, getting to do that project was honestly a miracle in itself. During that time, it was I had just moved to Atlanta, just got a car, just got my apartment. I think I auditioned for that project a month prior. And then I ended up getting into a car wreck, and my car was completely totaled. I was like, I don't know what to do. I'm freaking out, I'm panicking. Because it's it's one thing to not have a car in New York City, but in Atlanta, you can't do anything without a car. And then my agent calls me and she's like, Hey, like you just booked this show called Save by Grace. It's filming in Arkansas. And I was like, I just don't know if I'm in the right place for that right now. Like, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my car. And so I basically I find the project, like I turned it down. Um, because I just I just felt so overwhelmed and I just I didn't know what to do. I just kind of like froze and I panicked. I told my agent no. And then, like an hour later, she calls me again and she's like, Hey, like I know you turned this down, but they're really interested in you. They really want you. Are you sure? Is there anything you can do? Somehow, by the grace of God, we find a place that can take in my car like later that week. So I was like, Oh my god, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. So then I call my agent. I'm like, okay, good news. Like, they can take my car um in on Thursday, and then I should be good to go. And she was like, Oh, well, they need to fly you out by Wednesday. And I was like, Okay, then that doesn't work for me. So then I turned on the project again. So now this is like the second or the third time that I've said no to this project, which is insane because it's like you would assume that they would just move on. Like, I'm sure they have a list of actresses and they're like, okay, this one's not available. Next, okay, who's the next person? And then um, my agent calls me like another like 30 minutes later, and she's like, Okay, this is the situation. The director has offered to pay for a tow truck to come get your car. Um, if that's the case, do you want to take this project? And I was like, I don't think I have any more no's to give you. Like I've said no like two or three times. I don't, I don't think no's an option. So I was like, okay, yes, like let's let's go for this. Doing that project is kind of what domino affected my career so far here in Atlanta. Like doing that one project has opened so many doors and it's connected me to so many different people. And it's, I don't know what I would have done if I didn't end up doing that project. My character in that in that project, I it felt like it was so fitting for kind of what I was walking through during that time, anyways. Um, because my character, she was like an exotic dancer. She was working in the strip club, she just kind of felt stuck in a lifestyle that she couldn't get out of. It's about basically these angels that they kind of appear in different people's lives and they kind of help them walk through whatever situation. And it's a very sweet, very beautiful, heartfelt show. And so what my episode was about was that I was this young underage girl working in a dance club. You know, these angels come and they appear in my life, and it was literally the story that I was sharing with you earlier. I was like, I don't deserve to be saved. I'm already too far gone, like, don't even bother. But then in the end, like they do help me come out of it, and then I'm I'm a working in a in a in a normal job. And yeah, so it was it was just so cool. Like it just felt like that was the story that I I needed to tell. Because it just kind of felt similar to not that I was a dancer, but uh, it was just kind of similar to like what I was going through. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. So it was just so it just felt so like it was just meant to be it felt like for me to get to do that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

I love it. And I love the show. Um, two of my favorite people, uh Jennifer Taylor is one of the angels and also Cameron Arnett.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Cameron, yes.

SPEAKER_00 15:41

And I really, I mean, I think it was such a special show. And it was one of the ones I was really rooting for for Pure Flicks because I thought it had such merit. It had such great stories, and I felt like there was a lot happening in it where we were really starting to look at from a faith perspective that we were going to start tackling, you know, redemption and restoration. And, you know, what is it that makes people have a moment where they have to choose? I just thought it was really fantastic. So I hope that anybody who's watching or listening will will take some time to find Saved by Grace and watch it because it's just a fabulous series. After that, you've gone on to do Did Divine Influencer with me, which you played Mia and you did it so brilliantly. Then you you've been on multiple other projects. But before I go into any further of the projects, I think just thinking about ministry, thinking about the stories that you're telling. One of the questions I always am really fascinated with, and I feel like it's so important to ask everybody that is part of this conversation is how do you define success? And what does that look like for you in your life?

