One on One: Adam Hendershott

I am all In. Let's just you.

I Am all in with Scott Patterson, an iHeartRadio podcast.

Hey Everybody, Scott Patterson, I Am all In Podcast, one of our productions iHeartRadio, I heart Media, iHeart Podcasts. Today we are going to do an interview with Adam Hendershott. He played a k at the Yale Daily News for seven episodes. He is currently a commercial and editorial portrait photographer. Was born, raised, and is still based in Los Angeles. Adam got into the entertainment industry when he was discovered

Oh boy, I remember I had. It was a it was a lengthy auditioning process. It was a unique process too. We actually it was my first time going and being paired with like a group of people because I had my role was in the Yale newsroom. So I remember being paired up with a group at the audition and they and before I went in, my manager said, hey, man, you got to watch Gilmore Girls to make sure you understand the tone of this show. And I did, and so I was like, okay, I know, I gotta I

That was it was.

It was an awesome interview experience. Is definitely unique.

So you didn't have any problem with the speed or.

I didn't really. It was it was kind of fun being part of a group where I you know, as soon as as soon it might turn to speak, man, I was just man, I was ready to ready to jump in.

Yeah, okay, good, So you nailed it and then how long afterwards did you know you got the offer? Your agent call you and say you got it?

Oh. I think I went to like an initial call and then they brought us back for like producers or director and then and then as soon as that happened, I believe it was either that night or the next day that that I got an offer to be on it.

And were you pretty pumped because were you away of the show and you knew, hey, this this is definitely a shot in the arm for the career.

Heck, yeah, man, that was back back then. I mean it was a lifetime ago. So yeah, I was definitely stoked to be on a on a hit shot. Oh man, it was I've been acting since I was a little kid, but you know, and took a little break and then and then when uh, when it was time to get back into it, and and I was in my late teens. Uh, I was super passionate about acting, and getting on the show was definitely uh uh encouraging and uh very cool.

So you played uh A K A K on the Year for the Yale Daily News for seven episodes. It's a lot of episodes. Yeah, they just kept calling you to come back, or did they give you a seven episode deal. They just kept calling.

They did not they just they just kept calling. It was awesome. Yeah. Every time that they needed to go back to the the news room and I was in it and I was in the scripts, they just said, hey, you're you're working great.

Yeah, it's always good news, always good fun. Yeah.

Yeah, it was always fun being a part of that, being part of that group. And then I became kind of friends with all the people in the Yale newsroom as well.

So we spoke to Devin already and he's one of the writers from Yale Daily News. Were you who were you closest to was Devin? You mentioned Devon That was.

I really liked Devon Man. Everyone was really cool. Danny Putty was really cool. Amy Sloan was really cool. I would say Rona was the person that I became the biggest friends with. Rona Benson. Yeah, I became a photographer and was a been a photographer for a really long time, and I've taken her head shots multiple times.

Well, there's nothing that says friendship more than allowing somebody to take your head shots. What was your favorite part of working in that newsroom?

You know, I love the tone of the show because it was just such a challenge that it was just unique, like a unique acting challenge, so always being like no, having my lines down and and and knowing uh when to jump in and you know, actually one of my favorite things to be part of that show were the

Too.

And like especially Kenny Artega that was that was a really cool episode to see him like everything became like a dance and and the blocking of choreography with the camera and it was it was all really cool to watch. But the camaraderie as well was was awesome, you know, meeting a bunch of cool people that were that became friends and and and acting in a on a kind of really cool show.

I was.

I was happy to happy to participate.

What a concept. Huh, get paid to go make friends and do stuff you like to do.

Oh yeah, after after cleaning pools and doing all kinds of other odd jobs.

So did you prefer when Paris was editor or Rory? I mean, what what what was more fun to be a part of.

I think it was more stressful when Rory was was the editor, and then when Rory it was just a bunch more of a supportive environment. You know, it's just a different there's just a different environment. One was more One was definitely a lot more hectic and stressful. Did she was a bit of a tyrant?

Right? Did you get to know Lies a little bit?

Or or alexis a little bit not not more than off off out of the studio, you know, but all the all the people that were my friends in the newsroom I was, I were friends with them for sure. But yeah, like Rory and Wise, I definitely just saw when I when I was there filming, and they were extremely nice.

Did you guys go across the street to that watering hole together and throw a couple back and reminiscent reminisce on the day.

It doesn't sound familiar, but I mean we might have. Yeah, I might have just blacked out from throwing a few back.

What was the name of that What was the name of that place that famous? Gosh, it escapes me anyway, It says here that you got discovered at Bob's Big Boy Hamburger restaurant at six years old. Yeah, what were you doing? And what? You must have been the most magnetic child.

