Kansas Bowling (born August 2, 1996) is an American film director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and actress. She is best known for directing B.C. Butcher (2016) and Cuddly Toys (2022) and acting in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).
Early life Bowling was born and raised in California. Her parents are Arin Thompson and luxury real estate agent William Preston Bowling of Phoenix, Arizona. At age 13, she received a Super 8 film camera as a Christmas gift and immediately started shooting short films with her sister.
Career
B.C. Butcher
Bowling directed B.C. Butcher (2016) starring Kato Kaelin, Rodney Bingenheimer, Natasha Halevi, and Kadeem Hardison. The film was produced by Lloyd Kaufman and distributed by Troma Entertainment on Blu-ray and their streaming service Troma Now on VHX.
The movie had its theatrical premiere on March 3, 2016, at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California. The premiere had a musical performance by Count Smokula and Ron Jeremy.
Bowling was the first inductee into the Troma Institute For Gifted Youth and listed as one of W Magazine's 42 up-and-comers in their April 2016 "Next in Line" issue.
Music videos
Bowling has directed over 30 music videos for various artists (shot on 8mm or 16mm film).
In the music video for Kat Meoz's "Here I Wait", Bowling shot the only existing footage of Richard Brautigan's papier-mâché bird Willard who was the subject of his 1975 novel Willard and His Bowling Trophies.
On April 13, 2018, released a video through Universal Germany for their song "Magst Du Mich" directed by and starring Bowling and her sister Parker Love Bowling.
On August 15, 2018, Rolling Stone released a video Bowling directed for the Death Valley Girls' song "Disaster (Is What We're After)". The video is four minutes of musician Iggy Pop eating a hamburger. The video is an homage to Jørgen Leth's 1982 film 66 Scenes of America, where Andy Warhol eats a hamburger. Yahoo Entertainment named it one of their favorite videos of the year.
On October 2, 2018, Stereogum premiered another video Bowling directed for the Death Valley Girls for their song "One Less Thing (Before I Die)". Bowling attended the home-made rocket launch for the daredevil and limo driver Mad Mike Hughes and filmed his successful attempt at launching in the sky.
Acting
Bowling and her sister Parker Love Bowling starred in Jared Master's biblical period film Absolute Vow. In 2018, Bowling produced and acted in the short film Swamp Women Kissing Booth which was the first film to feature actress Kathleen Hughes, star of It Came from Outer Space, in a starring role since 1958. In 2020, Bowling starred as the protagonist, Nancy Banana alongside Bill Weeden in the parody film, Psycho Ape!, and will return for the upcoming sequel.
In 2019, she portrayed Sandra Good, a member of the Manson family, in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Bowling appeared in Glenn Danzig's Verotika as well as Glenn Danzig's sophomore feature Death Rider in the House of Vampires, alongside Julian Sands and Devon Sawa.
In early 2020, The Killers debuted a short film to coincide with the release of their new album Imploding the Mirage starring Bowling and Griffin Dunne. Two music videos were edited of the short film for the songs "Caution" and "My Own Soul's Warning".
Bowling was featured in Joe Begos' Christmas Bloody Christmas which was released theatrically December 2022.
In 2023, the 1990s throwback slasher film The Third Saturday in October Part V premiered featuring Bowling in the lead role. Bowling is also in the lead role of the 2023 aerobics slasher film Murdercise.
Cuddly Toys
As of 2023, Bowling has been touring the United States theatrically with her film Cuddly Toys. The film has been described as a "saccharine nightmare" about taboo matters on girlhood told in a "shockumentary" style. The film stars Cynda McElvana, Brissa Monique, Parker Love Bowling, Caroline Williams, Schooly D, Don Devore, Mickey Madden, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Charlotte Sartre, Dylan Greenberg, D.C. Douglas, Sune Rose Wagner, and Keith Allison.
Writing
Kansas Bowling has written and published two books with publisher Far West Press. Her first book A Cuddly Toys Companion details the making of her film Cuddly Toys. The second is titled Prewritten Letters For Your Convenience, which she wrote with her sister, Parker Love Bowling, when they were children and published as adults.
Personal life She is the older sister of actress Parker Love Bowling.