SPEAKER_01 16:49

That answer for me has kind of changed throughout the years. There was a version of myself that would define success as like, oh, like being in the top Netflix show and being famous and being, you know, financially free. And not and then not that any of those things are bad things, but it's like God's not in the equation. So at the nut at the end of the day, it's like none of those things truly matter. And so I think for me now, a more grounded, um, mature version of myself, I would say true success would just be fully just walking in alignment with the Lord. I think if you are completely grounded and connected with him, you can't go wrong. Like when you're aligned with the Lord, there's true peace and true joy and true freedom. And he's not gonna lead you astray. He's gonna lead you exactly where you're supposed to go. He's gonna open all the doors that are meant for you. And I don't think you can't go wrong when you're with him. And I think that alone is success. When you're with him and you're connected with him and you're living for him, it's like there's nothing more that you could ask for. Because at the end of the day, it's like, yeah, sure, you could be like the most famous person in the world, but it's like it, it just doesn't matter. There's gonna be the next person that comes before you or after you, and people are gonna forget who you are. So it's like chasing the things that turn to dust at the end of the day. It's it just doesn't matter. And so I've found when I'm completely grounded and connected with the Lord, it doesn't matter like where I am in life. It doesn't matter how many things I booked or how many things I'm not booking. It's like I just feel a complete sense of peace and joy. And I just I don't think there's anything more that you could strive for in this life.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

That's so good. Thinking about that, I want to go back a little bit because what you're talking about is that really leaning into the Lord and stepping out in faith. I want to go back to the 19-year-old Kristen Grace for a minute. And I want to talk a little bit about being in New York New York City and making that transition to go there. And I want you to talk a little bit about you got there, and then what was it like for you as far as how did you study your craft? Where did you find yourself? You know, was it theater or Broadway or you know, what kind of classes were you taking? What did you feel like as you were entering this world of entertainment and media, and especially in New York, when we're talking about such a high level of competition? So, what did you study? How did you navigate that? And if you had, if somebody was sitting across from you right now and they were trying to make the choice to go to New York City to study, what what would you share with them?

SPEAKER_01 19:28

Oh my gosh, yes. So I went to um a school called the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. And it's an all-intensive film and television program. Oh my gosh. I I loved going to that school. I think that is what truly made me an actor or an actress. And I I just think training is so important for anyone that wants to step into this field. And I don't think you necessarily like need to go to a big fancy school in New York, but I just think training in general is so incredibly important. But yeah, so basically it's I we learned everything. Um, the first year was kind of the platform year. So we studied a lot more theater and just kind of the groundwork of like what it means to be an actor. And we studied Meisner and we studied like Suzuki and Viewpoints, and um, it was just the most in-depth training. It was oh my gosh, it was just so immersive. And then the second year was more geared towards like what's it like to be on camera. So we took like an audition class, and there was like um just learning the different positions of being on the crew and just in the entire program was just so incredible. And I I'm so glad that I got to do that because I think before going to that school, I um, because I started off by doing a lot of theater, like community theater, church theater, school theater, and I felt like I was already, I was like good at what I was doing. And so not that I was like cocky, but I was like, I'm good. Like I know what I'm doing, I'm talented, I know. Um, but then going to that school, it just completely like wrecking ball style, like destroyed any concept that I thought acting was. And then it built me brick by brick into like a foundation of like true acting and just yeah, it was so incredible. And I I would love to do that experience all over again if I could. Um, but yeah, I think it just truly, truly made me the actress that I am today, and even just the person that I am today too. I discovered who I was as a person just because I grew up in a very, very small town in Florida. I'm Hispanic, I'm Cuban, and I'm Mexican. And the town that I grew up in, there just was not a lot of culture. I just had always felt like second class, like I always Felt like that I truly didn't belong, or that, you know, I was just kind of ashamed of how I looked and that I just didn't I didn't look like everyone else. And so I think moving to New York City, it just is a melting pot of all kinds of people and all kinds of cultures. And I learned to be proud of who I was. You know, that growing up, there was a time where I was ashamed to tell people that I was Mexican. And so I just didn't. People would be like, Oh, what are you? And I would just say, like, oh, I'm I'm Cuban, but I wouldn't, I I hid a whole half of who I am just because there was a lot of just kind of, I guess, hatred in my where I grew up against specifically just the Mexican culture. And so I I was ashamed and I I just I hid that part of my identity. So yeah, moving to New York City, I I learned to be proud of who I am and where I come from and the blood that runs in my veins.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

