EP 10: Ken Arnold: Professional Baseball Player Turned Actor

My guest on this week’s episode of Second Act Actors has had a very varied and interesting life. Ken Arnold grew up wanting to be a professional baseball player and played for the Baltimore Orioles, but he encountered injuries and other issues in his athletic career. When he was let go by his team at the age of 25, he wondered what he should do with the rest of his life and by chance, he settled on acting. Since then, he’s had appearances on The Wire, Law and Order and House of Cards, and he’s also moved into directing, writing and producing.

If you’re looking to get into acting, you’ll want to tune into this episode to learn from Ken. He gives a TON of fantastic advice that new actors will find very useful, including what he tells new actors in his acting classes to help them to gain confidence. He also shares insights on how to have a successful career as an actor and get ahead in the industry. Listen to the end to hear Ken’s words of wisdom for getting into acting later in life, which might give you the kick you need to let go of the fear that’s holding you back.

Subscribe to the Second Act Actors podcast so that you never miss an episode with other guests just as cool and funny as Ken, who all took the leap into acting and their second act of life.

Timestamps

[0:36] Ken’s appearance on The Wire

[1:30] Ken’s college years and first act as a baseball player

[4:25] A twinge in the knee and an operation

[6:20] Moving to Winnipeg, then Texas

[7:58] What’s next after baseball for Ken?

[9:06] Finding an acting class through the Yellow Pages

[10:58] Leaving baseball behind for good

[12:45] The roots of Ken’s acting career in his childhood and first act

[14:03] What are the similarities between being a professional baseball player and a professional actor?

[17:10] “Acting is the art of relaxation” and other inspiring things Ken says to actors in training

[19:15] What’s the number one thing that you need to be to become an actor?