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Get ready to fall in love with Kinley Moody, the versatile talented teen actress from north Texas who has proven her range in both live-action and animated roles, as well as in commercials and voiceover work for top brands.
In a small suburban town north of Dallas, a talented teenage actress and voiceover artist named Kinley Moody is gaining popularity in the entertainment world. At just 13 years old, Kinley has already racked up an impressive list of accomplishments, including an award-winning performance in a short film while lending her voice to commercials and animated films. This bright and ambitious young star is proving that her Texas-sized talent knows no bounds!
Kinley grew up with a loving family that includes two older sisters and a furry best friend, Abby the dog. When she’s not busy with her acting and modeling career, Kinley can be found playing club volleyball. She also loves spending time with friends and family, making her a down-to-earth and relatable role model for young people everywhere.
Kinley’s journey in the spotlight began at an incredibly young age. She started modeling at just two years old, and by four she had made her acting debut. Her natural talent and dedication quickly earned her recognition in the industry, and she has since gone on to land numerous roles in various forms of media.
As a voiceover artist, Kinley has lent her voice to several animated films and commercials. Her impressive range and versatility have allowed her to take on a wide range of characters, from sweet and innocent to sassy and confident. Her voiceover work and/or performance in local and national commercials has earned her overwhelming praise and special recognition from such companies as Nike, DSW Shoes, Lego and ESPN Radio.
As mentioned, Kinley’s success is not limited to just her voiceover work. She has also appeared in several feature films that showcase her impressive acting skills and ability to bring characters to life on screen. With her passion for storytelling and her natural talent, it’s clear that this Texas teen is destined for great things in the world of entertainment.
Modeling at 18 Months
“I began modeling at 18 months old and then that kind of led to commercial work around age three or four,” says Kinley. “I did a lot of work for Toys R Us commercials when I was four. That was pretty cool because I got paid to play with their new toys. I got my first TV series audition for Better Call Saul at age three and was pinned for it, but they ended up casting someone else. I did shorts, features, commercials and modeling from then until now and then I started getting voiceover auditions out of nowhere around the age of six. Voiceover bookings have kept me pretty busy over the last few years.”
Unique Auditions
The most unique voiceover auditions came in the way of animated films. “I booked an anime dubbing project last year called The First Slam Dunk. It was released to theaters in July and should come out for streaming this summer. I worked on an animated project last spring called Bedtime Defenderz. This is a 12-episode series on YouTube right now and hopefully will go to streaming in the near future. In that project, I voiced both the lead boy and girl, Ace and Ava. That’s pretty cool to watch and see the variation I had to use to sound both like a girl and boy (especially since some of their scenes are together).
“Another animation project was a university short film that is on its way to film festivals. Other voiceover work I’ve done is dubbing for feature films (not animated), radio, commercials, narration, podcasts, videos, etc. My most recent voiceover commercial was a Nike ad for DSW Shoes and a worldwide Legos campaign, as well as a spot on ESPN Radio.”
Acting Bug
Kinley is also a passionate actor. “The last commercial I did was Save the Children last spring; I went to Austin for that, and I worked with a great cast and crew (and met new friends). My latest film project was last May called Psychopomp. It’s a SAG feature film and is currently in post production. It was filmed here in Dallas, and I got to work with some pretty well known stunt coordinators since I was doing a stunt. I have filmed a couple other features, along with several short films. My favorite short was Mom, at the age of seven, in which I played a lead part and made some long lasting friendships on set.
“In October 2022 I got to work with Johnny Knoxville on an ABC TV series called The Prank Panel. (Ed: Philip John Clapp, better known as Johnny Knoxville, is an American stunt performer, actor, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known as a co-creator and star of the MTV reality stunt show Jackass and its subsequent movies.) Johnny was such a cool and easy person to work with, and I got to actually prank an electrician and take my lines through an earpiece for the first time (I even said a couple bad words in the show but my mom said it was okay). That series is now on Hulu. I was in Season 1, Episode 8. You should check it out!”
Voiceover vs. Acting
Preparing for doing voiceover or acting on screen is similar. “The preparation is similar sometimes because it’s still scene study. Depending on the project, especially with voiceovers, sometimes there are other characters involved, so I need to understand the scene and also the other characters. But sometimes, like with a book narration or radio spot, it’s different because I might be the only one with lines or sometimes I have to deliver them in different ways and tones. Dubbing is very different because not only do I need to understand and connect with my character and others, I also need to watch the lip movement and timing of the original film. At times I have to deliver different volumes of voice as well.”
Life’s Balancing Act
“The most challenging part of my life is fitting everything in and being able to balance it all. I go to public school, so sometimes the schedule can be tricky, and I also play club volleyball and do extra curricular activities. When you add that to auditions, training, time on set, sometimes it takes juggling schedules to fit it all in.
“However, my mom helps me to make time for it all. If I miss school, which really isn’t often, we make sure to get my make up work. Volleyball tournaments are on the weekend, so that hasn’t really been affected, and I haven’t been away on any long-term projects yet. The good thing about voice overs is sometimes I can choose my own schedule for recording, and the directors on my voiceover projects have been really good about considering my school schedule. My mom helps me to prioritize everything and somehow we make it all work.”
A Memorable Moment
“I think the most memorable experience was working with Johnny Knoxville on The Prank Panel. He was amazing and fun to work with. A very interesting thing happened that day while filming: the first electrician that we pranked went very well, the guy had a good sense of humor. The second one though went sour because the electrician became very upset about the prank and called the police on Johnny (he was not aired on the show). The production got me off set pretty quickly since they may not have known what would happen next. It was surprising, kind of funny and something I’ll definitely remember. I was mentioned in the Deadline and a TMZ article because that electrician ended up suing Johnny Knoxville, but it ended up getting dropped.”
A Unique Obsession
“Something people may not know about me is that I absolutely love the movie Titanic and everything about it! I have researched so many facts and have visited some of the Titanic museums, which was really cool. I have watched the movie at least 20 times and have read books about it. I also love Leonardo Dicaprio!”
Expectations
Kinley has this advice for other kids seeking a career in acting: “Make sure to set aside time for family, friends and other things you enjoy. Keep being a kid and stay involved with anything you are interested in, whether it’s sports or hobbies or whatever it might be. Don’t get discouraged or take it personal when you don’t book. This is a huge industry with lots of great talent and sometimes it just isn’t a good fit, for whatever reason.”
Looking Toward the Future
“Of course, I’d love to work with Leonardo DiCaprio or Jennifer Aniston someday. They are both great actors, and I love their work. Several people have told me I could play and look like the child of either of those awesome actors. Fingers crossed!”
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Cover photo courtesy Kinley Moody
Bob Valleau is a regular entertainment writer for Texas Lifestyle Magazine
