Meet the Team: Kevin Collins!

What’s your name and where are you from?

My name is Kevin Collins. I was a working stage, screen and voice actor in the UK and the USA for over two decades. In New York City, I did a wide variety of commercial, documentary and animation voiceover for many years. I gradually left that world to prioritize my vocation as a husband and father and to work on more family-friendly projects. We moved to a farm in upstate New York. It’s one of the best sacrifices I’ve ever made.

What is your role at The Merry Beggars?

I’m The Merry Beggars' Creative Producer. I work closely with our fantastic executive and associate producers, script development team, casting director and audio director to develop and produce all our programming. 

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How did you join The Merry Beggars team?

I met Peter Atkinson through the Catholic Artists Society, which I co-founded in 2011. Peter was a dynamic young actor with amazing ideas for a new family-entertainment audio company. I was struck by his vision, energy, business acumen, and his ability to get things done. I was excited when Peter invited me to teach a voice acting course for The Merry Beggars and later, to participate in the writers' room for what became The Saints series.  I joined as a full-time Casting Director for The Merry Beggars in 2023 and was recently promoted to Creative Producer. 

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What is something no one knows about you?

Steven Spielberg asked me to cut my hair on an airport tarmac in Budapest. I had to say no. He used a word I can’t repeat, but a brilliant hair and makeup director saved the day. It all turned out fine.

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What is the favorite project you have worked on at The Merry Beggars?

The Pier Giorgio Frassati series was the first show I wrote and directed for The Merry Beggars. It was the first time I was able to put all of my professional skills as a director, writer and actor into a single project, which was extremely rewarding. It was a fantastic experience, and I was hooked on The Merry Beggars!

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What is working at The Merry Beggars like?

I love collaborating with our team. Everyone brings his or her own expertise and A-game to the creative table. Every day is exciting, challenging, rewarding, and offers opportunities for artistic and spiritual growth. I love seeing our actors respond to the material in our scripts. Hearing audience feedback is terrific. It’s thrilling to be doing work that’s meaningful and wholesome. A dream come true.