An Interview With Wanda Malhotra
Be you … There is only one of you in all time.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Kira Reed Lorsch.
Kira Reed Lorsch is an actress, Emmy® winner and PGA producer. After graduating UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television, she has enjoyed a prolific career including acting in feature films and network TV shows, hosting and producing news magazine programs, and executive producing indie film and television. Kira currently stars as acting teacher “Ellen” in the drama series Rumors, now available on Tubi. For her role of vixen “Jo Connors” on The Bay Kira received a Daytime Emmy acting nomination and won 2 as a producer. Kira’s new episodes of Odd Man Out, as boss-lady “Christi”, begin streaming on Peacock summer 2024. Kira’s recent movies include Acts of Desperation and Beckman, and she is featured in the erotic thriller documentary We Kill for Love. Kira spends her time giving back to numerous charitable organizations, including Shelter Hope Pet Shop, through the Robert H. Lorsch Foundation and has served on the Board of Trustees of California Science Center and as President of The Thalians: Hollywood for Mental Health.
Thank you so much for doing this with us — -! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be on TV. When I was 4, I begged my mom to get me an audition for Romper Room and my show business career was born. I did local catalog modeling, TV commercials, and whatever was available in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I was born and raised. I loved watching reruns of classics like I Love Lucy on Nick at Night and my babysitter would sit me in front of the TV where I got hooked on General Hospital and Days of Our Lives. I was also inspired by Charlie’s Angels. I enlisted the neighborhood kids to re-enact storylines complete with feathered hair, jump suits, and squirt guns. When we moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where my stepdad was from, I attended the Youth Performing Arts High School where I studied drama. From there, I got a scholarship to UCLA, I moved back to California and started working while getting my degree. I earned my SAG card doing bit parts on 90’s teen shows like Parker Lewis Can’t Lose and the original 90210.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
While finishing UCLA, it was “The Bunny” that jumped-started my life-long entertainment career. My first more than a “couple of lines” role was a Playboy produced feature film Maui Heat Swimsuit Edition. I was hired for the role of “Make-up artist to the Swimsuit Models.” I was the accessible, girl-next-door sidekick character to the long-legged, blonde Playboy girls. I could not believe I was getting paid to shoot on location in Maui! From there, Zalman King saw me and cast me in Red Shoe Diaries. I was featured in Playboy magazine for another Showtime series I co-starred in Women: Stories of Passion. I began to be offered leading roles in R-rated erotic thrillers like Price of Desire, Secrets of a Chambermaid, and Losing Control, to name a few, before being hired as a reporter for Playboy TV’s news magazine show Sexcetera. It was a dream job that I held for over a decade. I traveled from Australia to the Czech Republic covering everything “from the erotic to the downright bizarre” — the show’s tagline. I soon began writing my own segments and producing other reporters. That led me to jobs at E!, Associated Television International and now indie film and TV production with The RHL Group.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Mistakes are what make us interesting. There are no accidents. I believe everything happens for a reason — to grow. I used to beat myself up for my little mistakes and bigger failures. I don’t anymore because I have accepted that I am human — not perfect. I fall so I can learn to get back up. One funny little thing I did, before I knew how to read a call-sheet properly, was to arrive on location at the start of day with the crew. On my first film, I would show up at “crew-call” and eat breakfast off the catering truck and chat while the make-up and hair team set up in the trailer. I didn’t realize that as an actor I had a separate call time, further down the sheet, to come to set once they were ready for me. To this day I like arriving early and hanging with the production crew. Perhaps it has helped me move smoothly in front of and behind the lens.
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your professional life? Can you share a story?
My late husband Bob Lorsch made a profound impact on me. He encouraged me, after I had “retired”, to give acting another go when the opportunity to play “Jo Connors” on The Bay came along. That decision ended up earning me 2 Emmys. He also put my behind-the-camera skills to good use by having me produce charity events with the Robert H. Lorsch Foundation and gave me the reigns of The RHL Group to transform it into a production company. Bob was also my mentor in philanthropy. He was a member of the Board of Trustees at California Science Center and served on the Executive Committee of D.A.R.E. America. He received numerous honors including Muscular Dystrophy Association’s “Humanitarian of the Year Award”, Starlight Children’s Foundation’s “Golden Wish Award” and the Wildlife Waystation’s “Paws of Fame Award”. I am happy to keep his legacy of Giving Until It Feels Good alive.
