Pursuing a career in acting or music is not an easy feat, for there are many talented people out there chasing that same dream. Former Benito resident Kris Josephson, whose artist name is Kris Anders, has not only been working in the music scene but is now doing some film work as well.
“I was performing as a singer and songwriter in the summer of 2020 at a charity fundraiser in Kelowna, B.C.,” said Anders. “After I was done with my set, I was approached by a talent agent with VA Entertainment. She enjoyed my set and invited me to apply to be part of her agency. I ended up joining her team and shortly after that, I was booked for my first movie. It was a Hallmark wedding film called Planning on Forever, and my role was to play a guitar player in the wedding band. It was quite the experience for my first movie.
“I also decided to try to work more in film. The next one was in February of this year, as a continuity background actor in a Lifetime thriller called Secret Life of my Other Wife. My role was to play a ranch hand with a shady criminal past and I was on set for three days of shooting for this role. After that, the roles kept coming in.
“I played a patron in a restaurant for a movie called A Christmas Less Traveled that was filmed in Peachland, B.C.,” said Anders. “Then I played a pedestrian in a true crime movie called The Girl Locked Upstairs: the Tanya Kach Story. I was also in a movie called The Last Thing She Said, and I was initially booked to just be a patron in a restaurant, however, once on set, I was asked if I could play the chef in the restaurant. My next movie was a Hallmark Christmas movie called Christmas, Love and Fudge, where I played an artisan in a Christmas market.”
This summer Anders had the opportunity to star in another movie in a background role capacity alongside an actress he grew up watching on television.
“In the summer of 2024, I was booked to play several background roles in a movie starring Heather Locklear filmed in Kelowna, B.C.,” said Anders. “It’s a true crime movie called Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: the Ruby Franke Story. There was some controversy over the movie being filmed as the real-life characters had only recently been sentenced to prison. All of which I had no idea of until I showed up on set.
“I ended up in three different scenes as first a pedestrian on the boardwalk, then again as a conference attendee in line for a book signing that erupts into a chaotic scene. Casting called me back for a second day of shooting, where I played one of the men in the support group led by Heather Locklear’s character.
“The director placed me in a chair next to Heather, so I was onscreen for this scene. It was pretty cool to make my on-scene debut next to an actress that I had grown up seeing on TV shows in the 80’s and 90’s. Heather was really nice and friendly while on set, and I managed to chat with her a bit in between takes.”
Being a background actor isn’t as glamorous as one might think. There is a lot of uncertainty, so flexibility in one’s schedule is key to making it work.
“Some of the challenges to this work would be the scheduling,” said Anders. “We are often given really short notice on bookings and even once booked, we rarely know the set location or the times we are supposed to be there until late the night before. You have to be flexible as well. They may decide you’re a better fit for a different role once you arrive.
“We are often responsible for our wardrobe too, so I’ve learned to bring a bunch of different looks to change into if something changes. Background actors are traditionally at the bottom of the pecking order on a working set. Expect long days, often in challenging weather. I’ve had to wear a huge ugly Christmas sweater for a movie that was shooting in August in the Okanagan heat.”
Being in the film industry allows Anders to tap into another creative side. It also gives him the opportunity to network with other aspiring musicians, and has presented more opportunities.
“I love the creative side of it,” said Anders. “Things change rapidly on set, and I like that you never know what you may end up doing that day. I find that now, when I watch movies at home, I am often thinking about how that particular shot was filmed, what the director was aiming for, and how long it may have taken to get that particular shot completed.
“I also get to meet a lot of other folks who are aspiring actors, models, or other musicians like myself who happen to have some downtime in their music career. I’ve ended up working on some side projects with at least two other musicians this way, not to mention being given a reference to other potential opportunities.”
Anders has another movie coming up and is working on getting more into the casting world. He still will perform and write music, with this just being another complementary talent he can indulge in.
“I recently was in another true crime movie called the Regina Smith Story about a serial killer in Dallas, TX,” said Anders. “I play a bad guy and I’m onscreen getting booked into the police station by an officer.
I’m pursuing my Actor’s Union membership and need just a few more days on set to qualify for that. I’ve also had my name added to a Casting Network that seeks out actors for commercials as well as films.
“My main passion is still writing, recording and performing music, so that will always remain at the forefront of my creative work. However, I’ve learned to be open to opportunities that arise and at this point, acting seems to be heading in a positive direction for me. The main networks that film here in the Okanagan are Hallmark and Lifetime channels, so if you happen to be watching any movies, you might see a familiar face in the background.”
Anders accredits all of his different life and learning skills to being extremely beneficial when it comes to being in film. Having a variety of skill sets can lead to opportunities in background acting.
“For anyone with experience in music, skating, ability to ride horses, martial arts, or with firearm experience, these are all valuable skills to have for film work if any of your readers get a chance to audition for background acting, be sure to mention the above,” said Anders.