Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune
March 19, 2021
Actor Mark McKinnon (“The Available Wife,” “Blue Bloods,” “FBI”) said people are often surprised when they learn he is an ordained minister. “There have been several times I had to speak at my church, as well as been called to other churches to speak to their youth and young adult ministries,” said the New York-based actor. “I really don’t promote it much, because I never want to throw people off when they’re trying to get connected with me as an acting coach. However, the way I teach, my lesson plans a lot of times have underlying faith-based knowledge and energy tied to it.” Keep up with McKinnon’s latest projects on his website.
Q: This pandemic has made everyone think differently about vacations. How have you and your wife been handling this?
A: My wife and I love to travel! At least two to three times a year, we try to go out of the country. We’ve been to Jamaica three times, Mexico twice and St. Lucia. Another three to four times a year, we also go on in-country trips, whether it’s for a family vacation or just a quick getaway from our busy lives. When this pandemic hit, it slowed down all of that. For the first time, we were not able to go on a (foreign) vacation for our anniversary. However, we did still make time for a few trips. We traveled to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for a cabin trip. We also went down to Myrtle Beach for a camping trip for Fourth of July. We may not have traveled as much as we would have liked to, but we still made time to enjoy what we could.
Q: Where were you going to go for your anniversary?
A: My wife and I were scheduled to go to Barcelona for our anniversary and we were so excited. We had to push our dates back. Hopefully, we will be able to take this trip (this year). For my birthday, we were scheduled to go back to Cancun, but ended up having to cancel that one as well.
Q: What untapped destination should people know about?
A: St. Lucia is a beautiful place to go. It’s in the Caribbean. Phenomenal food and people. The scenic view through the mountains as you drive to and from the airport is amazing. Prepare for a lot of high hills and deep dips as you drive.
Q: What was the first trip you took as a child?
A: Disney World. My grandmother took me and my stepbrother. I believe I was about eight years old at the time. I do remember loving it, because of all of the attractions at Disney World. I was never afraid of roller coasters or rides, so I definitely had a great time.
Q: Can you share a travel tip?
A: To never trade in my American dollars for the native country dollars – at least not all of it. The very first time I ever traveled to Jamaica, I decided to trade in all the cash I had for Jamaican dollars. Little did I know at that time, the Jamaican dollar wasn’t worth as much as the American dollar. So, I saw how anyone who assisted me or was looking for a tip was looking for me to give them American dollars. Long story short, when I returned home, I had so much Jamaican money left that I could not use in America.
Q: What are your five favorite cities?
A: Dallas, Pigeon Forge (Tenn.), Orlando, New York and Phoenix.
Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A: Dubai. Quite a few of my friends have gone and I loved the photos I saw. They had amazing things to say about it and I can’t wait to check it out for myself.
Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A: Digital camera. Traveling involves creating so many memories. Why not have a high-quality photo to capture those moments? Also, definitely swimming trunks, because you never know when you’ll have a chance to go swimming, even when you’re not near a beach.
Q: What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A: Welch’s Fruit Snacks! Never have I taken a trip without them.
© 2021 JAE-HA KIM
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