I really was, Honestly, I was. I was a very cute kid and there was a lot of personality.

Okay, tell us about that.

I was with my family, obviously, I was six, and I think a manager was sitting at another booth and just like started, you know, like making eyes of me and like seeing what if I would you know, play back or whatever, and then came over to my family and said, this kid is too cute and has a great person and needs to be in the movies. And you know, my family had never thought of anything like that before. So they asked me if I wanted to do it, and I said, I'm sure, let's try it.

What the heck was her problem? What was the agent's problem?

I think I just had like a lack of focus. I just I mean, I wasn't the typical you know kid actor. That was just I am dying to be a star or anything. You're six years old?

Well you were kind of focused. Did they expect exactly?

So? Are you?

Don't cut it? You don't have focus, You're sex You need to be focused. What is that eight? Did you just say take a look at me, Look at.

Me, look at this. How can you pass on this?

It got me out of Bob's big boy, you know. It got me in the door.

And then I booked my first audition. So as soon as I booked that, she was ready with papers to sign. Yeah. Man, it was Doogie Howser, Doogey Howser. I played him as a six year old in a flashback.

Oh right, but she wasn't sure whether you can handle it because of your focus. But here you are playing through the house. Okay. Yeah.

As soon as I book it, yeah, then she then she's all over it.

Yeah.

And then I just never stopped working. I was just I did a ton of pilots and commercials and little little movie parts and bunch of like, uh, you know, guest stars and things like that.

Would you recommend a young children getting involved in this business? Did it mess your head up a little bit? Or were you at all level headed and could deal with it and all.

That My family was really cool about it. They were always like, hey, if you never want if you want to stop doing this, let's stop.

You know.

They never were never pressuring me. So to me, it really depends on the family and the kid. If there are some kids that are just magic and they're born to do this, so you know they so and they want to do it, but then there are something that the parents are just like forcing them to be little stars. So it just really depends.

Yeah, I guess it all comes down to family. Yeah.

I never got like, I never got exposed to drugs and a bunch of bad people or anything like that. You know. I was always pretty grounded in my family, get me as levelheaded as possible. If I ever said anything that was like whoa, you're getting a little too big for your bridges, they shut it down pretty quickly, right right, right.

So you were born and raised in Los Angeles.

Yeah, I'm a unicorn.

And what does that mean?

That just means everyone in Los Angeles is a transplant. So yeah, I'm actually one of those that's been born and raised in LA.

Okay, gotcha?

Uh?

And you started so young? Uh? Did you go to school with a lot of other kids that were actors as well.

Like, what was the percentage I did? When I got a little bit older, I went to a high school where Romney Malick went to school, and uh and pierced the Dunst. So yeah, So at a certain point then I was like, okay, well, most of the kids that were in the industry were either like in the really I end schools and never there because they were always filming, or they were homeschool right.

So so that was a school just for sort of kids that were working in the industry.

No, no, it was a private Catholic school and they just they just happened to be going there.

Oh okay, all right, so now you're in you're not as acting as much, right, that's right, transitioned into a successful career as a photographer. Uh, that's so. I'd always interested, you.

You know, it was something that you know, I had a little bit of a lull in my twenties when I was acting and looking for odd jobs and things. And my girlfriend at the time.

Now my wife, was was going to USC and asked if I wanted to do a curricular extracurricular class with her to go to do photo one on one, and I just took that class with her and said sure, why not And I ended up loving it and then was doing photography and acting for a long time, but then then ultimately made the big jump over to photography.

So you you've shot some album covers or record covers.

Yeah, I've shot some album covers. I've I've shot the key art on on some podcasts and some movies and different things.

Yeah, who are the bands?

Who are the bands? I mean one of the guys I I was Kanye back in two thousand and seven.

Really, yeah, Kanye, Yeah, Kanye.

I had a mentor at the time, Mino Polouse and and he uh offered me this job going to Chicago to follow Kanye around shooting him while he did a P S. A and uh and man, that was that was an experience for sure.

You know, there's a there's a rumor going around that if you win an award around Kanye, he's gonna take it away from you. Oh for sure. Yeah, you gotta be you gotta be careful of that.

Yeah, it's almost like you got to pay your dues and and hope hopefully that happens. That's probably good luck with that.

You you better you better be careful that Beyonce is not in the same category or else you're getting charged.

Sure, but she should have won that for sure.

I'm having a little Kanye paranoia. Not that I'm nominated for anything, but if I ever was, I'd be, Oh yeah, i'd be I'd make sure what to watch my six man? Uh uh so so a lot of what you learned, uh in photography? Did being on set help or inform your your photograph photographic vision?

