At just 15 years old, Kayden Koshelev is a rising star with an impressive resume spanning roles in Search Party, Firebuds, Me Time and the bold stage production Drag the Musical. In a candid interview, Kayden opens up about managing school, acting, his love for martial arts and writing, all while staying connected to his childhood. Reflecting on his journey, he shares memorable moments with Kevin Hart on Me Time, the joy of creating deep characters, and his commitment to diverse storytelling. “Representation in media is so important,” he says, emphasizing the impact of his work on young audiences. An actor and budding writer, Kayden aspires to one day bring his own stories to life on screen, blending his love for sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery with his acting craft.
At just 15, you’ve already worked on major projects across various genres. How do you balance school, acting, and your other passions like martial arts and gaming?
It’s certainly not easy to balance an acting career while also trying to be a kid with hobbies, school and many more things. Even though acting has and will always be my passion, it’s also very important to balance a social life and just getting to do other things that you enjoy doing. I have been doing this for 11 years and people always ask if I feel like I have missed certain things in my childhood and the answer is NO. If anything, acting and the experiences and travel that goes along with it have made me the person I am and have given me so much more than I ever expected!
You’ve had recurring roles in Search Party and Firebuds. How do you approach building a character for a long-term role versus a guest appearance?
I think there is certainly a difference in recurring roles and guest appearances because when it comes to guest appearances, although you do need to still build a strong character, it’s more about making an impression and just enjoying yourself and the new environment you get to be in. Whereas more long-term roles require a lot more deep character building and for me personally, I’ve always loved writing and creating characters. So I think character building, even though I still have to put in a lot of thought, comes more naturally to me.
Working with stars like Kevin Hart in Me Time must have been exciting. What did you learn from that experience, and what was the most memorable moment on set?
I can’t even begin to say how amazing it is to work with such accomplished and just overall wonderful people like Kevin Hart. When It comes to a memorable moment on Me Time, I remember right after we cut, since I was lip syncing to my own voice in the scene (prerecorded in the studio) he asked me if that was really me singing and I told him it was and he said that my voice was incredible which made me really happy and I will never forget that.
Your role in Drag the Musical at the Bourbon Room seems like a unique and bold project. Can you share what it was like being a part of such a dynamic performance?
Drag the musical will forever hold a place in my heart because it was such an all together fun experience. I was trying to think of a word that was bigger than fun but I don’t think I could find any other way to describe it. Just getting to share a stage and perform with all these wonderful queens who had been so welcoming and nice to me throughout both runs of the show was truly unforgettable. I really just loved every single person in that production and I can very much say that it was the project that made me the most happy without a doubt.
Where can we follow you on social media?
You can follow me on Instagram at @kaydenkoshelev_official
Photo Credit: Rachel Rae Stella