Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Del Rio.
Hi Katherine, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I’m Katherine, but my friends call me Katie. I’m an actress, chef, and producer based between Los Angeles and Austin. My journey through the land of fame and flavors has taken me from the concrete jungle of NYC to the sunny paradise of LA for over a decade, and now I’ve planted my flag in the quirky and cool ATX! My husband and I bought our first home here last year, and we love the charming change of pace. I’m a proud doting dog mom to my perfect Frenchies, and I am 9 months pregnant with my first child! I’m bursting with excitement, but there’s definitely a lot of nervous anticipation mixed in there too. But that’s what makes this journey into the uncharted territory of parenthood all the more exhilarating!
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My journey has been anything but smooth. Let’s say it’s been a crash course in resilience. When I lived in New York City and on the east coast, I found great success in the theatre world and could perform consistently. Years down the road, while living in Los Angeles, however, was a different story. I endured a few brutal years of audition droughts, and the elusive quest for the right representation left me feeling like the world’s most uninspired failure. And of course the bills were stacking up like a never-ending tower of pancakes at an all-you-can-eat brunch. I was in such a rut.
But during that dark time, God had a plan for me, and a brand-new business emerged from my passion for cooking. I started small, and thanks to word of mouth, my business soon took off faster than anything I had ever touched. I began catering for film sets and working as a personal chef in private homes. In 2019 I landed the ultimate dream job as the personal chef for The Jonas Brothers in Palm Springs! And as a tried and true JoBro fan, you can imagine how giddy I was every day at work.
Since then, I have catered VIP events at Coachella and Stagecoach, dinner parties, influencer parties, and celebrity events. I went from being behind on rent to paying off mine and my husband’s debts. Most importantly, I had made myself proud again and was even fulfilled creatively. Since then, I have been lucky enough to train with wonderful chefs, learning new flavors and techniques along my travels.
I love knowing that it’s a job that can always be evolving and that I can take breaks and return to at any time. And it has now even inspired several project pitches with my production company. It feels bonkers to know that this entire career path would have never happened if I hadn’t gone through my miserable period of zero-acting work. Life sure has a way of serving up surprises.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My creative roots stem from performing in regional theater in D.C. and the Midwest. I studied acting at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University with The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute. I was proud to attend that program because I thought it would be impossible to get accepted. I absolutely loved NYU and New York City; I learned so much there and got to act with so many wonderful people. I was awarded “Best Performance” by Alec Baldwin at the Tisch 48 Film Festival, a shock and a dream for my college self. I worked in theatre before leaving NYC for Los Angeles to act in national commercials, television shows, and films.
A few years ago, I produced, co-wrote, and starred in a short film entitled Solstice Ranch, which won several awards throughout the festival circuit, including at the Academy Awards Qualifying HollyShorts Screenwriting competition and Film Festival. That experience shifted my perspective and gave me the bug to start working behind the scenes. I later co-founded Theatre Row Productions with my brilliant husband while living in Puerto Rico during his 6-month shoot for The Baker and The Beauty. He is also an actor so we are always picking up and moving to where the job takes us! Since then, we have decided to take our production company to Austin and LA. We are super excited about the huge film studio being built in Bastrop! Our company has produced a feature film, sold a TV show, been hired to write multiple screenplays, and is in pre and post-production on numerous independent projects. Having more control of my career feels empowering, rather than having to wait for an opportunity. Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of waiting involved as a writer/producer, but I am always working on something, which is a wonderful feeling.
We’d love to hear about your fond memories from growing up.
I’m an army brat, which means I grew up moving every year, so I love my memories of bopping all over the world with my siblings. My mom would plan fantastic road trips for us each time we moved from place to place. These experiences fueled my wanderlust and ignited my sense of adventure. Our family car was almost like a magic carpet in my eyes, carrying us through diverse landscapes and endless possibilities. Some of my absolute favorite memories are from living in Columbia, Missouri. Trust me; it’s not just a random dot on the map—the people there are so genuinely kind, and the colors of the autumn leaves are still some of the most vibrant I’ve ever seen. We lived in a lively, spirited college town where the University of Missouri Tigers roared proudly. Football fever gripped the entire community every weekend, and tailgating was a ritual. My dad was the head of ROTC at Mizzou, so we had the incredible opportunity to join the Cannon Crew on the field each game as he directed them to shoot the cannons off every touchdown. Through experiences like these, we learned that being an army family was about more than just my dad’s job or packing up our belongings every year. It was about finding magic in every corner, seizing opportunities, forging new connections, and creating unforgettable memories with our incredible family.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/ katherinewdelrio/ - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/channel/ UCQpLj09X7opasNW9pIMfqzA - IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/
name/nm3732289/?ref_=nmbio_ov_ i
Image Credits
Rio Nior, E-Studios