Wow. Well, and I think you're right. I mean, as artists, you know, so many times people forget like this really is a craft and we study it. If there was anything else that you were being called into and you felt like, man, I want to be a lawyer, I want to be a doctor, I want to be a school teacher, whatever that looks like, you would go through a pretty hefty training process. Yes. And that's what you would go in with your credentials. And you would also go through a lot of times internship, you would go through, you know, different types of work experiences. And I think that a lot of times in our industry, people forget about that. They think it's, you know, they forget that we're putting together a toolbox and it's not just headshots and demo reel. It's actually experiencing what it means to go in and learn how to break down a script, how to learn how to be in front of a camera, to learn how to engage with another talent across from you. And there's a lot of, there's a lot of things that we need to learn. It's not just, you know, how do we be gracious to the person that's standing opposite of us because we're working with them, not against them, you know? And so there's so many things that really are important. And I love that you were there. And I think that it also, most likely from not only your experience in New York, but then the education part of it that you had really has set you up for success in a way that, you know, our industry a lot of times even calls us into stepping into complex or morally gray spaces. You know, there's there's a lot in our culture that we're facing today. So I want to ask you a little bit about that because you've you're set up for success. Now you're you're walking in your your faith. You've taken a lot from your past history. You've also been, you know, you've gone through the education process, you've gone from being, you know, on these movie sets. But how do you process roles or scenes that might stretch that conviction for you a little bit? Hey friends, if you're enjoying today's episode, we'd love your support. Hit like, subscribe, comment, and share this video, which helps us grow the channel that directly supports the women in my world and our mission to develop, educate, and launch Christian women in the entertainment and media industry. Every action you take truly makes a difference in our ministry. And now we'd like to share a brief video about the heart and mission behind the women in my world. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey with us. Hi, I'm Sherry Rigby, the founder of the Women in My World. Our goal is simple but powerful. We focus on developing, educating, and launching Christian women in entertainment and media. Our aim is to train up emerging talent, empower them to craft impactful, God-honoring content across various platforms, and contribute to positive global change through leadership roles. We invest in women by providing opportunities to learn essential skills in their desired field. Through hands-on education and on-the-job training, we build a community of like-minded women who shepherd others to grow and flourish in their careers. The Women in My World has helped support and launch women into key positions, such as producers, script supervisors, production and costume designers, directors, makeup and hair artists, and so many more. These women have gone on to expand their resumes and their relationships, which have provided opportunities to work on major network television shows and feature films. Due to the small percentage of Christian women in decision-making roles and entertainment, believers must invest in their training, mentoring, and discipleship. These women can then become a voice to change in the negative narratives influencing our culture and shed light on topics we desperately need to tackle from a biblical worldview. The women in my world is honored to help support women and their careers in entertainment and media as they bring redemptive stories to life and uplift, encourage, and influence the world for Christ. And how do you take from your past and also the education process and bring that into making these decisions about do I take the role, do I not take the role? And if I am stretched a little bit, how do I conquer this from a side that makes me feel still healthy and well and I can walk away from it feeling like this was the right take for me?

