Actress, mother, philanthropist, chef, and Broadway star—Kearran Giovanni has a lot on her plate, but she’s found a way to balance it all. Getting her start on Broadway, Giovanni has since transitioned to television and has made her mark playing Amy Sykes, army veteran and detective on TNT’s Major Crimes. But no matter where she is or what she’s doing, Giovanni puts her family first and proves that with balance, you can do it all.
Cliché: What made you make the switch from Broadway to television?
It was always something that I wanted to do. It wasn’t that I didn’t try, just the opportunities weren’t there. I decided to do Broadway until I couldn’t anymore and then I’d switch over if I could. I did a few things until Major Crimes came along, and it was the perfect opportunity. I always wanted to try LA, but I was too chicken to come here without a job. Coming here with a job and with a family was pretty much the perfect scenario.
How is it playing a detective on TV?
It’s pretty awesome! Is it hard to do emotional stuff? Absolutely! But it’s really fun to chase a bad guy and do something that you would never get to do in real life. It’s pretty exciting, and I love all of the cases. I feel like I’m a fan of my own show because I love shows like Law and Order and CSI and to get to be on a show where I get my own scripts with my own cases is pretty cool.
How was the process of training for the role?
It was awesome; you know, my husband is still jealous. I had a Navy SEAL come in and train me how to carry a gun, how to walk like a cop and everything they think about when going into an operation. I always think about how most people run from danger, but cops and safety people run towards the danger. There are aspects he brought to my attention, and then I got to go shoot almost every gun under the sun. It’s very empowering to hold some of the guns and know how to use it. I carry a 9-glock on the show, so yeah, it’s very cool.
You do so much, so how do you find time to do it all?
I try my best. For me, it’s home or it’s work. I don’t go out or do special things all of the time. I’m sure it would be really fun, but when I’m not home, I’m rushing back. But it’s not in a bad way. It was a choice. No matter what I did as a career, I always wanted to be a mom and have a family. If my job ended tomorrow, I would still have everything I’ve always wanted. To me I look at everything, and it’s a lot, but it’s a balance of your priorities. I try and always make my husband and kids my top priority, and everything tends to fall into place. We also schedule a lot. There is a calendar in every room, so we are well-organized. It’s hopefully becoming a well-oiled machine now.
Check out the Oct/Nov issue for the full interview!