Yeah? I mean it really just made me not really starstruck so much when I would shoot with celebrities. No, it was like, like, yes, these people are people too, So if.

You weren't getting what you wanted at him, you just smack them around, That's right.

Hey yeah, come on, I mean.

Ramedy Malick trying to give you attitude because it was in a Bond film. You just smack them. That's how you throw a wet chicken at them or something. It's like, will you do what I tell you to do?

That?

See this is anyway?

Give me a queen bark?

Come on? What about what about? Uh? What about Kanye? Have you ever shot Kanye?

Uh? Like, I mean I did. I went to Chicago to shoot with him. And and followed him around for a whole weekend. Well, he did a PSA to a concert.

But did you do his portrait?

I mean yes, and no. I didn't direct him at all. I just was was hired to be there to follow around for as much coverage as possible for the whole weekend. So I kind of stayed a fly on the wall as much as I could.

All right, So if you ever, if that ever happens again, if you cause you again. Yeah, and he says, I want you follow me around. I want you to shoot a portrait, hand him a golden statue and say this was meant force beyond. It wasn't meant for Beyonce, but I want somebody else want it.

YEA, hold it? Okay, Clinton, Now I'm gonna take your picture. Right he just might have an episode right while I'm taking his picture?

Why not? So this is your this is your true passion or is it both? You can have two passions.

I was passionate about acting for law long time, and I and then when I found photography, it was like, okay, people are like hiring me for photo shoots. And it was like, okay, here's some money for to do a photo shoot, and with acting, it's like you got an audition to make some money, so you might get it, you might not. But if you've got this photo shoot and you've got to you know, and then you get

This five hours to get home? Yeah, it's four o'clock on the four would be for self tapes. I don't know. I don't I don't know if I like the self tapes so much.

There's pros and cons for sure, definitely. You know, there's an energy getting in the room and talking to people.

Man, Yeah, there's psychology, you can work with psychology.

I miss and I've also got one buddy that is on a show now. But you know, when they do their tapes, they get as many takes as they want to get it perfect, and then they send that perfect take, you know, and then when you go and actually shoot the show, yeah, one maybe two takes to get it right, you know. So it's just a it's just a different vibe.

So kind of if you yell and scream, you can get more takes, that's true.

Yeah, big enough, you can. You can get away with it.

So let's talk about some of these big times lebs. You work with them? Or Roberts, Angela Kinsey, who's that? Who's Angela?

Can he's Angela from the Office? Oh yeah, the the blonde lady who marries Dwight at the end.

Yeah, I never I never really watched the show.

It's such a good show.

No, I know, I've seen clips. I've never that's fun y.

I'vehot I've shot to shoot a few people from that show because I'm friends with their publicist, and the publicist asked if I would, you know, take some pictures of them. But then when they started their own podcast, rewatching the Office shows then they said, hey, come and shoot the cover art for this. So it's called Office Ladies. It's a really good podcast as well that I shot at the cover art part.

Do you charge a lot of money? Are you expensive?

So much money?

How much?

So much money?

What do you charge? Tell me what do you charge?

It's different, honestly. I work with budgets. You know, you put in bids ten thousand and shot that's on a bad day, one hundred thousands like this.

Like so you're like Andy Leebowitz the West Coast. You're like a female, Oh, I wish what is she? What is she taking down per session? What do you think she's taking?

Are you kidding me? She's what's undred hundreds of thousands of dollars a shoot? For sure? At least at least the budgets are that big for her shoot?

Sure, Yeah, she's taking She's takken down some big scores, isn't she?

And then she's like and then there's licensing, So if she's shooting someone and then they want to use those photos for you know, for me or for all kinds of things, she's just getting paid just for the shoot itself.

Yeah, beautiful.

It's like residuals for actors. It's just that's it's that's where the photographers really make their dusk real.

The cake is man. So, who's been your favorite to shoot? Though? Of these famous.

Celebrity man my favorite to shoot?

I'm going to ask you who's who's been your favorite and who was a nightmare? I want to know who was a nightmare?

Kanye. Kanye was definitely a prima donna. I mean, he was like that's shocking. Yeah, I remember going to Chicago, and I mean, but he's a genius as well as like, at the same time, you just kind of give him the grace.

Why is he a genius? Why is this term music around so much? That he's a genius.

With music and producing and uh, you.

Know when a lot of people do that, do that.