SPEAKER_01 27:19

Yeah, yeah, that's good. I think having the Holy Spirit is it helps a lot with having discernment for which roles you should or should not take. I've definitely, yeah, I've definitely had auditions come across my desk where I'm like, I can't do this. Like I just I can't do it. And you know, and it's like if I if I do a project where I'm like, I don't want to show anyone, I don't want to show my parents, I don't want to you show anyone in my you know community, then it's like, what's the point? Like, why would you even want to do it in the first place? And then it just feels wrong too. Like it just feels because I've I've definitely like I've definitely had auditions come across my desk where I'm like, I really shouldn't do this. And then I just audition for it anyways, just because I'm like, oh, well, who cares? Like, I'm probably never gonna hear back. And then you do hear back, and then you're just like, oh, okay, now I'm in trouble. Like, what do I do? Um, so then it's just like I've just kind of learned, like, just just decline it. Trusting the Lord too, because we can get so caught up in status. Like, if it's a certain director or a certain casting director or a certain project, you're like, I I have to, like, I need to make a good impression. But then it's like just trusting in the Lord that He's gonna bring you to the right doors and He's gonna bring the right projects to you and for you. And I've learned in the story that I shared like previously, where it's like, if he has something for you, it's going to be for you. And if it's not for you, it's not gonna happen. It's just not meant to be.

SPEAKER_00 28:45

It's so good. I wanna um, I love that you were talking about the Latina culture. And there's so many things right now, and especially in our culture of entertainment and media, because it is really probably, I would say maybe the last couple of years, we're really starting to see the diversity taking stage, right? So, and I you're young, I think you're still maybe right at the cusp of Gen Z. So you're right there, and and then you're Latina and you're, I mean, you know, you rattled off like, man, you've got you've got this great blood flowing through your veins. And talk to me a little bit about what does it look like for you today and how you want to influence the young women in your generation and below you, and also that you really do want to step into this place to be a powerful voice for the women that have come back with that background. You know, you said Cuban and Mexican. Talk a little bit about that and how you can influence that culture today.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

Yeah. Oh, I love that. That's a beautiful question. For me, and I I think I'm still growing into it, but I've often felt like an imposter to my own culture. Um, and I think that's just because I didn't grow up speaking Spanish. I don't have an accent and feel like I kind of fall into a weird crack. You know, like there've there have been times where I'm not Spanish enough, and then there's times where I'm too Spanish. And so then in the acting industry, in the years that I've been a part of it, I think I still kind of tend to fall into a weird crack where I just I don't know where to fit in specifically. Like, and back in the day when auditions were only ever in person before COVID, I would walk into an audition room. I'm auditioning for something that has nothing to do with being Spanish or speaking Spanish, but it's like they would see my name on my resume and they're like, Oh, like you're Latina, like can you speak Spanish? And I'm like, No, I I don't, but I'm learning it, or I don't speak it fluently, but I'm I'm actively like learning it. And it's like immediately audition is over. Like you can just feel like the vibe and the energy just kind of shift and they lose interest. And then to me, it was always so confusing because I'm like, I'm not auditioning for Telenueva, like I'm just auditioning for the same thing that this other girl that doesn't look like me is auditioning for. So it's like, why does it matter? So it's like, yeah, I've always I've always found myself to be in this kind of weird crack where it's like I'm Spanish, too much, but then not enough. Like, I would definitely love to see more space for us. And I like you said, it's it's it's been changing and it's changed a lot. And I think that's great, and I think it's beautiful, and I would love to see more of that. I saw um a statistic recently where you know there's 20% of the population is Hispanic, but only 5% is represented in the media, which is a very, very low number. And I think um, and again, it's changing and I love that, but I think the 5% that you see, I think when you do see a Latin person on TV, it's like they're kind of just a stereotype, they're kind of just a caricature. I would love to be an example or at least somewhat of a trailblazer, but I would just love to see more Latina, Latin people as the leading roles. And they don't necessarily have to be a Spanish character. They don't necessarily have to be like their culture being their whole entire identity. It's like they can just be Spanish and they can just be telling this moving story without basically waving a flag, being like, I'm Spanish, which I mean, again, I think there's time and a place for any for everything. I would love to see more Spanish content where it's like, you know, Spanish stories and, you know, but at the same time, it's like I would just I would love to see both of those things. I would love to see more Hispanic stories being told. And then at the same time, I would love to see more leading roles for Hispanic people just simply being Hispanic, just being the lead role without the whole story having to be rewritten to accommodate them, basically. So I think that's so good.

