Kelly Hetherington

Kelly Hetherington is a debut Director, Writer and Actor working out of sunny Brisbane in Queensland Australia. His recent credits include "Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Men Tell No Tales" as a Barbosa Pirate and Director of "Kurzeme Fortress". He started in commercials as an extra and starred in few award winning short films including Departures by Luke Farrow. His mother, Sylvija Karklins, is a Latvian woman who gave birth to Kelly in Christchurch, New Zealand. His mothers parents were WW2 Latvian immigrants. The first years of his youth were mostly without a Father until the arrival of his Stepfather Deckland Hetherington when he was Four. Although brought up in a poorer family Kelly found great freedom in the creative arts, with singing, writing, dancing and performing from an early age. His first creative success came through 1st, 2nd and 3rd placings in local New Zealand Hip Hop dance competitions. He would have to practice in his small bedroom by copying the TV as there were no local dance schools in the countryside. He attended Choir in his local community. Both his mother and stepfather encouraged him in various Martial arts disciplines. After leaving High School he attended a Performing Arts College in Christchurch New Zealand where he completed his Diploma in all three disciplines after one year. Performing in a few local theater productions, he married at only Nineteen and eventually moved to New South Wales in Australia where he eventually ended up in corporate Telecommunications until tragic circumstances shook him to breaking point. Climbing out of losing a lifelong partner and bankruptcy, Kelly fell in love with the idea that life is short. A small agency in Sydney Australia encouraged him to join the Actors Pulse, a Meisner Technique actor training school run by Billy Milionis. Kelly found great comfort and strength in discovering he could express truth through his acting there and would spend the next Four years mastering his craft. Trained by actors Luke Ford, Jeff Bollow, Ivan Topic, Billy Milionis and Leanne Rhymes. Kelly received an award for improvisational ability which he savours to this day as a reminder to take risks. Kelly's Directorial debut "Kurzeme Fortress" was written in honor of his Latvian Grandmother and is based on the book "Andris, Where Are You?" by Ron Crosby.