Kayt Roth never sits still. This talented Vancouver actress, director, and writer who says she wants to be Betty White when she grows up has a spot in Jordan Peele’s new “The Twilight Zone.” Nerd Alert News snagged a few moments with Kayt to hear about her experience on the set, as well as the cool projects that she has in the works.
Colleen Bement: Jordan Peele’s new “The Twilight Zone” premiered last week and you have a role in the first episode, ‘The Comedian.’ What are you allowed to share about your experience?
Kayt Roth: It was a great experience – the first time I’ve worked on a large network show, in a gorgeous set filled with dozens of background performers, actors, and crew. After seeing it there and then the final product on screen, it’s fascinating to watch it all come together.
CB: I see that you’re an actress, writer, and director. You’ve got quite a resume going! Two questions:
1.) Which is more challenging? Acting, writing, or directing?
KR: Each has its own unique challenges. As an actor, you concentrate on meeting the director’s vision as closely as you can. As a director, your focus is on bringing everyone together to create something engaging and encouraging your actors and crew to bring their best to the project. And as a writer, you and you alone are responsible for getting what’s in your head down on paper, hopefully in a coherent manner that makes readers want to turn pages. Do all of them at once, and it’s a lot like all like juggling while balancing a unicycle on a high wire!
2.) When you were a kid, did you dream of being a writer? I know I did!
KR: Writing actually didn’t come to me until high school – I’d truly believed that I was going to be an astronaut for the longest time. But when I knew I couldn’t qualify (at the time, there was no such thing as vision correction), a career in the arts is what called to me – first as an actor, and then as a writer. And once I started writing, I never let go. Before the advent of smartphones, I was famous for writing on whatever scraps of paper I could find – envelopes, backs of receipts, etc.
CB: Tell my readers about your novel Letters to Helen. What inspired you to write it and can we look forward to more books?
KR: Letters to Helen is the story of Mattie and Helen, two young women who are best friends and who write to each other when they’re separated. After they fall out, it follows Mattie as she moves on with her life, trying to decide what she wants and who she loves. A lot of it came from real events that actually happened in my 20s, and it started as me writing them down simply so that I wouldn’t forget them. And as I read through them, I realized that they made a good story, and it was just a matter of finding a way to piece it all together.
KR: I’ve got a couple of different manuscripts on the go, and fingers crossed, I’m hoping to finish at least one within the next year.
CB: What’s up next for you? Movie? TV? Writing?
KR: I’m currently directing a play called “Sealed for Freshness,” which opens on April 18th in Surrey. After that, I move on to directing “The Melville Boys,” and then another play in the fall (which I can’t announce yet). I also completed a small role on the feature film Spontaneous, and am working on scripts for a couple of short films. Then we’ll see what else happens!