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Mick Unplugged

Kim Roberts | From Theatre to Television: Kim Roberts' Path to Stardom

Fri, 13 Dec 2024

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Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of "Mick Unplugged." I’m your host, Mick Hunt. Today we have a super exciting guest joining us—Kim Roberts. For those of you who may not know, Kim has an incredible background rooted deeply in her Caribbean culture, which has shaped her journey in ways she’ll share with us today. From her university days, where she helped form strong communities, to her breakout role on the beloved show "Schitt's Creek," Kim's story is as inspiring as it is unique. We'll dive into her favorite roles, including her current passion project at the Stratford Festival, and get into the nitty-gritty of voice acting versus theatrical performance. Kim will also reflect on her experiences facing racial isolation growing up in Canada, and how she found her way into the world of acting, despite early aspirations to become a doctor or lawyer. Stick around as Kim talks about her personal interests, like cooking her favorite curry chicken, and her current and upcoming projects, including a special film debuting soon on Paramount Plus. To top it all off, we'll hear a heartwarming Thanksgiving anecdote and Kim's gratitude for the audience’s continuous support. And there might even be some light-hearted banter about her character’s pet Chick Aletta from "Paw Patrol." So, get ready to be inspired by Kim's perseverance and dedication to her craft, and maybe even pick up some tips on finding success and purpose. Let's jump right in! Takeaways: ·       Acting is like breathing; it's essential to me. ·       Mentorship is about sharing wisdom and opening doors. ·       Cultural identity shapes our experiences and perspectives. Sound Bites: ·       “Voice acting allows for creative freedom without physical constraints.” ·       “Emphasizes authenticity by connecting personal experiences with her characters.”  Connect and Discover LinkedIn:           linkedin.com/in/kim-roberts-4586508a Instagram:        Instagram.com/mskimroberts Facebook:         facebook.com/kimmyonline Threads:            @mskimroberts X:                        kimroberts1 Film:                   All The Lost Ones    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Transcription

0.209 - 17.972 Advertisement

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29.634 - 31.436 Mick Hunt

What is Kim Roberts because?

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31.957 - 44.67 Kim Roberts

Oh, golly. My because for being an actor is because it's just in me. You know, it's the kind of thing that when I have the opportunity to do the thing that I love to practice my craft, it's like breathing, right? It's a source of air that I can't get anywhere else.

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44.71 - 58.435 Mick Hunt

So for me, mentorship is wisdom. Right. Like it's not experience, it's wisdom. It's like, hey, you should do this because it's a lesson learned from me. Right. And I totally see you as being that mentor. And for you, it was probably a little bit harder starting out. Right.

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58.475 - 71.078 Kim Roberts

Because I mean, I won't say that I didn't have guidance and wisdom. I did. You know, there was a generation that came before me and they were, you know, knocking down those doors as well. So luckily, I had a couple of mentors who shared their experience with me.

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71.438 - 81.261 Mick Hunt

Acting. directing, being involved in the arts has been a thing since you were a kid, right? So when did you realize that that was something you actually wanted to do?

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81.501 - 90.184 Kim Roberts

I don't think I did, honestly. I mean, it was something I did because I loved it. I always joined the drama clubs. I always took part in the school plays, whatever was going, right? Because I loved doing it.

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95.253 - 105.061 Mick Hunt

Welcome to Mick Unplugged, where we ignite potential and fuel purpose. Get ready for raw insights, bold moves, and game-changing conversations. Buckle up, here's Mick.

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106.342 - 127.646 Mick Hunt

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Mick Unplugged. And our guest today is a repeat, one of my friends. We're talking about a dynamic, multifaceted, trailblazing, and inspirational actress who has graced the screens with unforgettable roles in movies and films and theater and you name it, she's done it.

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127.746 - 150.085 Mick Hunt

From voicing the beloved Mayor Goodway in Paw Patrol to delivering compelling roles in The Handmaid's Tale and Schitt's Creek. Get ready for an engaging conversation with the remarkable, the charismatic, the fearless, and the talented, Ms. Kim Roberts. Kim, how are you doing today, dear? I'm great after an introduction like that. I mean, I just show up here every day, Mick.

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150.618 - 170.691 Mick Hunt

I'll have you every day, too. So, Kim, glad to have you back on the show. One of my favorite people on earth is Kim Roberts. So just honored to have you here. And I know you've had a busy theater season and we were just talking offline and you were like, Mick, I'm ready for a break.

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172.209 - 176.551 Kim Roberts

Yeah. Everybody's like, what's next? I'm like, club bed. Club bed is next. Club bed for like a month.

