IN CONVERSATION WITH CHRISTINA KIRKMAN

interview by JANA LETONJA

Digital creator and actress Christina Kirkman is captivating millions with her distinctive style and unfiltered commentary. She recently broke the internet with her viral unboxing video and review for ‘Lemme Sleep’, the lifestyle supplement brand founded by Kourtney Kardashian Barker. Beyond her online presence, Christina continues to make a significant impact in film and television. She served as an executive producer and stars in the feature film ‘Trigger Happy’, coming out in 2025, and delivered a compelling performance as Emily, a world-class rock climber, in the film ‘The Sound’.

You’ve built a massive following and generated millions of views with your unique storytelling style. Can you share how you’ve developed your distinctive voice and unfiltered commentary?

There’s no sexy response or specific formula other than commitment and trust. That’s it. Commit to peeling back the curtain and your audience will trust you. None of this works if I lose their trust. My voice is distinctive because it’s my voice. It’s my job to weave that voice into everything I do. I used to be terrified to let people see me un-perfect, and that was exhausting.

With your viral review for ‘Lemme Sleep’ leading to 38 million views, what do you think resonated most with your audience? How do you maintain that level of authenticity in your content?

I almost didn’t post that video. What you saw in that video was a real-time review of my experience with that product. I put my phone down, hit record and started rambling. No cuts, no edits, plus no re-shoots. I watched the video back and said “What the heck did I just talk about for nearly 3 minutes? No one is going to watch that”. I saved the video to my drafts and went on with my night. Later that night I said “Let’s post it, see what happens, and if it flops, I’ll delete it”. I took a shower and checked my phone nearly 10 minutes later to see it had already racked up hundreds of thousands of views. Not to mention, it was completely sold out. Like, everywhere.

We exhaust so much of our energy doubting ourselves. Trusting my instincts has opened the door to so many unexpected opportunities and seeing the way my audience has resonated with that has kept me accountable to always remain true to myself.

Your brand is centered on a mix of lifestyle insights and personal anecdotes. How do you balance sharing your personal life while keeping certain aspects private?

I would say this is one of the more challenging parts of this job for me. When you build your brand around transparency, there is this responsibility to share your life with millions of people. With that mentality it becomes quite tricky to create boundaries for yourself, as well as differentiate between real life and social media. Although I share so much, there is also so much I cannot share. So many of my life experiences and stories involve other people and I have to remember that most people do not have this job. Most people seek privacy and I have to respect that. Sometimes I feel guilty that I can’t share it all, but that’s why I make sure that I am truly transparent and open with the stories that I can share.

Your no BS approach is clearly a hit with your audience, who see you as a confidant. How do you decide what real life experiences to share, and how much to reveal?

While I love that my storytelling brings entertainment and enjoyment to others, it’s also extremely therapeutic for me as well. Comedy is definitely the driving force behind nearly all of my content. Comedy is an integral part of my everyday life. I use comedy as a way to cope, a way to decompress and a way to engage with others. Finding the comedy in situations, even those that seem impossible, is extremely fulfilling for me. Anytime I create content, I am seeking the “funny”. “What was funny about this?” “How can I find the humor here?” If those questions inspire me, it’s fair game.

You’ve partnered with big names like Kylie Cosmetics, SKIMS, and Glossier. How do you choose which brands to collaborate with, and what factors are most important in aligning your personal values with theirs?

This is the first time in my professional career that I have control over my own brand. I do not take that lightly. Coming from a more traditional Hollywood background, I was always at the bottom. I was begging people to watch my tapes or allow me to audition. Being a struggling artist is such a “pick me” job. “Pick me, watch me, notice me”. Having the freedom to say no has not only been an empowering part of this job, but also a privilege. I approach every single video, whether it be branded content or organic, with integrity. I always ask myself if this is aligned with my brand? Second question is, “Can I bring my own voice to this?” I have a very specific voice and I always want that to be the focal point of every video. I understand that my approach isn’t always the safest or the most PG, and while I am a super collaborative creator, I will not compromise on my creativity. Everyone has a different process, but I personally do not like to be spoon-fed the creative. I love when brands let me have fun.

You’re widely recognized for your impact on reshaping the online media landscape. What shifts have you seen in the way audiences engage with digital creators like yourself, and how do you stay ahead of the trends?

I understand I am not curing cancer. However, I have always been a firm believer in the power of laughter and entertainment. Regardless of how you prefer to consume it, it is a necessity. Sure, the aesthetic stuff is cool and entertaining too, but people want to feel seen and connected. Social media lets us do this. It lets us connect with people in such an intimate way.

Trends come and go, we all know that. For the sake of social media, I think it’s crucial to keep up with trends, but they shouldn’t account for all of your content. I think the more important task is staying inspired. Anytime I have a funny interaction or idea, I try to make note of it. It’s usually just a few random words or an unfinished thought that I read later that night and say “Raccoons are CIA agents? What was that about?” Writing helps me a lot. I also find that changing your attitude about life and the strange circumstances that occur helps. I try to welcome the weird stuff rather than run from it. If anything, it makes you funnier. 

Your storytelling and content have garnered Hollywood’s attention. How do you manage the transition from being an online personality to working in more traditional entertainment industries?

