Kelly Elizabeth Wray

“Where are you from?” …The question I dislike most. Here! Home is where the heart is. ...Right? I moved 18 times before I attended college, and moved a few more times since. With each school I would try to be somebody different. This did not lead to acting. Instead, I coped by singing and writing. I worked at it, as if it were my job, and it became that. By 15, I met with A&R at Epic Records in NYC. Which led to songwriting with musicians, singers, and songwriters in Jazz, R&B, Neo-Soul. It was imperative to my growth; but, that wasn’t for me.

I spent most of my childhood in Texas. I needed country music like it was breath. At 17, my work led to a short development deal with Columbia Records Nashville. While studying at Belmont University, the opportunity came to write with country artists and led to another writing development deal, voice over work, background singing for country artists…still wasn’t for me. Then what was?

After college, I began taking acting classes to help with stage fright. Within one week, my first time auditioning for anything, I booked 3 short films and a musical, Chess at Street Theatre. Well, this perked me up. Still wasn’t sure about
acting and what my calling was.

It wasn’t until I was backpacking across Europe with a stop in London, on May 9th; I purchased tickets to The Children’s Hour at the Comedy Theater, starring: Ellen Burstyn, Elisabeth Moss, Keira Knightley. This was a game changer. For the first time, I was seeing LIFE on stage: Living, breathing, the energy, living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. It feels like yesterday that I saw this play. It was the end of my backpacking trip. I remember sitting on Lido Beach in Venice, looking out into the brilliant blue water and I knew acting was what I wanted, correction, needed to do. It meant life. Embodying life on stage to show humanity.

Same year, September 9th, I had made the move to NYC and been accepted into the William Esper Studio’s conservatory program.

"Where are you from?"

I am from New York and have found my calling, acting.