We’re looking forward to introducing you to Kevin Edwards. Check out our conversation below.
Kevin, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I’m definitely walking a path. Before I found filmmaking at 30, I wasn’t sure what I was doing or where I was going. That feeling of aimlessness felt awful. I found filmmaking, by complete chance, and I’ve never felt better. I’ve thought about filmmaking, in some regard, every day for the last 13 years and it hasn’t felt draining or tedious. The path has had a lot of bumps in the road, but it’s brought me the success; the friends; and the fulfillment that I have today.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Kevin Edwards, director of the Always Late TV Movie Awards and a filmmaker. Always Late TV is a colorful and creative production company that puts a lot of focus on people. I spend a lot of time finding what makes talent unique and shaping the project around that quality. When you narrow in on what someone naturally brings to the table, the work becomes sharper and the performance becomes stronger.
I have been a filmmaker for thirteen years. Before that I worked in professional wrestling as a manager, writer, and producer. In 2012 I tried doing a radio project with a friend and I hated it, so I walked away from that and put everything into filmmaking. I failed a lot in the beginning. My goal became simple. Fail less each year. Learn something. Stay humble.
What matters most to me now is giving talent the kind of support I never had. When I was coming up in wrestling no one wanted to help me. I had to learn everything on my own. I practiced promos in my car. I talked trash to the bathroom mirror because I had no one teaching me how to improve. It was rough, and it stuck with me. I do not want the people I work with to feel that same isolation. I back them however I can so they know they are not doing this alone.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world tried to turn me into something predictable, I was just a nerdy kid who lived in his head. I liked creating things. I liked imagining whole worlds when everyone else seemed content with the same routine. The world kept telling me I needed to get married, have 2.5 kids, buy a house with a white picket fence, and grind away at a job I hated until retirement. I almost drifted into that life. I really did. But I rejected it and I have never felt better. Stevie Nicks said it best. Go your own way.
I was socially awkward. Still am. My brain never stops trying to build ideas and stories. Boring people loved to tell me to “get a real job”, the same line every artist hears at some point. Making ends meet matters, sure, but letting people bully you out of what you love is the worst thing you can do. I refused to let that happen to me. And I am glad I did.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d say, “It’s okay to be weird.” Younger Kevin cared a lot about what people thought of him and that made him miserable. It made me hate who I was and I cried a lot about it. I hate thinking about it to this day. I can’t change who I am though. It’s easy to tell someone, “Don’t let people make you feel bad”, but you’re going to. You’re human. Your emotions aren’t operated by a switch. You can’t flip them on and off. I don’t mean to sound preachy. I just hated how much grief I went through as a kid because of how people made fun of me. I’m not going to say “I’m glad I got bullied because it made me who I am today.” No. I obviously wish I wasn’t bullied. Bullies aren’t some necessary evil the world needs to make great people. They’re useless.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Being present. I like being there for people and not expecting anything in return. That’s a quality my dad taught me. He’s done a lot of great things for people in his life and he never expected anything from them. “It’s good to do good things for people,” he said and I 100% agree. I want to be the kind of person my friends can turn to and not expect me to hold it over their heads. If you do something good for someone, and then later, you say “Remember when I did X?”, you’re not a good friend. Helping a friend out is the only thing I need to get out of that.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’m not sure. That’s tough to say. If I knew how much time I had left, I’m not sure if that would force some kind of mental change within me or not. I’d probably still be the same guy I am today. I’d probably spend a lot more time with the people I care about, but I can’t say I’d stop doing something because of that news.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alwayslatetv.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/alwayslatetv
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alwayslatetv
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@altvfilms
Image Credits
awards show & red carpet photos are from Tiff Banks
the purplish backstage photo & in-studio posing shots are from Keith Brake