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176.731 - 195.061 Mick Hunt

Club bed. I love it. I love it. So Kim, again, for those that don't know your story and your journey, I always like to start with your because. That thing that motivates you, that keeps you focused on the prize at hand. And if we were to talk about today, what is Kim Roberts' because?

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195.641 - 211.431 Kim Roberts

Oh, golly. There are a few. My because for being an actor is because it's just in me. You know, it's the kind of thing that when I have the opportunity to do the thing that I love to practice my craft, it's like breathing, right? It's a source of air that I can't get anywhere else. So that would be the because. But there are more becauses.

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211.471 - 229.284 Kim Roberts

It's also at this point in my career because I am laying track for those that are coming behind me. I feel like I've been doing that throughout my career. You know, there are doors that weren't open when I got into this business that now I see the next generation just flying through. They run in and they're like, yeah, we want this. We want that. I was just like, thank you.

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229.424 - 246.338 Kim Roberts

Thank you for letting me be here, you know, when it was my turn. So it's really nice to see the progression. It's nice to see that the work you do opens the doors for others to follow. Working on this, the play that I did this summer at Stratford, Get That Hope, I worked with two younger actors who are phenomenally gifted, Savian Roach and Celia Loma.

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246.798 - 263.272 Kim Roberts

And, you know, they came with such a level of respect for what Conrad Coates and I had already done in our careers. And they were just eager sponges. And I realized that I still have a lot to share. You know, there are things that I've learned throughout my career in terms of acting technique, in terms of the business itself, that really is valuable to the next generation.

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263.412 - 267.175 Kim Roberts

So there are many reasons to be doing this. And they're all really fulfilling.

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267.355 - 288.696 Mick Hunt

Yeah, and you know, Kim, I love the fact that you are a trailblazer, right? And I wholeheartedly believe in mentorship. And for me, mentorship is wisdom. Right. Like it's not experience, it's wisdom. It's like, hey, you should do this because it's a lesson learned from me. Right. And I totally see you as being that mentor. And for you, it was probably a little bit harder starting out. Right.

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288.736 - 309.607 Mick Hunt

Because you crossed over and did things that most people, I'm being honest, that look like us don't get to do like voice, film and theater. Like you are the OG. And I mean that lovingly. You are the OG of this. So how did Kim start her trailblazing career without the guidance, the wisdom that you're able to provide people today?

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309.727 - 318.394 Kim Roberts

Well, I mean, I won't say that I didn't have guidance and wisdom. I did. You know, there was a generation that came before me and they were, you know, knocking down those doors as well.

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318.594 - 318.714 Mick Hunt

Mm hmm.

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318.914 - 335.892 Kim Roberts

So luckily I had a couple of mentors who shared their experience with me. And also most of them were not of color, you know, because at that point in time, there weren't a lot of sisters doing what I'm doing. Right. So I had good teachers, you know, very good allies, people who really just believed in my talent and wanted to see me succeed.

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336.072 - 345.715 Kim Roberts

But also, like I said, it's always been a thing that I love to do. So, you know, I say this to anybody who's pursuing, you know, all the time, they're like, how do you make it as an actor? How do you keep up? I'm just like, if it's in you, it's in you.

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345.795 - 360.599 Kim Roberts

It's something you're going to have to let out, you know, so just do your work, be good at it, you know, always be working, always be training, whether you're being paid or not. You know, I remember when we started, our friends used to get together, actor friends, and we'd do our own scene study classes, you know, where we'd bring in

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361.039 - 384.449 Kim Roberts

scripts or pieces of work and we'd work with each other and then we'd critique each other as actors you know and um you just kind of got to find it wherever you can as a kid you know my cousins used to make us um not make us but my cousin used to direct us in his performances at summer so june you know school's out and be like here's a raising in the sun learn it we're doing it in september for the family that was my family right so um it was kind of like that

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386.167 - 396.69 Mick Hunt

So acting, directing, being involved in the arts has been a thing since you were a kid, right? So when did you realize that that was something you actually wanted to do?

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396.93 - 412.66 Kim Roberts

I don't think I did. Honestly, I think I really didn't. I mean, it was something I did because I loved it. I always joined the drama clubs. I always took part in the school plays, whatever was going right, because I loved doing it. But when I went to school, I, you know, I come from a West Indian Caribbean household, first generation Canadian.

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412.72 - 431.719 Kim Roberts

So, you know, as far as my mother was concerned, I had to be a lawyer or a doctor. Those are the options. And, you know, and when I was 12, I decided it would be doctor. And then I reached my mid teens. I was like, I don't like blood so much. So maybe we'll do lawyer. And so I went to university. I went to the University of Western Ontario, which is now just Western.

