NYWIFT Blog

By Linden Standish

Welcome to NYWIFT, Kate Dolan!

Kate Dolan is a New York City-based actress with a passion for storytelling. Her commitment to authenticity and restless pursuit of refining her craft is a reflection of her energetic dedication. 

Kate is interested in playing characters that both challenge her and resonate deeply with audiences. Having been booked for her first feature film, she is already emulating the actors that have inspired her since childhood. 

Her experience interning at NYWIFT and Prospect Musicals have given her an advantage as a young actress, providing her with a behind-the-curtain perspective on many aspects of the entertainment industry.

In our interview, Kate discusses her experiences, inspirations, and goals.

NYWIFT Member Kate Dolan

Welcome to NYWIFT! Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself?

Hello! I’m Kate, an actress based in New York City! I’m originally from Philadelphia (go birds!), and moved to the city in May for two internships: one at NYWIFT and one at Prospect Musicals. Since the summer, I’ve been acting & auditioning throughout the city, refining my craft at The Barrow Group, and creating my podcast Amateur Hour with Kate R Dolan. I love this city and I love my job!

Why did you choose to intern at NYWIFT, and what did you take away from the experience?

I chose to intern at NYWIFT because I wanted to better understand the business of the film and TV industry. I primarily have a background in theater, and I wanted to grow my understanding of the field I want to be a part of as well as learn from professionals already flourishing.

NYWIFT gave me the opportunity to meet and work with established artists, one of which ended up casting me for my first professional acting job. Being an intern at NYWIFT taught me so much about the intricacies of our industry and has helped me grow into a young artist entering it.

What originally drew you to a career in the film industry? Was there a specific moment in your life that set you on this path?

I always loved movies, TV, and theater as a kid. Often after I’d seen some kind of performance, I’d leave wanting to be whoever the actor was in the production. Then I realized, maybe I just want to be the actor, so now that’s what I am – an actor! I feel so at peace when I’m acting, even when I was just starting and wasn’t very good at it, and now that I have years of experience and training, my love for acting has only grown.

Is there anyone whose creative trajectory inspires you?

SO MANY! Rachel Sennott, Ayo Ebdibiri, Meryl Streep, Janelle James, Nathan Fielder, Andrew Scott, Quinta Brunson, and so so many more. Actors and creatives that are unapologetically themselves and bring that into their art throughout their career is a quality I too hope to emulate as I move forward.

Are there any projects that you’re currently working on, or hope to work on in the future?

I recently booked my first feature film, a horror movie shooting this spring! In the future, I would love to be cast in a project set in New York City (my favorite city in the world) in a character that represents girlhood and womanhood in a way that resonates with my community and others. Also, I would love to play someone incredibly unlikeable because it requires a lot of an actor, and it’s a challenge I would love to take on. 

What do you think makes film a special medium?

Film has the ability to capture and emulate the human experience in a raw, honest, and vulnerable way. As an actor, it asks me to be human in whatever way that feels authentic in the context of the story. The littlest things can make a monstrous impact in film, which is one of the reasons it’s sacred to me.

Connect with Kate Dolan on Instagram at @katerdolan, and check out her podcast, Amateur Hour with Kate R Dolan

(All photos courtesy of Kate Dolan)