I love to entertain. When I was solely pursing a traditional career in Hollywood, I wasn’t entertaining. Instead I was asking people every single day for permission to entertain. I grew tired of waiting for someone to say yes. However, on the other hand, I was a social media hater. Looking back, that hate came from jealously and disconnection. I was jealous that these creators were in charge of their career and the content they produced while I was having to beg for validation. And I felt disconnected from a lot of creators that I followed at the time. I didn’t relate to a lot of what I was seeing and that turned me off from it all. So instead, I decided I was going to make my own path and try to blend both worlds. There was no power to take back because quite frankly, I never had it. But I sure was going to get it.

Building a loyal fanbase in today’s media environment is no small feat. What strategies do you use to keep your followers engaged and growing across your various platforms?

I hate to use the world relatability because I feel as though that word has essentially no meaning anymore. It’s not lost on me that being able to pursue this career is a privilege. It’s a privilege to live in Los Angeles, and not have to clock into a 9-5. However, I am always hearing the word relatability when it comes to my platforms. I think what people mean to say is honesty. I try to approach things in a way that maybe people would think, but never say aloud. I am not afraid to mess up or show my flaws, or be unaesthetic.

The tricky thing about this career is a lot of times we see creators start from nothing. They build a loyal audience who helps them grow and achieve success. The more success they achieve, naturally the less relatable they become. My goal is always to remain true to my approach. The things we get to do is a privilege and I never want to make it sound like it’s the norm, regardless of the milestones I reach in this career.

How do you handle the pressure to continuously produce content that stays fresh and relevant while remaining true to your personal style?

Honestly? I don’t. I struggle with this one every single day. The line where my personal life ends and my social media job starts doesn’t exist. We are in charge of drawing that line. We are in charge of creating content that is fun and engaging, while also making it appear as though it is seamless. We work hard to make it appear as though we are hardly working. It’s a juggling act for sure. And while I have many talents, juggling isn’t my strongest one. I am an all-or-nothing kind of person. When it comes to a career in social media, that can be a quite dangerous trait to possess. I experience burnout, creative fatigue and guilt all the time.

In 2024, you made a notable leap into film as an executive producer and starred in Trigger Happy, a dark comedy, and later played Emily, a world-class rock climber in The Sound. What was that transition like, and how did you prepare for these roles?

This was a very bittersweet moment for me. I booked 2 films and then immediately after, I lost my theatrical representation. I felt like I took 10 steps forward and 10 steps back at the same time. Going to set all day and experiencing all these career high moments and having no team to share it with was hard. I was gaining momentum and remaining stagnant at the same time. Being able to work on films back-to-back is a dream for any actor. I was reminded of how much I l love being on set while also being reminded of how lonely the industry can feel at times. Feeling the push and pull of all those emotions at once nudged me closer to a career in social media. There was so much pressure placed on those roles for me because honestly, they only happen maybe once or twice a year.

The preparation for ‘Trigger Happy’, formerly named ‘Discontent’, was pretty immersive and I was able to be a part of the world since its beginning stages. I first saw the script back in 2021 and then we filmed the proof of concept. During our first film festival circuit, I spent a great deal of time with our director, Tiffany Kim Stevens. I grew closer and closer to this project and had the time to really dissect and understand the wacky world that this film took place in. Once it was time to shoot the feature, I felt so deeply connected to the project and everyone behind it.

‘The Sound’ happened much quicker and although I wasn’t able to spend as much time with the script and cast as I was with ‘Trigger Happy’, there was far more physical training that took place. Although I had plenty of rock-climbing experience prior to booking the film, my character Emily was named the speed queen, so I wanted to train as much as possible before filming. Luckily, at the time I lived on top of a rock-climbing gym so I spent every night there leading up to filming in Vegas. The day after I had wrapped on ‘The Sound’, the strike hit. Since we were feeling that pressure leading up to my wrap, we had to quickly shift during filming and get our scenes done ASAP. Because of this tight squeeze, I wasn’t able to climb as much as originally planned. But hey, that’s showbiz.

Your involvement in ‘R U All That? The Search for the Funniest Kid in America’ led you to becoming a series regular on ‘All That’. How do you see your career evolving in film and TV moving forward?

‘All that’ was and will always be a huge part of my story. I like to believe that I was always meant to entertain and I would have found that path somewhere somehow, but I can’t ignore the fact that my time on ‘All That’ gave me the confidence to pursue the things I love today. 

I discovered from a very early age that my greatest thrill was making people laugh, bonus points if they cry, and I have been chasing that feeling ever since. Acting inevitability limits that. As much as I loved film and television, I grew so tired of waiting for someone to give me permission to entertain. Now, I get to entertain every day, or at least as often as I want. I’m still so excited about acting and that bug will never go away. However, this time around, I will not sacrifice my peace, my financial stability or my creative freedom for it. Entertaining will always be the goal, whatever that looks like.

With your significant impact in both the digital and film worlds, what would you say is the most rewarding part of your career right now?

Success means something different for everyone. For me, it’s freedom. Whether it be financial freedom, freedom of time or creative freedom. Ideally, all of the above. I love to work, and I have the freedom to do that. I don’t have to work with people I don’t want to, because I have the freedom to say no. And I can create something that I love every single day, because I have the freedom of being my own boss.

photographer JONNY MARLOW