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431.939 - 450.533 Kim Roberts

And I majored in poli sci, politics, and I minored in philosophy, which I actually adored. Like if there was a career in philosophy, that would be another choice. And, you know, the thing about it was at that time, you know, in hindsight now, I can see some of the reasons why. But at that time, I just thought I was a bad kid because I didn't like to go to school. I wouldn't wake up in the morning.

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450.553 - 468.364 Kim Roberts

Yeah. You know, I kind of make my midday classes, maybe. I played a lot of backgammon with my roommates till like 4 a.m. and then was too tired for class. But, you know, it's interesting, a group of us who were kids of color at Western, now, you know, many years later, kind of formed an association called BAWA, which is Black at Western, to help out students with bursaries and support.

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468.524 - 487.194 Kim Roberts

And in talking to each other, I realized that I wasn't alone. We were all feeling really isolated by being just like, you know, one group. kid of color in your whole class, right? Like there may be three to four hundred black kids on campus out of many thousands. And you talk about that first year experience, frosh week and all that bonding.

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487.515 - 503.93 Kim Roberts

But I didn't really get invited to a lot of those things. Right. And what happened is you had the Caribbean Students Organization, which formed its own kind of nucleus. And we'd have parties and events and cook and It became a family. We became a family to this day. They're still my family. You know, I'm auntie to everybody's kids and vice versa. And it's strong and it's beautiful.

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503.95 - 519.221 Kim Roberts

But in talking to each other, we realized how isolated each of us felt in our experience there. So what happened is I needed extra credits because I was skipping a lot of classes. I took a theater course when I came back to Toronto at York University. And it would have given me an English credit. So that's why I took it. And I love theater.

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519.581 - 534.672 Kim Roberts

But it was taught by the chair of the theater department, Ron Singer. And he did it as a labor of love every summer. And at the end of the course, you get an evaluation. And he sat me down. He said, I think you could really do this for a living. Would you like to come to York and be a part of our second year stream of theater students?

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534.692 - 551.784 Kim Roberts

And I mean, that was a huge honor that I didn't even comprehend. You know, in first year, they led in 1,500 theater students and second year goes down to 200. And so he was just like giving me a fast pass. I was like, Thank you so much. But I've got a great schedule next year. I've got no classes before 10, no classes after three. Friday's off. So I think I'm going to go back.

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552.024 - 568.974 Kim Roberts

You know, I got a really good apartment. So I just like my life that was happening in London. So I went back again, didn't go to classes very much. I had a great year of life with my roommates. And then at the end of that year, I decided to come to York, asked him if I could come now. He's like, I'm gone. I'm on sabbatical. You know, I'll pass you over to the next administration.

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569.314 - 589.001 Kim Roberts

And they were like, we don't know you. But, you know, based on his... We can put you in at first year. You'll probably be really bored. But if you'd like to come. So I did, you know, just to not be killed by my mom. And again, didn't go to class very much, but got some valuable experience. They threw me out on side jobs that people would call the university looking for students for.

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589.281 - 605.066 Kim Roberts

And then two years later, somebody I had been in that class with, Diane Roberts, was stage managing a show for a professional theater company. And she called and she said, I'd like you to come audition for this. And I said, well, no, I'm finishing my degree. I finally like, you know, I got three, three, three months left to finish this degree. I'm just going to do it.

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605.466 - 623.133 Kim Roberts

And she said, why don't you do it for the experience? And it was with the Company of Sirens and Audrey Zina Mandiela was directing and they had canceled the auditions, but she was there just in case I showed up because they couldn't get me. And I showed up and her daughter was with her and her daughter climbed in my lap, started playing with my hair and she was kind of astounded.

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623.814 - 636.464 Kim Roberts

And she was like, as we talked, she says, well, why don't you just do your piece? And so I did the piece. She said, can you sing? And I said, yeah. And I sang. She said, can you start Wednesday? And that's how my career started. I thank Jujube Mandela for climbing in my lap.

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637.961 - 638.722 Mick Hunt

A couple of things.

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639.062 - 656.797 Advertisement

Over the holidays, while enjoying time with your families, take a moment to discover the benefits of AARP staying sharp. Explore articles on staying healthy and active. Try recipes that are rich in brain-boosting nutrients. Relax and recharge with meditation videos. And unwind with fun games and puzzles.

0
💬 0

656.997 - 668.02 Advertisement

Visit staying sharp.org for more information and content about brain health challenges, brain friendly recipes, activities, and articles about general health and wellness.

