Kijan Simmons‘ journey to Hollywood was a lot different than most. After leaving the military, he started his own security company where he would provide protection for celebrities and other high-end clients. He would work 12-16 hour shifts doing security, and in his off time, he was taking acting classes. His preparation finally met opportunity when he was cast on “The Family Business: New Orleans.” Since then, he’s also competed in one of the most-watched TV series of 2024, “The Beast Games.”
Simmons stepped into the Star Studio to tell us about his acting roles and drop some gems.
What was it like when you found out you would be on “The Family Business: New Orleans“?
Oh, man, yeah, that was a crazy experience. I had really applied to be an extra just, you know, you probably wouldn’t even see my face. I was walking around with a mask on at a party, that was my role, and I got on set, and Carl Weber was like, I made this role for you. And they took me to a trailer. I said, I got a trailer? I said, Wait, what are we doing here? Yeah, man, but when I found [out] that he hand-picked the [role] for me, he was like, “Yeah, you should be the bodyguard for the family …” And he had already picked out the role. He didn’t even wait for me to answer. He [was] just like, “This is your trailer. Here’s your food. Don’t come out until we tell you it’s time.”
What three things should aspiring actors do today?
Okay, first of all, don’t follow my footsteps. Go get your [headshots] done. That’s the very first thing I would say, [headshots]. Take classes. Continue taking classes … I still haven’t stopped taking classes. I’ve been to all types of [improv] and stuff that I don’t even really do. It’s not my specialty, necessarily, but it’s those tools to have in your bag. I’ve taken comedy classes. I’m not a comedian, but you know, if a role pops up, I want to be able to do it. So, yeah, just continue learning. Get your [headshots] done and learn how to sell yourself. Your presentation and your first impression, it really does matter.
Tell me about competing on “The Beast Games.”
Just watching it, it looked insane, bro. It was [intense], when you [bring] 2000 strangers together… [Around] 98% of everybody were strangers. There [were] a couple people that was like, “Oh, I’ve seen you before,” but strangers, 2000 people. [We] first did it in the Raiders Stadium, the [Allegiant] Stadium. And, yeah, it was crazy. We slept on the floor at a stadium. We were probably the only people, still probably the only people ever to sleep on the floor in Raiders Stadium. [From] that experience, I’ve gained so many new friends, new connections, new partnerships. It was definitely an amazing experience.
What was the worst and best part of being on “The Beast Games”?
It’s really the same answer for both: the people I’ve met and the people I’ve met. [There are] two types of people, [those] who have consideration for others and those that don’t. When you have 2000 people sleeping in the same area, there’s a lot of different hygiene rituals that go on or [don’t]. And there’s a lot of attitudes, a lot of different ways people view life. There was a lot of complaining from a lot of people, and being in the military, I’m like, this is great. I’m like, we could be outside and it could be raining and we could have animals trying to [eat] our food, but this is great.
How is Mr. Beast in real life?
He’s the same person. He’s amazing. Same high energy. He’s very relatable, very personable. He made a point to come around and talk to all of us as much as he could. He and his whole team still [check] up on us.