It's true. I know there's uh I think there's an old documentary called Genius that is about him being him being a genius for with music, but with producing and just his ear and his lyrics and all kinds of stuff. I think he's just got a very innovative and revolutionary as far as the as far as music is concerned, I'm not I'm no expert.

In that I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna dig into this a little bit. I'm gonna check this out.

Wait. So in Chicago, I remember he gave a concert and and then there was like one little thing. It sounded perfect to me, And there was like one little thing, and he's doing it for like all these these underprivileged youths in Chicago.

Oh that's nice.

There was one thing that didn't set that sounded off, and he stopped the concert. Boy. Oh and and for like a half an hour, forty five minutes or so, he made sure that everything sounded fine and just let these let everybody wait. Well, he just wanted to get this one little thing.

Right, because that's what geniuses do.

I guess they don't settle. They don't settle for mediocrity.

And then he gets up there and he takes somebody's award away. That's what geniuses do. Yeah, I don't know his music that well, I'm gonna check it out, uh, and I'll get back to you on the So, who was in so other than him? Who was a nightmare websitemare I want to know about jennif Fisher? Was she and she was such a nightmare? She was a nightmare, wasn't she.

She's the world?

Yes, yes, she's so nice all smiles, yes the whole time.

Yeah, even I'm sure even if she was having a bad time you you wouldn't know, and she would be. She's just so pleasant.

What about Emma Roberts, dude.

Emma Roberts was super cool. I shot her a few times because she and I had the same manager. So I shot her for her in a like a Diane von first and bird dress. And then she uh recommended me to be a photographer for this, like for this jewelry company that was that was working with her to that that where she was like starting to design jewelry. And so, man, I owe a good amount of money and time and experience to shooting with her. Man, she was, she was fantastic.

But so who who? Just you just stop the shoot to get out of my studio. I don't want to shoot. Let me look, give me, give me a name.

Give you a name of somebody that was terrible.

Millions of people listening to this podcast, millions, I want a name.

You want me to drop? And still the gossip about somebody. I quit. I'm logging off right now, do.

Uh that's Angela Kenzie cool? Was she? Was she cool?

Angela Kenzie was very cool? Yeah, yeah, I still I've shot her on multiple occasions and have a have a good time shooting her.

Who's so? Who are your influences? Tell us who your photographic heroes are? For?

Photographed so many? Oh many? I mean Annie is definitely.

Give me, give me one, Give me one, give meat.

Ye.

I like him. He creates that world, doesn't he? But but he lived that world, didn't he. It's not like he was this church going guy who had a family and he'd go home, but then he had these fantasies and he'd go and he'd act out all brought to life. But he lived that life, didn't He didn't he live that life?

I mean, I don't know too much about his personal life, but I mean, if it's anything like his photos, I mean it's pretty. It's pretty cool and voyeuristic and kinky.

So you're doing the photography full time, you're charging tens of thousands of dollars per photogs.

That's just so much money.

You're getting stupid rich. You're getting stupid rich.

No, man, I assist other photographers. Man, I shoot photography is a journey man. So I, yes, I shoot celebrities every once in a while, but you know, you shoot all kinds of stuff, and it's different from from day to day. You know, there was a one day I was shooting like a marijuana facility, and then the next then the next day you're shooting kids fashion, and then there's you know, just wherever the wherever the jobs are

Did Kanye stop by the the dispensary was? Did he did you see? Yeah?

Right, I'm sure. I'm sure he partakes.

He's so cool. We're gonna do a a little game we play called rapid Fire. Oh okay, and you can go. You don't have to go rapidly. This is there's nothing rapid about it.

So I can think about my answers and then.

No, you cannot think. You're not allowed to think, all right, no thinking normally. I see that you are a thinking person, and this is an ethema to what we're doing here. All right, Okay, I just need answers, buddy, Okay, I want them straight, and I want him fast, but not rapid. Okay, here we go. How do you like your coffee?

Uh, it's to cream, a little bit of sugar.

I saw your thinking.

Oh, sorry about that.

Yeah, don't do that.

All right?

Are you team Logan Team Jess or Team Dean Team Jess?

Oh?

I see you thinking. I can see your brain. You know what. You're one of these high i Q people who just can't turn it off. I understand.

I've never been accused of that.

No, this was the first time. Who is your favorite Gilmour Girls couple? Luke and Laurel are Emily and Richard?

Oh, Luke and Lauray?

Hell? Yeah, brother? Uh? Would you rather work with Michelle or Kirk Michelle? Why?

Honestly, I have no idea. I didn't think about it.

I just said it now. You're all who would you like to shoot? Whose portrait would you like to shoot? On the show? Who you?

Well? Alexis I would love to shoot her.