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668.961 - 680.024 Mick Hunt

One for the kids listening. Kim says she didn't go to class all the time, right? Like still go to class. Two, what was Diane's last name?

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680.344 - 682.205 Kim Roberts

Diane Roberts. Same as mine. No relation.

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682.988 - 691.73 Mick Hunt

Yeah, there was a little nepotism going on. That's all I'm saying. No, there's no relation. There was a little nepotism in how you got that role. But it's okay. It's okay.

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692.251 - 693.371 Kim Roberts

No relation, I promise.

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695.071 - 711.778 Mick Hunt

So that's how it started. And you've portrayed a wide array of characters across different genres. Yeah. How do you approach... bringing authenticity to such diverse roles. How do you bring Kim into your roles?

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711.938 - 729.586 Kim Roberts

Well, there are various schools of acting, right? There's the Meiser technique. There's, you know, I can't even remember half of them, but everybody, there are all these techniques out there. I personally have always been the kind of actor who's just very much You know, the character grows from me, right? So it's like some people want to put on a character and build certain things.

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729.686 - 744.436 Kim Roberts

For me, the truth comes from what parts of me relate to this character? Where can I see myself or people I know reflected in this character? And I believe in truth, right? You have to really start from a place of truth. Something that I find very amusing is people always say, well, how do I know you're not acting right now?

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744.496 - 767.935 Kim Roberts

You know, how do I know you're, I'm like, if I was A, you're not paying me, but B, you know, really. It's my job. But B, it's like to be an actor, you really have to embrace the truth. You have to embrace the truth in yourself, the truth in humanity. You have to see it. You have to observe it. You have to understand it because that way you can play it without judgment.

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767.955 - 786.891 Kim Roberts

Whether you're playing a good guy, a bad guy, whatever kind of character you're playing, you have to understand the truth of that person. what they believe, what they feel, what motivates them, why they think they're right. And so, yeah, so, I mean, that's kind of the work of an actor. And so I look for those things within myself. I look for what parts of me resonate with that character.

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786.911 - 804.306 Kim Roberts

And if I personally don't have much experience, I look for who in my life might, you know, can I reflect upon that is like that person? Or, you know, who can I associate with that character that gives me an in, gives me some understanding to how that person thinks? Yeah. You know, you just come from a place of truth and it just kind of grows.

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804.626 - 823.611 Mick Hunt

And when we were on last time, I told you how my nieces and nephews. Right. When I told them that, hey, I'm interviewing Mayor Goodway from Paw Patrol. It was going to be amazing. And I promise you it was. And they still don't believe me. They still don't believe me. They're like, that doesn't sound like Mary Goodall. I'm like, just trust me, it is. Oh, well, tell them. Chickaletta's in the purse.

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823.651 - 840.443 Mick Hunt

She's right over there. Exactly. So how do you prepare for voice acting compared to like on screen or live with theater? Because it's got to be a little different, right? Like you don't get the energy from the person you're working with and all that. So how do you do that?

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840.563 - 860.826 Kim Roberts

Well, it's kind of its own thing, right? Because you're in the studio. It's you in a booth with producers and a director on the other side of that glass, right? They're just telling you what it is they want. But you get to go crazy. You get to be very free in the booth and create, you know, that character. So in terms of like Mayor Goodway, for instance, I'll go in. I've got the script.

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860.867 - 880.411 Kim Roberts

I've read the script. I know what's going on. But I'm really just reciting Mayor Goodway's lines. Nobody's really reciting lines against me. Sometimes the director will feed you back and forth. But I get to just have fun, you know, and paint the words with my voice. And there's a real freedom in voice work because you're not really tied to anything but expressing what's on the page.

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880.431 - 894.815 Kim Roberts

You know, you don't have to worry about how you look. It's not about makeup or hair or wardrobe. It's not about hitting your mark and being here under this light at the right spot, right? You know, it's just about freeing yourself up and delving into that character. So it's a lot of fun, actually.

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894.835 - 921.307 Mick Hunt

Yeah. So a very smart and talented human being, and I won't say his name out loud, because he'll yell at me. But he told me, Mick, the best entertainers in the world are theatric actors because you've got to be funny. So you got to be a comedian. You've got to be able to sing and you've got to be able to draw the interest and energy from the audience that's there.

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921.427 - 937.438 Mick Hunt

And you're doing the same thing sometimes multiple times a day, and you've got to bring the same energy. Sometimes you change it up based on what didn't work before and your cast mates have to be able to go with you and you have to be able to go with your cast mates. What does Kim think about that statement?

