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 ''Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica, and distributed by Sony Pict ...

'' (2019).

Early life

Bowling was born and raised in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Her parents are Arin Thompson and luxury real estate agent William Preston Bowling of

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

. 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 Brian Gerard "Kato" Kaelin (born March 9, 1959) is an American actor and radio and television personality. A friend of Nicole Brown Simpson, Kaelin is best known for serving as a witness in the O. J. Simpson murder trial in 1995, receiving con ...

Rodney Bingenheimer Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ-FM from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he als ...

Natasha Halevi Natasha Halevi (born January 12, 1982) is an American actress and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California. She is known for creating and producing Give Me An A, a reproductive rights horror anthology, as well as directing the wraparound and a ...

, and

Kadeem Hardison Kadeem Hardison (born July 24, 1965) is an American actor. The son of fashion model Bethann Hardison, he rose to prominence after landing the role of Dwayne Wayne on the television series ''A Different World'', a spin-off of the NBC sitcom ''T ...

. The film was produced by

Lloyd Kaufman Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr. (born December 30, 1945) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Alongside producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their featu ...

and distributed by

Troma Entertainment Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production company, production and film distributor, distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz (producer), Michael Herz in 1974. They are the longest running independent film ...

Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...

and their streaming service Troma Now on

VHX VHX was a digital distribution platform targeting independent filmmakers. The platform allows artists to sell content directly from their own website, providing design, social media integration, search engine optimization, and analytics tools. I ...

. The movie had its theatrical premiere on March 3, 2016, at

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, also known as Egyptian Hollywood and the Egyptian, is a historic movie theater located on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Opened in 1922, it is an early example of a lavish movie palace ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

, California. The premiere had a musical performance by

Count Smokula Count Smokula is a comedic fictional character created and portrayed by Robert "Smokey" Miles. He has made multiple live appearances, roles in movies, TV shows and internet videos. Count Smokula and Smokesylvania As imagined by Miles, Count Smokul ...

and

Ron Jeremy Ronald Jeremy Hyatt (born March 12, 1953) is an American former Pornographic film actor, pornographic actor, and actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", Jeremy was ranked by AVN (magazine), ''AVN'' at No. 1 in their "50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" l ...

. Bowling was the first inductee into the ''

Troma Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974. They are the longest running independent film studio in the world. The company produces low-budget inde ...

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 A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

for various artists (shot on

8mm 8 mm may refer to: Film technology *8 mm film, a motion picture film format ** Super 8 film ** Single-8 film * 8 mm video format, three related videocassette formats Firearms * 8 mm caliber, firearmm cartridges ** 7.92×57mm Mauser, designated 8 ...

16mm 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 mm and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, ...

film). In the music video for Kat Meoz's "Here I Wait", Bowling shot the only existing footage of

Richard Brautigan Richard Gary Brautigan (January 30, 1935) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. He wrote throughout his life and published ten novels, two collections of short stories, and four books of poetry. Brautigan's work has been publi ...

'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 ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' 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 James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

eating a hamburger. The video is an homage to

Jørgen Leth Jørgen Leth (; born 14 June 1937) is a Danish poet and film director who is considered a leading figure in experimental documentary film making. Most notable are his documentary '' A Sunday in Hell'' (1977) and his surrealistic short film '' T ...

's 1982 film ''66 Scenes of America'', where

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

eats a hamburger. Yahoo Entertainment named it one of their favorite videos of the year. On October 2, 2018,

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

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 Kathleen Hughes (born Elizabeth Margaret von Gerkan; November 14, 1928 – May 19, 2025) was an American actress who appeared during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Early life Hughes was born in Hollywood, California, on November 14, 1928. Her un ...

, star of ''

It Came from Outer Space ''It Came from Outer Space'' is a 1953 United States, American science fiction film, science fiction Horror film, horror film, the first in the 3D films, 3D process from Universal Pictures, Universal-International. It was produced by William Al ...

'', in a starring role since 1958. In 2020, Bowling starred as the protagonist, Nancy Banana alongside

Bill Weeden Bill Weeden (born August 8, 1940) is an American film and stage actor, comedy writer, and songwriter. Early life Weeden was born on August 8, 1940, in Melbourne, Florida He graduated from Yale University in 1962. Film and television career Weede ...

in the parody film, ''Psycho Ape!'', and will return for the upcoming sequel. In 2019, she portrayed

Sandra Good Sandra Collins Good (born February 20, 1944) is an American criminal and member of the Manson Family. Good's Manson Family nickname is "Blue", which was given to her by Charles Manson to represent clean air and water. Early life Good was born in ...

, a member of the

Manson family The Manson Family (known among its members as the Family) was a Intentional community, commune, gang, and cult led by criminal Charles Manson that was active in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The group at its peak consisted of a ...

, in

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...

's ''

''. Bowling appeared in

Glenn Danzig Glenn Allen Anzalone (born June 23, 1955), better known by his stage name Glenn Danzig, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, film director and record producer. He is the founder of the rock bands Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He ...

's '' Verotika'' as well as

's sophomore feature ''Death Rider in the House of Vampires'', alongside

Julian Sands Julian Richard Morley Sands (4 January 1958 – ) was an English actor. He had his breakout role as George Emerson in '' A Room with a View'' (1985) and went on to appear in '' The Killing Fields'' (1984), '' Gothic'' (1986), '' Siesta'' (1987), ...

and

Devon Sawa Devon Edward Sawa (born September 7, 1978) is a Canadian actor. Born and raised in Vancouver, Sawa began his career as a children's action toy spokesman. He made his film debut with a supporting role in '' Little Giants'' (1994) and received wi ...

. In early 2020,

The Killers The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...

debuted a short film to coincide with the release of their new album ''Imploding the Mirage'' starring Bowling and

Griffin Dunne Thomas Griffin Dunne (; born June 8, 1955) is an American actor, director and producer. He is known for portraying Jack Goodman in ''An American Werewolf in London'' (1981) and Paul Hackett in '' After Hours'' (1985), for which he was nominat ...

. 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 Caroline Williams is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her role as Stretch in ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' film series. Her other film roles include '' Alamo Bay'' (1985), '' The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985), ''Step ...

Schooly D Jesse Bonds Weaver Jr. (born June 22, 1962), better known by the stage name Schoolly D, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Biography Schoolly D was born Jesse Bonds Weaver Jr. in West Philadelphia and raised in Philadelphi ...

Don Devore Donald Willard Devore Jr. is an American artist and curator, known as Don Devore, who has been a member of the bands Ink & Dagger, Frail, Rain on the Parade, The Icarus Line, Lilys, Amazing Baby, Historics, Vague Angels, and Souls She Said, among ...

Mickey Madden Michael Allen Madden (born May 13, 1979) is an American musician and former bassist for the pop rock band Maroon 5. Life and music career Madden was born in Austin, Texas. He began playing in junior high school at the Brentwood School in Los ...

, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Charlotte Sartre, Dylan Greenberg, D.C. Douglas, Sune Rose Wagner, and

Keith Allison Sydney Keith Allison (August 26, 1942 - November 17, 2021) was an American musician and composer, best known as a member of Paul Revere & the Raiders from 1968 to 1975. Music Allison began working as a professional solo artist and session music ...

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 Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi aesthetic and home-recorded al ...

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's longtime boyfriend is musician

. She currently lives in

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

Filmography

Film Television Music videos

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bowling, Kansas Living people 1996 births People from Hollywood, Los Angeles American women screenwriters American women film directors American horror film directors Film directors from Los Angeles Screenwriters from California 21st-century American women Writers from Nevada Screenwriters from Nevada Novelists from Nevada