In 2019, Bowling sued musician Ariel Pink after he hired her to go on tour with him to film his concerts and did not pay her. Pitchfork reported that as of 2020, the case has been settled in court.
Bowling previously dated musician Don Devore.
She currently lives in Nevada.
Filmography Film Year Title Writer Director Actor Producer Role 2003 Klepto Nick's daughter 2016 B.C. Butcher Model 2016 The Bridemaker Bride 2017 Absolute Vow Bithiah 2017 Curious Females Tara 2018 Swamp Women Kissing Booth Sissy 2018 Reagitator: Revenge of the Parody Nancy the Demon Cheerleader 2018 Primitiva Katrina 2019 Verotika Young Peasant Girl 2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood "Blue" 2019 Beyond the Law Chastity 2020 Psycho Ape! Nancy Banana 2020 Tales From the Grave: The Movie Emma 2021 Death Rider in the House of Vampires Rider's Dead Sister 2022 Cuddly Toys Professor Kansas Bowling 2022 Christmas Bloody Christmas Liddy 2023 Third Saturday in October Part V Maggie 2023 Murdercise Phoebe 2024 Psycho Ape 2 Nancy Banana 2025 No! YOU'RE WRONG. or: Spooky Action at a Distance Mary TBA Creek Encounters Evie Tucker TBA Bad Brain TBA TBA Untitled True Crime Project TBA
Television Year Title Episode Writer Director Actor 2017 Party Legends "Breaking Bad Vibes" (S1E3)
Music videos
Year Song Artist Credit 1998 "Believe" K's Choice Actor 2010 "Farmer's Daughter" Crystal Bowersox Actor 2014 "So Long" Alyeska Director 2015 "You Needed to Know" CTZNSHP Director 2016 "Post Teenage Angst" Kill My Coquette Director 2016 "Disco" Death Valley Girls Director 2016 "Muffins" Them Guns Actor 2016 "Zombie Movie" Peter Litvin Actor 2016 "I Just Sued the School System!" Prince Ea Actor 2016 "Bloom" Papa M Director 2017 "Spin Spin" Tilli Director 2017 "Flesh Flower Dream" Tilli Director 2017 "Always" The Fontaines Director 2017 "Dd" Taffy Director 2017 "Forever Blue" The Moonkids Director 2017 "L.A. Don't Love You" Kat Meoz Director 2017 "Murkiii" Taffy Director 2017 "Never Slow Down" Livingmore Director 2017 "The Jester" Silas Nello Director 2017 "Christmas in Hollywood" Kat Meoz Director 2018 "Disaster (Is What We're After)" Death Valley Girls Director 2018 "The Resort Beyond the Last Resort" Collapsing Scenery Director 2018 "Burn Down the Cornfield" Collapsing Scenery Director 2018 "Modern World" Collapsing Scenery Director 2018 "Here I Wait" Kat Meoz Director 2018 "Magst du mich" Drangsal Director2018"(One Less Thing) Before I Die" Death Valley Girls Director2018 "Trashworld" Surfbort Director 2018 "More Dead" Death Valley Girls Actor 2018 "Diamond Nights" Lauren Rocket Director2019 "Falling" CRX Director2019 "Get Close" CRX Director2019 "The Bold One" Kristeen Young Director2020 "Imploding the Mirage: The Short Film" The Killers Actor2020"Caution"The KillersActor2020"My Own Soul's Warning"The KillersActor2020"Beam Me Up"Lauren RocketDirector2021"Corpse Grinding Man”Harley PoeActor2021"My Sweet Lord”George HarrisonActor2022"You Already Know”Collapsing SceneryDirector2022"Feathers in the Clouds”James Marlon MagasDirector2022"Violence”HeadkrackDirector2023"Morbid Symptoms”Collapsing Scenery ft. Tippa Lee, Avalon Lurks, and L'EspiralDirector2023"Shakin'”Basic ElementsActor
Awards and nominations Year Award Work Category Result 2020 Screen Actors Guild Award Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture 2020 Independent Horror Movie Awards Psycho Ape Best actress 2021 New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival Psycho Ape Best actress 2022 Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival Cuddly Toys Best film 2022 LA Live Film Festival Headkrack: Violence Best music video 2023 GenreBlast Film Festival Murdercise Best actress
References
External links