How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you’re working on right now?
I work closely with The Robert H. Lorsch Foundation and was excited to honor Hugh M. Hefner for a lifetime of philanthropy at The Thalians: Hollywood for Mental Health gala benefiting the wounded heroes of UCLA Operation Mend. I became a board member, and along with Bob, chaired another successful gala honoring Smokey Robinson. Following the passing of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, I was elected President and focused on mental health and wellness programs for military men and women and their families. I have also served on the Board of Trustees of California Science Center, home of the Robert H. Lorsch Family Pavilion, and Board of Governors (BOG) of Cedars-Sinai. Our Foundation also contributes to Academy Museum Foundation, Television Academy Foundation, and Shelter Hope Pet Shop animal rescue to name a few.
Can you share with us a story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
I’m a believer and giving organically where it’s needed right in front of you. I was never an animal person until a pregnant Momma cat showed up on my doorstep, adopted me, and had babies on my porch. Then Bob came complete with dogs. I somehow got wrangled by Shelter Hope Pet Shop to write the Beverly Hills Courier “Rescue Dog of the Week” and to be the “Pets 2 Love Lady” on the CBSLA morning news. That’s how Missy, who has been with me a dozen years, came into my life as a foster dog available for adoption and never left. She has grown to tolerate my cats and greets me every time I walk in the door with barks and kisses. I rescued Missy when she needed it …and of course I’ve learned that animals rescue you right back.
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
Kim Sill is the incredible woman behind Shelter Hope Pet Shop. She rescues dogs from high-kill Shelters, holds spay-neuter clinics, and finds animals loving forever homes. She is a passionate animal advocate and a terrific actress and producer. Fun story: We met on my first film Maui Heat. There are no accidents.
Are there things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?
Give where it’s needed most in your community. Give where a little goes a long way. You don’t need to have millions of dollars to help. You can volunteer at a shelter. You can hold the door for someone juggling groceries and children. You can smile and say hello to a stranger on the street. On the animal rescue front, spaying and neutering your pet is essential. Government can continue to pass laws against puppy mills and for rescue-only pet stores. We have too many animals euthanized in shelters. So, when looking for a pet, please adopt.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1. Be you … There is only one of you in all time.
2. It’s ok if not everyone likes you … It’s not your job to please everyone.
3. Keep it simple … Be kind, clean house, trust God, and help others.
4. Accept people as they are… Not what you want them to be.
5. Give more than you take … That’s winning!
Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive?
My self-care is easy-does-it these days. I eat clean and healthy 75 percent of the time but allow myself treats that make me happy. I walk my dog, practice gentle yoga, and enjoy hiking. I get plenty of sleep. I gave up alcohol — it doesn’t work for me anymore. I’ve learned to avoid feeling stressed and overwhelmed by taking life one day at a time. Good skin care, including sunscreen and moisturizer and regular facials, is key. Don’t forget to Hydrate -Water, water, water. I start and end my day with gratitude, prayer, and meditation. Plus, let’s get real: I’m an actress in Hollywood … I’ve got a Med spa on speed dial.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I’d like to inspire an Empathy Movement. Like Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird says: ‘You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you climb in his skin and walk around in it. ‘ Let’s all work to accept and understand better where each other is coming from. Life is not easy. Most of us are holding on by a thread. Have some compassion. Everyone is dealing with something you know nothing about unless you walk in their shoes for a while. Cultivating the ability to understand and share the feelings of others is something I strive for on the daily.
This is what we call our “matchmaker question”, and it sometimes works. Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have a power lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
I just went to a Television Academy screening event for FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans. Watch it on Hulu. It’s a beautiful anthology series featuring legendary women played my legendary actresses. I think creator Ryan Murphy is a genius. Ryan — let’s do lunch!
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
www.kirareedlorsch.com & Instagram @kirareedlorsch
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Photos by Amy Graves and Cherie Steinberg
About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.
Stars Who Make a Difference: Why & How Actress Kira Reed Lorsch Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.