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937.698 - 956.395 Kim Roberts

I think there's a lot of truth to it. The one thing that I think I would add to it is that when you're performing in theater, when you're on stage performing before a live audience, there's an element to that that is so exceptionally beautiful that charges an actor, and that's the audience. When you're in the studio doing voice work, it's you, right? Just you.

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956.755 - 974.519 Kim Roberts

When you're on set, it's you and the crew and the fellow actors and the director, but you don't have that feedback. When you're on stage, you hear them, you feel them, you see them. They're right in front of you. So they actually do become a part of the work. They inform the work. You know, different audiences, you know, our director would say this all summer long.

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974.539 - 994.625 Kim Roberts

He's like, you know, you run the show. We charge the show. We're setting the pace. So you don't let them slow you down or speed you up. You do your show. But at the same time, the reactions you're getting totally inform how you feel. There were shows that were so meaningful because the audience was so with us. You'd hear every gasp. You'd feel them crying. You'd hear them laughing.

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995.066 - 1011.291 Kim Roberts

And some audiences, they couldn't even get through. The show took twice as long because they'd laugh at so many things. They'd get everything. And when you've got that kind of exchange, it's so exhilarating. It's exhilarating. It's like you're really in tandem doing this thing. You know that you're providing an experience and that people are with you and they're

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1011.411 - 1033.439 Kim Roberts

feeling it and it's a it's a really wonderful feeling it's it's quite exceptional actually and so it just yeah i think it makes the performances fly it makes you even more ever present and grounded and in the moment because something very live is happening something that can't be repeated ever again you know today's show is today's show and so yeah and every show is like that right and there'll be some shows where you're like is there anybody out there

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1033.819 - 1049.492 Kim Roberts

You know, it's very quiet. But, you know, that's when you draw your resources and you really have to bring it. You have to actually step it up a little bit to make sure that you stay on and that you still give them the experience. And then you'll find out that they were just as moved. It's just it's a different kind of response that you get.

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1061.923 - 1062.043 Mick Hunt

Yeah.

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1062.523 - 1064.964 Mick Hunt

Canada is not the Caribbean, right?

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1065.544 - 1066.625 Kim Roberts

Not even on a best date.

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1066.645 - 1091.316 Mick Hunt

So talk to me about culture for Kim growing up. Like you've got parents that obviously aren't from Canada, right? But Kim is in Canada. And for people that don't understand, like, I don't want to say displacement because it's not displacement, but when you've got culture in one place, but home in another place, it can be a little confusing for a child.

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1091.356 - 1099.865 Mick Hunt

So I'd love for you to talk through, like, what was that like for you growing up and then establishing your own culture within a culture?

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1100.185 - 1121.558 Kim Roberts

So many things. You know, interestingly enough, I didn't know you could swim in Canada until I was a teenager. Because I didn't know. We would go, you know, summer, we'd go back to the Caribbean. We'd go to Jamaica on a summer vacation. Or we'd go to Dominica, where my mother's from. And we'd swim in the ocean, you know. And when we were here, my mother didn't do beaches in North America.

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1121.578 - 1141.145 Kim Roberts

So I did not even realize. I think it might have been a trip to New York where we visited family and friends. Then we went, you know, they took us to the coast. And I swam in the Atlantic Ocean. I was like, what? You guys have an ocean? And they're like, you have an ocean too. It's on the coast. I was like, okay. You know, so there's that. I grew up in a very Italian working class neighborhood.

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1141.365 - 1160.282 Kim Roberts

And at the time I was growing up, you know, racism was still a thing. Not that it's not still a thing, but it was a thing. You know, the civil rights movement had just kind of happened and things were switching. And, you know, I was the neighbor, I say specifically Italian working class because it was... you know, very particular culture. There were two parent families everywhere.

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1160.342 - 1171.746 Kim Roberts

There was no divorce. There was no separation. My parents, you know, split when I was seven. My dad was kind of back and forth, but it was like ambiguous as to what was going on in their marriage. And I, you know, I was just like, he's away on business. Like he's been away a long time.

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1171.886 - 1180.912 Kim Roberts

And then, you know, growing up, because I was one of the only Black kids, if not the only, yeah, I was one of the only ones. There was, you know, we had friends down the street who were also Black family.

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1181.392 - 1192.14 Kim Roberts

And what's interesting is that the girl who's closest to my age, she used to pick on me and fight with me at school to disassociate herself from me, you know, as opposed to where we could have maybe been allies and helped each other. Anything brown was a bad word.

