Meet Freddie Kuguru | Actor. Entrepreneur. Philanthropist.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Freddie Kuguru and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Freddie, can you tell us about an impactful book you’ve read and why you liked it or what impact it had on you?
“Rich Dad Poor Dad” is a book that has had a big impact on my life. It taught me the importance of financial literacy, and accumulating assets that produce monthly cash flow.

Why do I believe that this important? Because if we have assets that produce enough income to cover our expenses, then we are financially independent. This means that we won’t have to go into a job that we are not passionate about. Therefore, we are free to spend our time (and the only life that we have) doing the things that we love most.

The book inspired me to start a side business that (fortunately) pays the bills now. In turn, this has freed up my time to pursue the things in life that bring me joy and fulfilment (for example: the performing arts, enjoying more time with family & friends, travelling to new places, etc).

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am grateful to have met & collaborated with many talented artists so far in my journey, and I am excited to continue meeting more fascinating creatives along the way. I always enjoy listening to their stories, as they are often a compelling source of inspiration and a reminder of our humanity.

Professionally, I got to where I currently am with help from kind and generous people who believed in me enough to take a chance on me. These people include (but are not limited to) my mentors, manager, agents, casting directors, directors, and producers.

Like many things in life that are of value, the journey has not been easy – but it has been worth it. I have been able to overcome challenges by surrounding myself with good people who are smarter, wiser, and more experienced than I am; as well as by consuming copious amounts of chocolate ice cream.

Ultimately, I wish to leave the world a slightly better place by making a valuable and lasting contribution to a cause that is bigger than I am. That is what I want my story to be about.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would definitely hit up ‘H Mart’ and enjoy some delicious Korean food.

Currently, I’m in a place in life where I appreciate hanging out with friends and family at home more than going out to bars and clubs. So we would enjoy a lot of pool and house parties, backyard BBQ’s, potlucks, and brick oven pizza parties.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate a big shoutout to my father. He led by example, and taught me (and my siblings) the values of hard work, perseverance, consistency, and creativity. He made it a point to provide all of his kids with the best education possible, and I am very grateful for this.

I am also thankful that my pops never “spared the rod” when I misbehaved as a child, as I learned the values of discipline and respect via the many ‘butt whoopings’ that I received over the years.

If my father did not work hard in his younger years to provide his kids with a better life, then I would be in a very different (and much more challenging) position. I am very aware of this fact. However thanks to my dad’s hustle and tenacity, my siblings and I are in stronger positions to enjoy more freedoms and opportunities in life. So THANK YOU dad!

I also have professional mentors who have guided me in both the performing arts, as well as in my side business – and I am extremely grateful to them for sharing their invaluable wisdom and experience with me. Mahalo!

Website: www.freddiekuguru.com

Instagram: @freddiekuguru

Other: imdb.me/freddiekuguru