Kynan Dias is an actor and award-winning screenwriter, born in Honolulu and raised in Las Vegas. Inspired at an early age by great American playwrights such as Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and Edward Albee, Kynan taught himself to write feature-length screenplays as a 14-year-old high school student. He earned a B.A. in film from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he pursued acting, screenwriting, and directing. Later, Kynan earned his MFA in screenwriting from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he developed a love for writing TV sitcoms that were further nurtured during his time studying improv comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade.
As a writer, Kynan’s films tend to live within the thin space between the humorous and the tragic, in sarcastic dramas and in comedies that hurt. As an actor, he is often hired to cry in comedies. With Lester Ryan Clark, Kynan co-hosts a series of film history podcasts on the TruStory.FM network that are meticulously researched yet lean heavily on improvised comedy.
Teaching at UNLV FILM since 2008, Kynan has developed a wide variety of courses in film production, directing, acting, screenwriting, and film studies, being especially proud of building classes such as Women in Comedy and Queer Cinema. His research interests include animation history, studio system economics, queer coding in classic film, and foregrounding previously unsung collaborators within major film authors’ historiographies.
On this episode of The Exorcist Minute: Kynan’s fridge experiments The Tell-Tale Turtle! How embarrassing for the Penguin! Oh, no, Captain Howdy’s doing standup again…
On this episode of The Exorcist Minute: Teenage Killers Makin’ Turtles! Who accepts a second cup of coffee?! Scary bears (or creepy sheep) down the
On this episode of The Exorcist Minute: You know what this minute needs? MORE coffee! Jiminy Cricket! What’s YOUR favorite minced oath? Expletive Deleted! I
On this episode of The Exorcist Minute: LongFaceBook: the social media platform preferred by Horsemans everywhere Lester “remembers” the difference between a monologue and a
On this episode of the Exorcist Minute: LJC does ASMR A magic carpet for bacteria! Kinderman is a darling Blatty had trouble murdering. Unlike Burke.
Just look at Karl’s guilty face!”Moooom, can we take the ceilings off?”Again with the ascending Kinderman!Schleppin’ up the steps!Chris, I’m a horse girl now!A dusting most foul!”What do you think, Jesus?”Regan’s America”Against the assault of laughter, t
On this episode of The Exorcist Minute:What the hell is in that bucket?!I was the drummer for East Coast FilthStephen King’s reality-jumping cowboyKynan tells a story…and I was there!Oops! All stairs!Bedtime with KarlChris gets a cross…but across from
On this episode of The Exorcist Minute:The main villain of The Exorcist…is the Patriarchy. No, really. Don’t tell the normies, but magick is just wellness. With more candles. Our brains are stupid and we can trick them. The Placebo Effect on a BIBLICAL
On this episode of The Exorcist Minute:We mansplain mansplaining to you!Our Dr. Barringer says the craziest, nuttiest thing…A false start to Act II?I understand art now. Art is when they say the title.Star Wars: Revenge of the Rise of the Last Hope…St
On this episode of The Exorcist Minute:…and foundation.”Sometimes a disorder of the nerves is better. Ayuh.””Ringu” as they say in the ol’ Nihongo…The Three Musketeers: we also have swords (which we mostly use)Kynan DOES listen to the show, folks!”Doc