Yeah. Yeah, she's interesting, isn't she?

Yeah? Or you let's shoot He's He's.

Very interesting, isn't he?

Uh?

Maybe the two of us together? Yes? All right? Yes? What would you do? What? What would you order it? Lukes diner?

Oh? I don't know what's available.

Luke's diner.

You got pie there, I'll have some pie. I don't know what.

Yeah, could you shoot the pie?

I mean I've done food photography. That's a very specific niche for sure.

Right. Who would you rather hang out with Paris or Lane Kim Paris? Why?

Just because I know her?

Okay, yeah, Harvard Yale? Or would you drop out? And oh yeah yeah? Why Yale?

Why Yale? That was fast?

I mean that was screw Harvard Yale?

Why was it the Yale newser.

That makes sense? Makes sense? I like that you live in the dream. Uh. Would you rather attend a d A R event with Emily or a town meeting with Taylor?

Oh? Man, I don't even know what the I'll just have to That's an any meaning mind situation I have.

That's not an answer. We can't accept that, Taylor. Okay, thank you? Okay, give them more girls character you would most want as a roommate.

I would most want as a roommate anyone from the Yale newsroom because they were all super cool people.

Okay, all right, how about all of them? Yes, like in a house.

It would be a good time. When they asked me to do this, I said, let's all get on this. Can we just have like a group where we all join in on this, that would be awesome.

Get a house in Pacoima or someplace like that and you all be together.

Yeah, and then we'll join you for the pod for another episode of the podcast.

Yes, the Pocoima Daily News. You could have your own thing.

You could be the other I think Pacoima is where I shot the weeks.

That's shocking something in your life you are all in on and I think we know what that is.

What Yeah, and being a fan, being a family man and my and with my wife and family, and.

You have you have two kids.

I do? How old I do? Ava is about to turn nine and uh Cole just turned four.

Ah, so great nine, such a great age. My boy is nine. We're having so much fun.

Ah. Yeah, she's the best man. Yeah, he's very cool too. It's just you. He just loves mama right now, and it's all about mama.

He's gonna look, he's gonna discover you give it a couple of years.

Yeah, that's what happened with Ava. That's what happened with Deva for sure. Right, he'll to his mama's girl. And then now we're now we just have so much fun together.

Yeah, it's it's just such a joy having a family. I mean really great. Well, I'm happy for you.

Man.

You got a nice career going. You're charging tens of thousands of dollars?

Do you have?

I just I just have the one attack to me if it's any less than that. Yeah, but yeah, things are going good. Man. You're you know, Kanye stocking you now and you know you don't have time. You just don't have time for that.

That's right. How are you doing? How many kids do you have?

I have one?

I just have one kid. Okay, cool? Yeah that was me too. I was an only child.

Yeah, I think I think we'll probably I think we're talking about number two.

Really, that's like after a nine years old, that's starting over again.

It start, but it does have its upside in that, you know, my son can help out.

That's cool. Yeah. We my my son and daughter are five years apart, and if you you know, she she definitely helps take care of him a little bit. You know, she's very very nurturing little girl. Yeah, but yeah, after we were done with diapers with her, then it became diapers with the new one.

Yeah, it's like I know, it's like six years in a row of diapers. Yep, it's a lot of divers. So much poop. That's a lot of poop. Well, this was fun. You're a pretty guy.

Thanks man, this is fun to do. I'm glad they asked me.

Yeah, and uh, you're welcome back anytime. And uh, good luck with everything, you know, good luck with the photography and.

All right, I'm gonna hit you up to take your portrait.

I don't have that kind of money.

Okay, well then forget it.

Forget it, man, tens of thousands in charge. It's too much money. It's like, you know, for.

The big companies, for the big companies.

Are you you're working out of California? Are you all those taxes? Yeah?

Wow, so many taxes. Oh my goodness.

That's why you got to charge to tens of thousands, because you left with about five hundred bucks at the end of the day, right after every shoot.

That's true, So true, end up with true yeah, after the assistant right, Yeah.

You charge fifty thousand a shoot, you end up with about forty dollars. Yeah.

I can buy myself a cup of coffee and then at Starbucks for forty bucks.

Yeah, almost enough money to buy a dinner for the family of Trader.

Joe's almost right, almost almost, that's right, all.

Right, man, would be good. Peace be with you, brother.

It is great talking to you.

Great talking.

Yeah.

I wish you all the best best your family. Thanks and stay safe brother, okay cool, can't wait here, Take care man, alright, bye, all right, bye, Hey everybody, and don't forget. Follow us on Instagram at I Am all In podcast and email us at Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com.