Tommy, you’ve been with us for a while now! First, as a loyal member and now as one of our first ambassadors to join the program. What an incredible journey it has been to have this evolving relationship with you. Could you tell us about how it first started for you?

Protein smoothies and shakes had never worked for me. They weren’t filling, didn’t have a ton of real ingredients, and were outrageously expensive. Honestly, I saw an ad on social media for kencko with all the different smoothie options and flavors and I said to myself “give it a shot. If you don’t like it, that’s fine.” I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve tried every smoothie and gumdrop!

Your health journey has been inspirational. Are there any key insights or things you’ve learned along the way while being a kencko member that you would like to share?

kencko has taught me about balance, pushing yourself when you’re feeling strong, but then, knowing days you need to rest. It's much easier said than done but definitely listen to your body's needs. That goes for your intake as well. Depending on my workout regimen, some days I’ll load up on the veggie and fruit smoothies, other days I hit the proteins harder. Listen to your body… it’ll tell you what it needs!

Tell us about your passions and when what drives you! 

My passions are health and fitness and being a working actor, singer, and model. They go hand in hand. Some shoots are very intense and very hands-on, which, for me, means I need to be taking care of myself, on or off set. For me, that entails getting a head start on my day with warming up my body first (going on a run or walk and doing a vocal warm up before arriving on set). Cooling down at the end of the day is important as well. After I’ve finished a long day of shooting or an evening of performances, I’m silent. I don’t talk or sing. I let my vocal chords rest for a solid 10 minutes and I re-hydrate. kencko makes this process and my days so much easier. So many of kencko’s smoothies help with keeping your skin fresh, replenishing your muscles, and your body’s immunity. 

We know being an artist as a singer, model and performer demands a lot of time and dedication. How do you keep up with self-care and your nutrition?

Long days make it tough on set but my routine actually starts the night before. I’ll do a face mask and get to bed pretty early, regardless of my call time the next day. My mornings consist of a 3-4 mile run, followed by a core workout and one a smoothie. kencko’s products are so easy to grab on the go or during a quick five!

What have been some of your favorite performances?

I just finished filming two feature films! Both the films and characters were polar opposites and they filmed just a week apart from each other so dropping one character and transforming into another with such a quick turn-around was a challenge, but fun! As for professional theater, my two favorite roles would be Robert in Company or Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show.

Your creative touch on Instagram stories with smoothie flavors is so much fun to see. Can you share your top three favorite flavors and why they're special to you?

I’m a goofy person and the wheels in my brain are always turning so I’m trying to channel that into my content! My top three flavors have to be the peaches, pumpkin spice [note from kencko: this is a limited-edition, seasonal flavor – if you’re reading this in June… sorry!], and yellows! peaches has a really unique mix of fruits and veggies which is great for those days when I want a great mix of both! I’m not a huge fan of the artificial pumpkin flavors but the kencko smoothie immediately hopped into my top three since it’s real pumpkin and tastes like it! Again, it's the mix of fruits and veggies for a natural, smooth flavor! How can you go wrong?! yellows are my ultimate go-to – with being so busy, they help keep my immune system in perfect health!

You're quite the runner as well. Could you let us in on the smoothie choices you make before and after a run to keep your energy up and recover effectively?

mochas, greens and blues are my go to in the morning when I need a pick-me-up, especially before races. After a race, my go-to is purples, rubies, or ambers. purples are anti-inflammatory. rubies are great for balancing my body post-race, and ambers are great with the gut-friendly fiber.

As we wrap up this interview, Tommy, we're excited to learn something new about you. Is there a fun or interesting fact, a hidden talent, or a special experience you'd like to share with the community?

Just recently, I PR’d [ran a personal best time], running a 5k race I hadn’t run in over a decade. I finished in 21:25, 11th overall, and 1st in my age group (pictured above in the yellow-shirt.) Industry-wise, I’ve filmed background on two episodes of NBC’s Chicago Fire! As for my goofy side, I'm a HUGE fan of Halloween!