Kai Greene is breaking into the television and film industry in style.
There are some individuals out there that just have that “it” factor, the ability to make people interested in even the most mundane aspects of their life. Having that special element isn’t something people just happen upon. No, it’s something that is cultivated through time and effort, an element born from dedication and drive to being truly great at what they do.
In the sporting world you have Conor McGregor who has electrified the masses with his brash attitude and skills as a fighter. Way before him you had Arnold Schwarzenegger whose reign as Olympia champion defied what was thought to be possible. His own brash confidence made audiences gravitate towards him and his turn in Pumping Iron propelled him to super stardom. But since the days of Arnold and Lou Ferrigno, there haven’t been a great deal of bodybuilders who have been able to transcend the sport. That is until Generation Iron was released and the world was introduced to a certain artistic bodybuilder.
Kai Greene.
Calling Kai Greene your average bodybuilder is a gross understatement of the man’s abilities. For anyone who has seen Kai Greene step onto a posing stage, you’ll notice just how far from average he truly is. Rather than just rely on his impressive musculature and genetic abilities, Kai has always looked to put on a memorable performance in hopes of creating true art through physical expression. This kind of artistic approach to bodybuilding is what made producer and entertainment industry standout, Edwin Mejia Jr take notice.
As a Producer of Generation Iron, Mejia, alongside director Vlad Yudin, searched for talent that could invoke an emotional response from audiences. It didn’t take him long to realize that Kai Greene would be the beacon that viewers would look to for inspiration. But Mejia also understood that Kai Greene’s abilities on stage could be translated elsewhere.
“AFTER WORKING WITH KAI ON GENERATION IRON, I QUICKLY REALIZED KAI WAS MORE THAN JUST A STAR OF THE FILM,” SAID MEJIA. “KAI IS AN INTRINSIC AND TALENTED ARTIST WHO I SAW COULD LEND HIMSELF TO A LARGER AUDIENCE IN MORE TV AND FILM PROJECTS. WE THEN WENT ON TO PRODUCE HIS ONE MAN SHOW “BELIEVE” WHICH PROVED TO BE A SUCCESS IN MORE WAYS THAN ANY OF US COULD IMAGINE. IT SHOWED KAI’S DEPTH AS AN ACTOR AND PERFORMER AS HE PORTRAYED 5 DIFFERENT CHARACTERS FROM HIS CHILDHOOD. I SOON REALIZED KAI WAS SOMEONE WE WANTED TO INVEST OURSELVES INTO CULTIVATING AS AN ACTOR AND PERFORMER.”
Kai Greene’s one man show solidified him as a capable actor, able to perform under the bright lights much in the same way as he had while on the bodybuilding stage. It was just the first step on his journey into the entertainment industry. As an athlete who only had one platform to express his art, Edwin Mejia Jr sought to open the door for Kai to explore his artistic talents not just on stage but in multiple arenas.
“KAI HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ARTIST, ACTOR AND PERFORMER AT HEART SINCE AN EARLY AGE. BODYBUILDING HAD ALWAYS BEEN KAI’S NUMBER 1 PLATFORM AND OUTLET TO SHOWCASE HIS TALENT. BUT KAI HAS ALWAYS HAD A PASSION FOR THE ARTS AND YEARNED TO BE ON A BIGGER PLATFORM AS AN ARTIST. I WANTED TO BE THAT BRIDGE FOR HIM AND HELP HIM EXPAND FROM BODYBUILDING AND INTO FILM, ALTERNATIVE TV AND DIGITAL MEDIA. LATE 2015 WE SET A PLAN WITH KAI TO MANAGE HIS ENTERTAINMENT CAREER AND BUILD A LONG TERM PLAN TO EXECUTE HIS VISION.”
That vision would eventually see the man nicknamed “The Predator” take his first steps towards a budding acting career. With Kai Greene’s talent and diligence, Edwin Mejia Jr. thought the next logical step was connecting the bodybuilder turned actor to prominent Hollywood Talent Agencies.
“WITHIN A YEAR OF SIGNING ON WITH GENERATION IRON, I HELPED ORGANIZE, INTRODUCE AND FACILITATE THE SIGNING OF KAI TO THE GERSH AGENCY. THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE LAST 2 YEARS, OUR INITIAL STEPS WERE TO ADVISE KAI ON ACTING TRAINING, MAJOR AUDITIONS AND HELP COORDINATE SEVERAL MAINSTREAM PRESS OPPORTUNITIES WHICH ULTIMATELY HAVE LED TO MANY SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR KAI.”
Through the successful connections with several major casting agents, producers and The Gersh Agency, the bodybuilder was able to land a role in the second season of the wildly popular Netflix series Stranger Things. Kai is setting himself up to be a bodybuilder who transcends the sport, becoming a multifaceted artist in the process. But Stranger Things is simply the first step on Kai Greene’s journey into acting.
“KAI IS CERTAINLY THE CAPTAIN OF HIS OWN SHIP,” SAID MEJIA. “KAI WILL CONTINUE TO BE A CHAMPION AND AN ICON OF THE SPORT. BUT HIS ENTERTAINMENT CAREER IS ONLY GETTING STARTED WITH HIS NEW ROLE AS ‘FUNSHINE’ ON STRANGER THINGS. KAI HAS A MOVIE IN CHINA COMING OUT IN 2018 AND WE ARE PREPARING HIM FOR GREAT OPPORTUNITIES IN FILM /TV ALTERNATIVE CONTENT.”
As Kai Greene continues down the road on his entertainment journey, the future looks bright for the man once considered an underdog. Through his perseverance, Kai Greene is following in the footsteps of those who came before him accomplishing dreams that were once thought to be impossible. As the iconic bodybuilder often says, “Thoughts become things.”
You can catch Kai Greene in the first and seventh episode on season 2 of Stranger Things now!
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Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