SPEAKER_00 32:53

I mean, I feel like there that's been happening. I mean, there's so many great shows, so many powerhouse and beautiful storytellers. And I think that there's I I can totally relate though, thinking back even about our grandparents, great-grandparents coming over, you know, that they were immigrating to this country. And my grandparents came through and they all of them spoke, you know, great-grandparents, I should say, spoke German and um a lot of Norwegians and stuff and different ones. And I'm actually a mix of like, I just found out recently I have Greek and North Italian in me as well. And so when you think about where they came from culturally, and they didn't have the the language, and but I remember also having, you know, great grandparents that worked really hard not to bring their language and a lot of even their culture in. I mean, a lot of times we still got the food culture, but we didn't get some of the other things, the legacy of story or the, you know, and I I I can absolutely feel that same with you. But I love seeing just that diversity that's been happening today. I think that's one thing that we worked really hard with in Beautifully Flawed Productions and The Women of My World. We are such a melting pot. And we've really worked hard to go, how can we round out these storytelling, you know, these stories that really bring all of these different voices together and make it feel so just fun and inclusive. And I just loved it. And so um, I want to talk a little bit about before we run out of time, because we could do this all day. I'm like we didn't look. Um recently you and I got to work on, well, we've worked on a couple great projects together. Actually, I think you and I are like three for three right now. And so I love it. I'm looking forward to the next one. Yes, really quick before we talk about um, because you did play a Latina woman in a lady in Defiance, but before we talk about her, let's talk really quick about the one project last year that you and I got to both work on, and it was very mission-based, ministry-based, and it was for our dear friends, the Kendrick Brothers. And I was it was such an honor. And I remember being asked to go down and teach at Faith Step Studios, and that they were getting ready to not only teach a session for new filmmakers and filmmakers that had been in the industry, but but then also that they were going to be doing and shooting a short film for a nonprofit. And I had a wonderful opportunity to work with Mark and several of the others as they were putting this cast and crew together. Tell us a little bit about that project and what that character was for you, and then where that project will go out and minister, because that's really ministering based, right?

SPEAKER_01 35:40

Yeah. I, oh my gosh, I think that might be my favorite project that I've ever done. It's crazy because it's like it's not, you know, it's not going to be released to the mass public. It's not meant for streaming, it's not meant for movies, it's meant to um kind of teach and equip these missionaries that are getting ready to go out into the world. Mark, the director, he was kind of sharing the heart and the passion behind the project. And he was saying, basically, we have a lot of passionate and inspired missionaries that they want to go out and they want to go to the ends of the earth and they want to, you know, they're they feel called and the passion in the heart is there. But he was saying that a lot of those people end up getting discouraged and they end up quitting because they just can't get along internally with their team or they just can't adapt to the lifestyles of wherever they are in the world. Um, and so basically the short film is basically about this young married couple, my character and her husband. They are sent out into the Middle East to do missionary work there. And it's just kind of showcases the culture class between our characters coming from America and then being sent out into the Middle East where it's a very different lifestyle. Women are treated very differently. And so it's, you know, like my character kind of comes in as like this trailblazer, and she's very like independent, and she's like, I have all these ideas, like we should do this, we need to do this, and this and this and this. And she's coming from a good place, but it's like she kind of clashes with the lead, this Middle Eastern man that's running the ministry over there. So there's kind of just like a culture class between us, and it's like we our characters have to learn how to work together, how to listen and respect each other. And it was just such a moving and powerful short film, and and it's so beautiful and it's so um so sweet and it it ends so beautifully. And I think it's I hope it helps a lot of people that are getting ready to experience real that real life situation. But to me, it it just felt like my favorite project that I've ever done, just because I don't know, it just being on set, it you could just feel the presence of the Lord so strongly every single day. And there was just something so sweet about the air almost. And and I just felt so much passion to be like, I want to tell this story correctly. And I I would really just be on my knees every morning before set, and I'm like, Lord, use me. Like, I want to tell this story and I want to honor this story. And there's a version of me that I would have loved to have followed in my parents' steps and to be a missionary as well. And of course, it's never too late. I can always um step into that. But it's like I I think it's so cool how my my roots come from this place, and then here I am getting to use my art and my passion and my dream to like, yeah, to be used for the missionaries. And so it was just such a cool, cool, beautiful project.