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1192.3 - 1208.069 Kim Roberts

I remember being, you know, on the playground and, you know, chocolate milk or caca merida or whatever was a bad word thrown in my direction. There were times I didn't think I'd make it home from school alive. And it was just, it was tough. It was really tough. There was a lot of bullying. There was a lot of name calling. The boy I like told me he couldn't date me because I was black.

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1208.449 - 1224.017 Kim Roberts

This is in grade like six. He's like, now my dad would kill me. Kill me. I couldn't I couldn't take you to the dance. You know, so I grew up in a really kind of strange reality. But then on the other side, we had, thankfully, a really strong Caribbean circle of family and friends.

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1224.677 - 1243.695 Kim Roberts

And my parents stayed, well, my mom stayed very connected, you know, and made sure that we were, you know, holidays and just weekends. We'd hang out with our cousins or whatever. So I had on this other side, a real validation of who I was and a real love for Caribbean culture. So I think that helped me maintain a sense of self even though I was being beaten down on at times.

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1243.975 - 1260.119 Kim Roberts

There was this real dichotomy growing up. And, but then, you know, you joined the larger world. And as I said, I got to university and there are all these, you know, first generation Caribbean kids there as well. And even though we weren't part of the fabric of the school at that time, we formed our own quilt and it was so strong and so beautiful. We had the best parties.

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1260.419 - 1278.305 Kim Roberts

Kids would come from schools all across the country to be at our, you know, cultural show events and parties and whatnot. And we formed bonds that were lifelong and that were so strong. So, you know, was that, that, that quote about something making diamonds, polishing stone, you know, sometimes it's the hardship that really makes it forces you to either shine or, or bend.

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1278.325 - 1280.826 Kim Roberts

And, you know, I think hopefully I came out the right end.

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1310.389 - 1317.231 Mick Hunt

There you go. Good stuff. So did you have jerk chicken in Canada?

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1317.83 - 1338.678 Kim Roberts

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. All the food is here. There's all the good West Indian food you can get here. Jerk chicken and curry chicken. And I mean, my mom is from Dominica, which is a Creole island between Guadalupe and Martinique. And so the food from there is also really good. It's like French influence, but it's Caribbean with African roots. And it's just lots of goodies.

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1339.178 - 1345.221 Mick Hunt

You got me hungry now, Kim. I'm not on a diet, but you got me hungry.

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1345.341 - 1350.923 Kim Roberts

That's all good. We're doing some Uber Eats looking for your ackee and saltfish after we get off here.

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1351.183 - 1371.412 Mick Hunt

I'm telling you. I'm telling you. So we talked about theatricals. We talked about voiceover. Now let's talk about on screen. And, you know, I'm always going to go each time we talk, I talk to you about Schitt's Creek, right? Like one of, it's just one of those classics. Like it's one of those shows that's going to go down in history, right? Like just classic theater.

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1372.082 - 1385.884 Mick Hunt

you know, so dynamic, so diverse from the crew. So Kim, walk us through auditioning for that role or hearing about the role, auditioning for the role, getting the role, and then what is it like working with that talented group?

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💬 0

1386.618 - 1391.904 Kim Roberts

Well, it was such an innocuous thing, you know, it was at the time, nobody knew it was going to be the show that it became.

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1391.924 - 1392.705 Mick Hunt

Right.

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💬 0

1392.946 - 1412.284 Kim Roberts

And I just, you know, I had an audition like any other, went into the casting suite. It was just the casting director and myself and the reader. You know, I did the scene. I think there was only one scene for the audition or maybe two. Yeah, I think there was only the one scene, the one with Johnny Rose, not even the one with Roland. So I read the scene as a bureaucrat kind of thing.

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1413.005 - 1435.467 Kim Roberts

And the casting director said, thank you, that was great. And I went home, you know. Then I hear I booked it. Fine. And we're shooting, you know, up north in cottage country. So they kind of pick you up and you trek up there. And, you know, at the time it was just a show. But I do remember halfway through taping, You know, I'm there with Eugene Levy, who's comic genius.

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1436.028 - 1454.804 Kim Roberts

And then, you know, Chris is absolutely phenomenal, who plays Roland. And so I'd done my scene with Eugene and that was a lot of fun. It was just so lovely to ping pong and back and forth. And then we shot to the second scene when Roland comes in. And I remember at one point, A, first of all, like, you know, we just kind of, we'd never met each other before.

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1454.824 - 1469.62 Kim Roberts

We had never, we hadn't even rehearsed the scene. You know, we did one kind of blocking and immediately, like, We just had that chemistry and the fun and the play was there. And so it was, it was, it was just a no brainer. It was just an easy scene to shoot. We just played, we had fun.

