Meet Cody Kearsley
Cody Kearsley is an actor and filmmaker based in Vancouver, most known for his roles as Moose Mason on the CW series, Riverdale, and as Turbo Pokaski in Netflix’s series, Daybreak.
A passionate thespian, he is the co-founder and creative director of Vagrant Players Theatre Society, a professional theatre company that promotes local arts through gripping, contemporary theatre shows, with a heavy focus on Canadian playwrights.
More recently he has taken on larger roles within filmmaking, as executive director of Seventh Wolf Creative, a Canadian production company which is set to produce three independent projects in 2023. The first project called Breathe, is a short film written, directed and produced by Cody. Set to premiere in the 2023 film festival cycle, the film explores drug addiction through a visually compelling and choreographed performance.
Through his busy schedule, we sat down with Cody to find out how his adventurous side has helped him throughout his professional journey, and how a fun-seeking mindset is so important in keeping up his creativity.
Q: You mentioned that you believe exploring your adventurous side is important – tell us about that.
A: As an actor it’s important to keep the “play” alive. It’s something that we lose in adulthood. As kids we run around imagining we’re fighting bad guys or we create scenarios with our toys, and we lose this sense of play, which is important as an artist. So being adventurous in adulthood, trying new things that scare us, and just playing, keeps that inner child alive and allows our artistry to thrive.
Q: How important is this adventurous, fun-seeking mindset for what you do?
A: It’s incredibly important for acting because we’re asked to do all kinds of ridiculous things depending on the type of show or film. In Daybreak, a show I did a few years ago, I was running around in an apocalypse with a group of jocks fighting zombies. I need to keep my imagination and exploration alive so when these things come along, I’m able to put myself in different scenarios and have fun doing it.
Q: What’s your best tip for when you struggle to maintain this way of thinking?
A: I think what helps me get out of a creative rut is trying something new that may be scary or challenging at first. Generally putting myself in unknown territory usually sparks inspiration.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of that you were able to achieve because of your adventurous nature?
A: Moving to Los Angeles when I was 18 was a huge, adventurous leap of faith for me. Coming from a town of 3000 people it was daunting, but it was the best thing I could’ve done, and it put me on my life path.
Q: Tell us what’s coming up for you this year and what we should be on the lookout for.
A: This year I’m moving into producing so I have a few TV series I’m helping develop, as well as producing a few independent films. I also directed my first short film, Breathe, which will hit film festivals this year, so stay tuned!
Check out Cody’s day in the life video of his fun-seeking mindset.