Hello Kenneth, could you tell me about yourself?
I’m a Texan, born and bred! (Well… there was that six-month stint in California back in ‘98, but don’t hold that against me. Ha!)
I’ve been married to my wife, Cathy, for 29 years. She puts up with me and keeps me going. No, seriously—Cathy is the best! We’re a cat household, and our current feline family members are Mickey Rourke, a ginormous orange Tabby, and Macie Mae, our little Calico.
I’m very close to my family, especially my dad. I also have lifelong friends from high school and college who are like brothers to me.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
If you name it, I can BBQ it! From Texas brisket to ribs to Thanksgiving turkey—I’ve even baked cakes and cookies on the grill.
I’m happiest when I’m near the water, whether it’s staying at a condo on North Padre Island or relaxing in our backyard pool.
Some of my favorite daily moments are cooking dinner with Cathy, gardening (both veggies and flowers), hosting friends for BBQs, and relaxing in the pool or by the fire pit.
I’m a big sports fan! I follow college football (go Texas Longhorns!) and March Madness college basketball. But the team I follow most? The Houston Astros! Also, Cathy has converted this Texas boy into a proud Buffalo Bills Mafia fan!
Can you tell us a little about your journey?
As a teenager, I played football, but my heart wasn’t in it. One day, I went to my football coach—who was also my dad—and told him I wanted to quit. After he swallowed hard, he asked, “Alright, then what do you want to do?” I told him “theatre,” and he said, “Alrighty then!”
From that moment on, theatre became my focus. I studied all aspects of it in school and college: acting, set design, sound, costumes, props, lighting, and theatre management.
After graduating from Sam Houston State University, I moved to Austin and immediately dove into the vibrant theatre scene, where I met my future wife!
A few years later, I felt drawn toward film, television, and commercial work. I worked hard to get a great agent, and I knew I had found my calling. My career has taken me to Off-Off-Broadway in NYC, California, New Mexico, Louisiana, Colorado, and recently to Maryland and all over Texas.
Three things that matter most to me in this industry—whether it’s theatre, film, or radio/podcasts—are:
The people I work with—their energy and our connection.
The writing—if it’s good, like Sean’s, it gives the actor an incredible landscape to work with.
The story—it should surprise, inspire, entertain, or make you feel something deeply.
The last few years have been tough for our industry, with the pandemic and strikes, but auditions are coming back. We move forward because we must!
If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Focused, collaborative, and fun! (Oh, and loud—did I mention that? Ha!)
What inspires you?
So many things!
Music—it puts a person in a place emotionally where nothing else can.
My deep connections with family and close friends.
Waves on the beach, the full moon, the moments just before sunrise, or hearing my wife sing when she doesn’t know anyone’s listening.
Even small moments, like my cats on high alert or finding a bird on the ground.
Inspiration comes from everywhere, like our pastor’s kind words to my family on Thanksgiving morning. It meant so much after we lost my mom unexpectedly this summer. His kindness helped us in a hard moment and left me inspired.
Share something the audience might not know about you.
I can recite one of Monty Python’s most famous monologues by heart!
How did you get into writing and this work?
I’ve been a writer longer than I’ve been a performer. As a kid, I’d fill Big Chief tablets long before computers came along.
One of my plays, Windchimes and Varicose Cream, was published in the Texas Theatre Journal as part of the I Heart Walmart collection. I’ve also written for the Frontera Fest Theatre Festival, including a tribute to my maternal grandmother titled Seamstress.
I got involved with Sean’s work when another actor invited me to join a series called Triple 6. Since then, Sean and I have had a blast collaborating. One of my favorite roles with him has been playing a Maine old-timer—quite a leap for a Texas boy!
What are your goals and aspirations?
To keep working in this industry as long as people will have me—film, television, indies, radio plays—bring it all on!
And to travel! I’m ready to see more of the USA and the world.
Kenneth Bradley first appeared on screen in 1994 as the Doctor in Travis Tritt’s acclaimed CMA music video "Tell Me I Was Dreaming." Since then, he has built a notable television career with featured, co-starring, and recurring roles in Fear the Walking Dead (AMC), The Leftovers (HBO), Longmire (A&E/Netflix), Queen of the South (USA), Revolution (NBC), Friday Night Lights (NBC), Dallas (TNT), Prison Break (FOX), and Walker, Texas Ranger.
On film, Kenneth co-stars in Troop Zero (Amazon) with Viola Davis and in Netflix’s Rich Kids. He has also been featured in Olympus Has Fallen with Morgan Freeman and Drive Angry 3D with Nicolas Cage. In 2019, he won Best Actor at Austin's 48 Hour Film Festival for his role in the short film 6:15.
An accomplished theater actor, Kenneth has earned awards such as the B. Iden Payne Award for Men of Tortuga and an Austin Critics Table Award for The Pillowman. He was named "Actor of the Year" by the Austin Theatre Examiner in 2010. His original works, including Wicker Chairs and Seamstress, have been recognized and published.
Kenneth is a core company member of Hyde Park Theatre and Capital T Theatre in Austin, Texas. A graduate of Sam Houston State University’s Fine Arts program, he resides near Austin with his wife Cathryn.
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Article published in The Relatable Voice Magazine - January 2025.
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