Kat graham

“There are no limitations to the mind, except those we acknowledge. Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.” That’s People’s Choice Award-winning actress Kat Graham’s philosophy in life. Kat has always been a shooting star, reaching higher and higher than before. The actress was born in Geneva, Switzerland, but was raised in Los Angeles, California, where she was introduced to the world of entertainment. Graham always had a love for being in the spotlight. At the age of 6, she began auditioning and appearing in commercials for some of the biggest brands such as Barbie, K-Mart, and Pop-Tarts, just to name a few. 
 
By the age of 15, the young actress had a grip on her passion to be on screen and was asked to dance background for Bow Wow at the BET Awards. This led her to dance background for superstars like Missy Elliott, Pharrell Williams, Jamie Foxx, and more. This was in 2002. By this time she already had credits under her belt for The Parent Trap starring Lindsay Lohan, Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire, and more. In 2008, Graham landed the role of Ingrid in the futuristic dance-action flick Boogie Town, which sadly never saw the light of day. “If you feel like going down a rabbit hole, [look up] Boogie Town trailer on YouTube,” says the actress. 
 
One thing about Katerina Alexandre Hartford Graham: she’s not going to give up. She kept pushing and by 2009, her hard work paid off. Kat landed the breakout role that would change her life and career forever. She was cast as Bonnie Bennett on the CW hit series The Vampire Diaries. With nearly 5 million fans glued to the screen watching the first episode of this new series and 39 awards (including People’s Choice Awards and Teen Choice Awards) across its eight-season lifespan, this “scene stealer” Kat Graham was destined for greatness. 
 
Since her rise to fame, Graham has stayed true to her beliefs by building a platform for her fans to feel loved and accepted. “I know what it feels like to not be empowered,” says the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. “I always want to try and empower people to be their best selves because I know what it feels like to not get that support.”
 
When Kat isn’t on the big screen, she’s in the studio creating feel-good pop hits like “Put Your Graffiti On Me,” “All Your Love,” and even old-school-style hip hop banger “1991.” In 2022, Graham partnered with LGBTQIA+ focused foundation GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) for the release of her album Long Hot Summer. Graham says this partnership wasn’t just about her fans specifically but rather using her platform to shed light on the foundation for their work so they can reach more people. So far, the album has garnered more than 3 million streams globally and received support from leading media power players across the globe. She took the album on tour around the world from June to September 2022, starting in West Hollywood for OUTLOUD Festival and wrapped up the Pride world tour in Belgrade, Serbia for EURO PRIDE 2022.
 
Kat told People Magazine she had “86 cents to her name” at the time of being cast as Bonnie, but the steep uphill taught her that there truly is greener grass on the other side. “It showed me that even if you have no money, even if everything is almost working against you, you can still believe that you’re worth a good life.” 
 
If we have learned anything from the message that People’s Choice Award-winning actress Kat Graham has for the world, it’s that we can all be Goodwill Ambassadors. Let us all learn from this notion and be kinder to one another. No matter where we come from or where we’re headed, we all share one thing in common: humanity. 

 
You always use your platform for empowering your fans. Can you share with me why that’s so important to you? Is there something that drives you to do this?

I know what it feels like to not be empowered, and I always want to try and empower people to be their best selves because I know what it feels like to not get that support.
 
Last year you released your album Long Hot Summer which was in partnership with GLAAD. Why do you feel it’s important to connect with your fans like this on a deeper level?

I wouldn’t say my partnership with GLAAD was about the fans. It was about making sure that I use my platform to highlight an incredible organization that needs tremendous support to continue protecting and fighting for LGBTQ rights. 
 
I feel like it’s important to connect with my fans because they spend a tremendous amount of time and energy supporting me and even guiding me in moments. Their time I always say is just as valuable as mine. I also owe so much of where I am in my career to them.
 
One thing I love about you is how you like to experiment with your style and sound. Where do you draw inspiration from when creating? 

I think it’s easy to monitor yourself or be worried about what other people think of you as somebody in the public eye. But I also think as an artist, you owe it to yourself to remove any boundaries that you place on yourself creatively, and just create with abandon.
 
We live in a time where it’s becoming more and more crucial to speak up and speak out. How are you using your platform for this? And what message would you like to convey to not only fans but the world?

I hopefully do more than just use my platform. I’m somebody who prides themselves on getting out and being on the ground and doing the work. I try and use my platform to remind people that we are all connected and that what affects one person affects us all. Being biracial, an advocate for human rights, or even the culture in which I was raised, has made me a target for discrimination personally, so I want to make sure that people feel loved and supported always.
 
What’s your philosophy in life?

“There are no limitations to the mind, except those we acknowledge. Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.”
 
You’ve worked with so many brands like L’Oréal, Wet N Wild, Omega and more. Can we expect to see something of your own come out soon?

We’ll see!
 
What is the biggest project that you’ve never released? 

A dance movie called Boogie Town. If you feel like going down a rabbit hole, [look up] “Boogie Town trailer on YouTube.”
 
You’ve done a lot in your career already. Whether it be the Vampire Diaries or making multiple #1 Netflix movies, what has been the highlight moment so far?

I’ve had so many highlights from every single project, but one of my greatest highlights was one of my latest films, Love In The Villa. I was working with my dream people, in my dream place, with a dream script. It was absolutely a gift from the heavens.