SPEAKER_00 38:51

Well, and that really does marry once again the mission part of what we do, right? Like I think it's so much about when once we kind of step into this role and we submit to what God has called us to. Yeah, those are the kind of stories that we get to tell. And they really do become life-changing, culture-changing, shifting for the people who get to experience it. And I think that that's something the Kendrick Brothers do so well. And I've been so honored to be mentored by them and and give an opportunity because they really do set the standard for a set, you know, experience. And then how are we gonna honor God every single day, first and foremost, uh onset, to start with prayer, start with devotion, and really, really work together in this this unity as a as a church body, you know? And we're gonna do it in a way that is very specific to storytelling that's gonna it's just so it's so wonderful. So I get it. They are they are incredible and the people that they always bring on to work. I want to talk before we go. There's a couple more things just to get to, but one, you also we were talking about the Latina character, and we Claire and I with Beautifully Flawed Productions and the Women of My World partnered on a project not long ago called A Lady in Defiance. And it is an incredible book that was written by Heather Blanton. We were so excited because what we did is we serialized this book, turned it into an episodic like television show, and it's Netflix for your ears, basically. And I remember when I was reading the book originally and I saw just this character Rose, and I was like, this is Kristen Grace. And I remember reaching out to you um about this series, and I'm so excited about it. And you got you got to hear the first mix and master of it. But tell us a little bit about your character. Tell us about the experience going from being an in front of the camera actor, because this was your first time behind the mic.

SPEAKER_01 40:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:48

Tell us a little bit about that experience and how it's it was different for you to experience this character and and how you brought her to life.

SPEAKER_01 40:57

Yes, yeah. I um yeah, it was definitely a different experience for sure. I think um I was really kind of nervous stepping into it on that first day. Yeah, just because it was, it was just so as it was such a foreign experience. But I think, you know, after the first like 10, 15 minutes, we're like, okay, like we can loosen up, we can start having fun, we don't have to be so self-conscious. And and I think there's something so freeing not having a camera on your face because you don't have to worry about like my lighting and oh, like this angle looks better on me, or um, you know, it's like you can just focus on like the heart and the intention of the character. And yeah, it just it just felt so freeing. And yes, Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose. I loved playing Rose. Um, she is definitely the antagonist of the series, but I I wanted to treat her with love and with kind of respect for where she comes from. I um I read the book as well, and I think that helped a lot just bringing her backstory to life because as you listen to the series, um, you just discover very, very quickly that Rose is not a good person. She can be very wicked and cruel and borderline evil, but it's like I didn't want to play her as the villain. I didn't want to play her as just kind of uh like a stereotypical, just you know, not a good person. I really wanted to dig in deep and figure out like what makes her tick, what makes her make the choices that she's making, what makes her say the things that she's saying. I, as I read the book, there were several times where I would just start crying as I just see her spiral more and more and more and just become more and more vicious. I, because I just felt so much compassion for her. And so that's I wanted to treat her with love. I wanted to give her a reason why. And basically, it's like she they're they're living in a godless town. This is the Wild West. And not only that, but to be a woman in this very brutal world, she is a survivor, and so it's like she will do and say, do whatever it takes to survive and to not be taken advantage of. And what I what I discovered in the book, and it's not necessarily in the audio series, but in the book, it's like, you know, she comes from this really crazy background where as a kid, her um bandits come onto her family's farm, they kill her parents, they take her and her younger brother as um hostages, and you know, she's she's stuck living with these people that, you know, destroyed her life. And it's like we can kind of imagine what may have happened to her as a young woman in this wild, brutal world. It's like we can imagine that things happened to her that were very traumatizing for a woman. She just comes from this place where it's like, oh, and and her and her brother were able to escape, and then you know, she. She makes a name for herself in this town of defiance. Um, and so she comes from this background of like, these things happen to me, but they're not gonna happen again, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to survive. And if you're gonna bite me, I'm gonna bite you harder. Um, and so I that's I just kind of wanted to give her, yeah, like the love and the compassion, and and not that the things that she does is right or valid at all, but it's like I just I wanted to give her that that reason why. And so I hope that I did her justice and I hope that I poured enough love into her that hopefully the audience can maybe have some compassion for her too and not just see her as the villain. But yeah, I it was it was fun, and it was it was also a little bit heartbreaking playing such a role, but I I hope I did her justice.

