An Interview with KMW Training Centers™ Member Kyle Hughley

If you’ve never shared a bag with Kyle Hughley, allow me to illustrate the experience. He is a machine. His kicks, in particular, strike the bag with so much force that I’m convinced the loud slap is actually the bag screaming.

You can’t enter a room with Kyle in it and not notice him. If it’s a bag class, he’s the guy doing spinning elbows and flying kicks, straight out of a Bruce Lee flick. If it’s a party, he’s in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by friends and having the time of his life, like there’s nowhere else in the world he would rather be.

When I interviewed Kyle, I was impressed by his strong sense of self. He answers crisply, like a movie star that’s been asked the same questions again and again. We talk about his passion for writing, the TV show that introduced him to Krav Maga, and what it was like growing up with a famous father.

But more than anything, he’s a guy whose complete lack of pretense guarantees that he will be one of the most genuine people you will ever meet.

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KMW: Before we begin, tell us about yourself.
KH: I’m 21 years old. I’m a sophomore at Columbia College Hollywood, a film school, majoring in screenwriting. I grew up in downtown LA.  At 10, I moved to West Hills, California, where I lived for 8 years, until I moved to Calabasas in 2003, where I’ve been living for the last 7 years.

KMW: So you want to work in the movie business?
KH: You know, it’s funny. I thought I wanted to direct movies, but now that I’ve been in Columbia for 3 years, I think it’s kind of an overrated job. It’s a fancy way of telling people what to do, but I’m not really good at that, so I changed my major to screenwriting and rediscovered my passion for writing. I want to become a film critic because I love to write.

KMW: You rediscovered your passion for writing?
KH: I always liked to write short stories when I was a kid, and I’ve actually written a small script that I’m still working on, hoping to get it turned into a movie one day. But even if it doesn’t, I can still say it’s something I did by myself, you know?

KMW: What’s something people don’t know about you?
KH: Everybody that knows me says I’m outgoing and really energetic and outspoken, which I am, but I’m kind of shy, believe it or not. I have this extroverted personality when I’m around the people I love, but I’m kind of introverted. I’m not as social as people think I am.

KMW: I heard your dad is D.L. Hughley. What was it like growing up with a famous father?
KH: I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth. When I was born, we weren’t really great off financially. We were never broke but had to move around a lot. My dad was a young comic — he was 23 when he had me — so he was just starting out. He had his big break hosting BET’s Comic View, and from then on it was a whole lotta luck. But I never looked at it as my dad being famous. He’s an ordinary guy that has an extraordinary job. That’s all it’s meant to me.

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