From being a producer at WTKR News 3 and her on-camera work for WHRO, Kyle Humphrey—a former Miss Phoebus—is well known in Coastal Virginia, her home. Some 20 years ago, though, another coast was calling. With TV producers, moviemakers and fellow actors, Hollywood beckoned.
Since then, Humphrey has successfully answered the call from the West—appearing in Mad Men, Fuller House, Hot in Cleveland and Young & Hungry and standing in for Meryl Streep in Big Little Lies, Julia Louis-Dreyfus in You People and Julia Roberts in Gaslit, among many other roles. Between early-morning call times and late-night shoots, and recently being named Best Female Stand In by Los Angeles Union Background Actors, Humphrey has guided other Coastal Virginians seeking Hollywood’s bright lights. Somehow, she also recently squeezed in time to share her keys to success with CoVa Mag:
Coastal Virginia Magazine: When did you start acting and who helped you?
Kyle Humphrey: When I was at Channel 3 as a producer, I took a three-year intensive Meisner (a respond-to-stimuli approach to acting) class with Sylvia Harman, a trained actor from New York and a tough cookie. She prepared me for life in LA. I quickly booked Mimi Eisman as an agent-manager. She and Sylvia helped me shape my career. We stayed steadfast friends. Unfortunately, they have both passed away since.
How did you know you “made it” in LA?
I would say when I became SAG [a member of Screen Actors Guild, a union for film and TV actors] in 2003. I kind of relate it to winning the Willy Wonka golden ticket. You have to get three vouchers on set to be eligible. It takes a lot of hard work. Then also when I was able to survive solely on my acting and stand-in gigs by 2008.
Who have you most enjoyed working with?
Mad Men was my first recurring role. I was booked as a secretary in the fictitious Sterling Cooper office. I also worked as a stand-in for most of Jon Hamm’s love interests. It was my first stand-in job, and I learned so much. We worked extremely long hours, but it was worth it. I worked three seasons and loved every minute. I’m still good friends with the cast and crew.
I worked five seasons on Hot in Cleveland as Wendie Malick’s stand-in and that was a blast, too. Wendie is so kind, generous, funny and normal. We are still friends, and she often requests me to stand-in for her on other shows and commercials. Valerie Bertinelli is lovely and so down-to-earth. I worked with Betty White—one of the nicest and funniest ladies ever—for five years, too.
Standing-in for Meryl Streep on Big Little Lies was such an honor. Getting to work alongside Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon was incredible and getting to meet Keith Urban was a dream come true. We traveled to Carmel, Monterey, Malibu and all over LA to shoot, so I would have to say this was definitely a highlight of my career.
Why do you think you’ve been successful?
I look at acting as a business. You have to work hard, know how to market yourself, stay in shape and really be ready for anything. Many times you’ll get a call at 8 p.m. for an audition clear across town at 8 a.m. the next day. You always have to be ready.
I was once driving to a part-time job when I got a call to be on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. I had to shoot immediately for a segment airing that night. A work friend agreed to take my shift.
When I decided to move out to LA, Mimi and Sylvia said, ‘You’re a good actress. Are you a great actress? No. Do we think you’ll make it in LA? Probably, because you are so persistent. You’re such a go-getter. You’re so good about marketing yourself.’ When you’re an actor, you are your own marketing person.
What advice do you give other actors?
Take this business seriously. Get an agent, a manager; take classes, audition, get on set as much as possible, and always, always be professional and on time. Traffic is a nightmare in LA, so being on time really does count.
Moving to Los Angeles isn’t something you should consider lightly. It’s expensive here; crime is rampant. Nowadays a lot of auditions are done via Zoom or on tape, so you don’t have to live here. Look at Keith Flippen [a Coastal Virginia-based actor-acting coach featured on Army Wives, Drop Dead Diva, The Wire and 70-plus other shows and films], one of the best actors I know.
If you do decide to move to LA, have plenty of money in the bank and have a plan. LA isn’t a friendly place, and a million people come in every single day wanting to act. Treat it like a business, be persistent and stay focused.
What do you think you’ll do in the future?
I’ve enjoyed my time here, and I have memories that could fill a book. But I’ve always said I’m an East Coast girl living in a West Coast world. I miss it. My mom lives in Yorktown, and her health is declining, so that makes me think Virginia might be my next step. Who knows, maybe I’ll open my own casting company there.
Kristen De Deyn Kirk
