Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, I was exposed to an eclectic mix of cultures and languages from the beginning—which had a hand in shaping my ear for accents and knack for impressions. Music and performance have always been a driving force for me, from my spirited renditions of songs from The Phantom of the Opera at age 4, to my global performances with Duke University’s acclaimed a cappella group, Out of the Blue, which included soloist opportunities ranging from a famed late-night show in Turkey to performing the national anthem at NCAA basketball games.
I began my career in retail and luxury fashion, running a successful multi-brand company for five years, but I couldn’t ignore the pull of music and acting. I moved to New York, committing to my true passions, and I’m beyond grateful to be making a living doing what makes me come alive.
I have acted in short films as well as TV and web series. I also was a key part of Duke University’s acclaimed acappella group Out of the Blue (OOTB), which has been consistently recognized as one of the best collegiate acappella groups in the United States. I spent years touring and performing with OOTB, frequently featured as a soloist. Click below to listen to a number of my performances.
Esma Kirim is the founder of EsmaKirim.com, an incredibly talented actor, screenwriter, singer/songwriter, successful entrepreneur, and host of the Bravely Original® podcast.
As a Kaizen-Muse creativity coach, she challenges and inspires people to go deep in identifying truly who they are and mindfully create, accept that being a creative is a viable business and embrace fearlessness.