SPEAKER_00 44:44

Well, I think you know, first of all, you tackled her so beautifully, and I do think characters all in my mind they should all face um redemption and restoration in some way. I mean, there really is, and I think that's the art of storytelling, and I think you did an incredible job that way. I think for us, even when we were telling the story about Rose, we did want to see her from a different perspective. We wanted to see this young woman coming into this town as broken. You know, not only was she living in a town of defiance and all the wickedness that was going on around there, but she had been defiled herself, really, you know. And so and and so we really did try to build her and give her more of a backstory so that when we we want people to really feel the heart of a what would what it would have been like for a woman to come into that type of an atmosphere and be broken, and and then how do we navigate that character? But you did such a beautiful job, you did bring an accent to her, you really played her with um a lot of grace and authenticity, and I can't wait for people to hear you voice this character. She's a powerhouse, and I think she's one of the the all-time favorites that people love listening to. So that's that's awesome. So we have more of that coming up together and and more stuff to happen. But I know you've got projects that you're working on day in and day out. Tell us a little bit before as we're wrapping up, what are you working on now? How can people follow and support you? What can we look forward to seeing Kristen Grace in?

SPEAKER_01 46:14

Yes, yeah. Well, you can always follow me on Instagram. It's uh I am Kristen Grace. That's my main platform. I technically I'm on like TikTok and Facebook, but I don't really post very often. So yeah, uh, Instagram is the best way to find me. And then yeah, I do have a few projects coming out. I have a new TV series called Sugar Creek Amish Mysteries, and um that is coming out this April. Um, I believe it's going to be on Up TV, but um I'll announce more soon. Is the more that I find out, I'll announce. So yeah, I have that series coming out. I have a movie that I shot with Kevin Sorbo and Nathan Gamble. It's called A Miracle on the Precipice, and I believe that's coming out this year as well. Um, I think it's they're trying for a theatrical release. Wow. Um, so that would be really exciting. And then, yes, we have our um podcast series coming out, A Lady in Defiance. Um, I got a little sneak peek preview of the first episode, and it's stunning. It's just so gorgeous to listen to, and I'm so proud of that. So, yes, I'm I'm excited.

SPEAKER_00 47:21

I love it, I love it. Well, you have so many things ahead of you, and I'm so excited to watch your career grow and you grow, and we didn't even get to talk about you were married recently, and I know I'd be like, we could talk forever. I know we can talk forever. So, but what I want to say is thank you so much, Kristen Grace, for being a woman in my world. And I and I really am excited to watch you grow and continue this journey because you are gonna be pouring into so many women in your world who will ultimately make a difference. So thank you for putting your fingerprint all over everything that we do and really continuing to walk in that courage and and that grace. And it's just unwavering. I love watching you walk into a room and the beauty that you carry. So thank you so much for being part of my world and the women in my world community, and I'll look forward to seeing you again soon.

SPEAKER_01 48:10

Yes, thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me on the show. And yeah, I I look up to you so much, and it's an honor to be in your world and to be in your community. So thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_00 48:21

Thank you. All right, everyone. Thank you for joining us again for another episode of The Women in My World. I know that you will be incredibly inspired by this conversation. So make sure to follow, subscribe, and share. You never know who you can share this episode with, that it will speak directly to their heart, encourage them, and really empower them to continue to forge forward in being called as a creative. So thank you for joining us again today on the Women of My World. Lesson in disguise.