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1469.801 - 1482.332 Kim Roberts

And then I remember when I go back around the desk and the two of them are sparring, I'm looking at Chris Elliott and I'm looking at Eugene Levy and I'm like, this is comedic genius in front of you right now. You need to really just appreciate this moment, you know?

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1482.492 - 1500.719 Kim Roberts

And so I really, I did have a, I did have a fangirl moment while being in the scene being like, yeah, this is, you know, you're playing with the really good, really good talent here. And so that was fun. But, you know, I just, I really enjoyed myself doing that, doing that show, doing that, you know, we shot the scenes in a day. And like I said, Chris Elliott was just, you know, it was a joy.

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1500.779 - 1517.812 Kim Roberts

We just like, it was, yeah, it was very easy, very natural. And lo and behold, the show became what it became. You know, nobody could have predicted or even hoped for how big it's become. And it's lovely to feel that I've been a part of something that will be iconic. You know, that'll be one of those shows that gets talked about. Like when I was young, we had ours, you know, so.

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1517.832 - 1520.114 Mick Hunt

Yeah. You get a nice royalty check.

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1520.434 - 1538.143 Kim Roberts

Oh, this is what you don't know about being Canadian. Our royalty checks will buy you that jerk chicken maybe that you're talking about. Yeah. That's about it. We don't get paid like y'all do down south. It's a whole different system, which is another topic for another day, maybe. But yeah, no, our royalty checks are horrible. Our deal is not good at all.

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1538.903 - 1555.048 Kim Roberts

We get our rights get bought out for about four years. And so you don't see anything more. You maybe get like an extra fee on your fee. But it's not like in the States, whereas you'll get your full fee once it airs and then you get royalty checks equivalent to that or even higher. We get like $17.50 checks.

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1556.989 - 1560.67 Mick Hunt

Wow. So, so essentially you just get to put it on your resume is what you're saying.

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1560.85 - 1561.33 Kim Roberts

Pretty much.

0
💬 0

1563.171 - 1570.513 Mick Hunt

Pretty much. Oh man, that is awesome. Kim, a couple of questions. I want to go rapid fire with Kim if you're good with that.

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1571.073 - 1571.333 Kim Roberts

Yeah.

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1572.194 - 1576.475 Mick Hunt

All right. First question. What's your, your most favorite role that you've ever been in?

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1577.335 - 1586.518 Kim Roberts

Dude, it's usually the last one. So Margaret White from Get That Hope that I just played at the Stratford Festival this summer is currently my favorite character. Yeah.

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1587.031 - 1592.516 Mick Hunt

Okay. All right. What's the rule that you didn't get that you wish you could go back and get?

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1592.816 - 1600.242 Kim Roberts

See, you go in the room and you forget about it. So I can't even remember what rule I might have wanted. That's fair. Yeah.

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1600.623 - 1602.224 Mick Hunt

I don't want you to think about it. Let's not go back.

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1602.364 - 1603.765 Kim Roberts

Okay. Honestly, no idea.

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1603.785 - 1608.95 Mick Hunt

All right. So Auntie Kim's favorite meal that you cook.

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1611.499 - 1626.323 Kim Roberts

I'm a good cook. There are a few. These are tough questions. My favorite meal that I cook. Dude, I don't know. I mean, I roast a good chicken. I make a great curry. Maybe my curry chicken. Yeah, curry chicken.

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1626.343 - 1631.324 Mick Hunt

Okay. I'll be over at seven. Cool. I like it.

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1631.344 - 1631.885 Kim Roberts

That's cool.

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1632.885 - 1642.77 Mick Hunt

What's some advice you have for the upcoming actor, actress of how to have longevity in in the entertainment business?

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1643.491 - 1657.595 Kim Roberts

Oh, that's, you just have to stick with it. I think that's the word on the street. It's like, you just do something long enough. Don't give up. And, you know, eventually, hopefully you're, you know, you'll have longevity. That's all I can give you.

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1658.075 - 1667.825 Mick Hunt

No, that's the same thing I tell people in business. Just keep going. Life is going to get hard. If it were easy, there'd be a lot of billionaires walking around. I promise you.

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1667.865 - 1668.846 Kim Roberts

So true. So true.

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1669.006 - 1677.335 Mick Hunt

Right. But those that you see successful, it's just they just kept going. I promise you. They just kept going. All right. So what do you have upcoming?

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1677.642 - 1699.371 Kim Roberts

Well, I'm currently in a film called All the Lost Ones. It's in select theaters here in Canada right now. It's at the Imagine Carleton Cinemas in Toronto, but it's going to be debuting on Paramount Plus December 13th. So you can check that out called All the Lost Ones. I'm on Paw Patrol as Mayor Goodway, as always. And that's so much fun. What else?

