Professional Storyteller
Shannon Kendall chose acting because, she says, she was too chubby for dance, and yet being on stage made her happier than anything else in the world.
But getting there was no easy road. Kendall grew up in a strict conservative Christian family, going to church four times a week, not allowed to read Harry Potter, and saving sex until marriage, which was expected to be heterosexual. It wasn't until she began to give space to her true sexuality and embrace her identity as a lesbian that she started seeing projects aligned to the "new Shannon Kendall."
"I became involved in lesbian photo shoots, music videos, and documentaries, each piece leading to more work as I shamelessly embraced my truth," she recalls.
Photography by Rommel Genciana for the LOSERS pilot.
Kendall's most recent work centers around a newly out lesbian and a transgender girl who share a Romy and Michelle type friendship, called Inside Out. The girls are characterizations of Kendall and a friend of hers that bring to light the random day-to-day awkwardness of being not only new to the LGBT scene, but also living in a fast-paced, ridiculous and beautiful city. Kendall wrote sketches based on conversations she had with Eve Lindley, a young transgender actress, and the two are now deciding whether to release the episodes directly to the Internet, or compile them for short film competitions.
In June, Kendall hopes to hear back from San Diego Comic Con regarding the airing of her film LOSERS, a nerd culture flick boasting a light sword battle and a zombie apocalypse. The story revolves around two geeky best friends who feel the need to protect an old friend from being trapped in the nerd closet when he gets engaged to a “normal” girl, and Kendall plays one of the lead’s fantasies come-to-life as a sexy fire sword-wielding angel.
While it clearly plays a part in her life, being gay, she says, doesn't completely define her work, even when she's writing about her awkwardness in the LGBT community.
"Lesbians come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of sexuality just like straight people," she says. "In fact, we’re basically exactly like straight people. Because we’re people."