Exclusive Interview: Meet ION Holiday Movie Star, Kimberly Dawn Guerrero

Please introduce yourself, what you do, why you do it, and what you want people to know about you.

I’m Kimberly Dawn Guerrero you might have recently seen me star in the ION holiday movie, Dognapped: A Hound for the Holidays, playing the role of Victoria. I grew up in AZ with a passion for the performing arts and actually started my professional career as a child voiceover actor. 

What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?

I always try to stay authentic and true to myself, and with that comes my uniqueness! With so many incredible actresses that I’ve looked up to over the years, I actually hope to inspire individuality with in others as well. 

Describe THAT moment when you realized you wanted to do what you do now.

It happened really early on for me. I booked my first professional voiceover job at 8 years old and was pretty much hooked on show business from then on. When I wasn’t performing in the theater as a kid, I was creating my own performances for family, friends and anyone who would watch!

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face and how did you overcome it?

I definitely struggled with confidence when I was younger. I think all humans struggle with that at times. I’ve learned to navigate that it my adult life and realized that if you put yourself out there and shoot for your dreams, as cliche as it is to say, the sky is the limit. 

You are starring in the ION Holiday movie Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays. What can you tell us about your character and the film?

I play celebrity designer Victoria Frost, a Media Sensation whose dog gets Dognapped before the Holidays. Victoria lives in her own world with a lack of self-awareness, which was so fun to play. You don’t know whether she is all bad or if there’s some good laying beneath her celeb persona.

Why should people tune in to watch the movie?

It’s a really fun holiday film! It’s got romance, mystery, and does any thing get jollier than a Christmas movie and a dog movie all rolled into one?! 

What is your favorite memory from filming? What was the most challenging part of the process?

I had so much fun working with this cast. It involved a really talented group of people including Vivica A. Fox. The most challenging part of filming the movie was that we happened to film smack dab in the middle of an LA heat wave. Wearing a Faux fur coat and layers of sweaters in 108-degree weather was quite challenging!

Tell us about your roles in A Holiday Heist and Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver.

I played Queen of the roller derby Tammy Pimento. A horror movie that took place in the 70s and was lots of campy fun. 

If you could write and star in your own Holiday movie, what would the storyline involve and who would you cast?

I’d love to write and star in a holiday movie that would involve traveling to a snowy wonderland abroad. Maybe Iceland? I just got back from a vacation there and road tripped along the Southern coast along the amazing ring road. There was so much natural beauty and magical places a holiday film could be shot. 

What was your experience like working on Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues?

I played a bit role of a reporter. I think it made it into one of the trailers for the film. 

You also played Janet Turnbill in Southern Comfort. What can you tell us about your character and experience working on the project?

I played a Hollywood Stage Mom. It was a fun independent film to work on and I enjoyed playing the role of a pushy mother. 

One of your newest projects is Deadly Draw with Ed Asner. What can you tell us about the character you play in this project?

In Deadly Draw I play Freesia. A waitress at a high stakes poker tournament that ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time. It was an honor to be part of Ed Asner’s last project. 

You have guest-starred on many well-known shows. Which one has been your favorite and why?

Any of the multi cam sitcoms I’ve worked on. How I Met Your Mother or 2 Broke Girls were definitely some of my favorites to work on. There is no greater joy than getting to perform and feed off of the energy of a studio audience. My background is in Theatre and comedy, so it kind of feels full circle. 

What is one interesting thing people don’t know about you?

I love to travel. When I’m not working you can probably find me living out of a suitcase. I think a dream role for me would be one where all of my passions combine. Maybe it would be working on a film overseas. 

What advice would you give to people who want to pursue an acting career?

If that’s your dream and you can’t envision yourself doing anything else, then go follow your passion! This business takes a lot of work and perseverance, but it’s such an incredible industry which I feel so blessed to be a part of. I get so much joy being a working actor. 

What are your professional goals for the next year?

To continue working in film and TV. I would love to shoot another Holiday film; I had such a great experience working on Dognapped. 

Do you have any other projects coming up that you can tell us about?

I have a couple things coming up in 2023 including the film Deadly Draw that’s currently in post-production. 

If you had to pick the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could take your career to the next level….who would those 3 people be?

Judd Apatow (I’d love to work on a comedy he’s directing), Goldie Hawn (I think she is a comedy legend), and Nancy Meyers (because so many of her films were my all-time favorites)