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1699.511 - 1712.456 Kim Roberts

I mean, I think there's a lot of my old Christmas movies popping up around this time of year. So I've been getting all these texts. We saw you in a Christmas movie. So, you know, Christmas Dance Reunion is out right now. There are a few of them out there. So, yeah, just keep your eyes peeled.

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1713.303 - 1730.855 Mick Hunt

They are. So ironically, Thanksgiving weekend just happened. I had about 25 people over at the house. And my family, I got to fanboy over Kim. I was like, that's Kim. I know Kim. So that was kind of cool.

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1731.256 - 1733.617 Kim Roberts

That's right. That's awesome. It was one of the Christmas movies.

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💬 0

1733.817 - 1734.237 Mick Hunt

It was.

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💬 0

1734.637 - 1735.898 Kim Roberts

Nice. Nice.

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💬 0

1736.498 - 1743.941 Mick Hunt

Absolutely. I'm glad I could have joined you. Where's my turkey? Absolutely. So all you had to do was bring the curry chicken and Thanksgiving would have been complete.

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💬 0

1743.981 - 1750.064 Kim Roberts

I'm like, where's my turkey plate? Since I was a part of the family gathering, I'm expecting a little package.

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💬 0

1750.144 - 1751.044 Mick Hunt

I got you covered.

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💬 0

1751.184 - 1751.584 Kim Roberts

Okay.

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💬 0

1751.604 - 1762.139 Mick Hunt

I got you covered because I did the turkey. So there we go. You did? It was good? It was... there's no more and it didn't get thrown away.

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💬 0

1762.159 - 1764.239 Kim Roberts

I'm sure it was great.

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1765.7 - 1777.562 Mick Hunt

That's all we can say. So that is awesome. So December 13th, which is literally right around the corner, you've got something coming out. Anything else you want the world to know about Ms. Kim Roberts?

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1779.783 - 1791.304 Kim Roberts

Oh, just, I love you guys. Thank you for, you know, following my career and, and, you know, being there. I'm, Yeah, I just happen to be a part of this industry and getting to do the thing that I love to do.

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1792.256 - 1815.829 Mick Hunt

I love it. And just so you know, so the listeners and viewers know, been a big fan of Kim. I like to say we're almost like friends and family now. We talk to each other on Instagram a lot. One of the best follows you can have on Instagram is Kim Roberts. Just amazing human being. And all of you know, I just love humans that are good humans. And Kim is at the very top of that list.

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1815.849 - 1820.492 Mick Hunt

So Kim, I just wanted you to know that. I wanted to tell you that and not message you that.

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💬 0

1821.687 - 1828.331 Kim Roberts

Thank you, Mick. That's very kind. I feel the same way about you. You're just amazing. I love getting to sit down and talk with you any, any and every time.

0
💬 0

1828.852 - 1830.813 Mick Hunt

There we go. Well, we'll make this a regular thing.

0
💬 0

1830.853 - 1831.594 Kim Roberts

How about that?

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💬 0

1831.874 - 1834.315 Mick Hunt

When you come back from Jamaica, I know you're going on vacation.

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💬 0

1834.335 - 1840.86 Kim Roberts

I am. I'm going to get a little sun, a little rum, a little family time. It'll be good.

0
💬 0

1841.619 - 1851.646 Mick Hunt

All right. Well, I want you to bring me something back in any of the rum, the curry chicken, the rum, the rum, like whatever you want to bring back rum. Like you just let me know.

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💬 0

1852.547 - 1864.236 Kim Roberts

I will. I'm actually on a hunt. Ray and Nephew has been unavailable for almost a year. And that is my rum. I mean, you can't be a Jamaican without a bottle in your house. So I'm going I'm going looking for it. So, yeah, there you go. I find it. I got you.

0
💬 0

1864.835 - 1872.081 Mick Hunt

I appreciate you. Well, Kim, again, thank you for your time. Thank you for just being you and always being available to me. I appreciate you, dear.

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💬 0

1872.121 - 1873.742 Kim Roberts

Well, it's a pleasure, Mick. Thanks for having me.

0
💬 0

1874.043 - 1879.387 Mick Hunt

You got it. And for all the listeners and viewers, remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

0
💬 0

1884.091 - 1893.579 Mick Hunt

Thank you for tuning in to Mick Unplugged. Keep pushing your limits, embracing your purpose and chasing greatness. Until next time, stay unstoppable.

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