I’ve always been fascinated by so-called child prodigies, ever since I first saw Shirley Temple in The Little Princess. Spontaneous talent, pure talent without constraints or superstructures, is rare. Tenley Kellogg isn’t a child, but she possesses spontaneous talent.
Tenley Kellogg is a rising young actress earning early acclaim for her breakout role in Sunfish (& Other Stories On Green Lake), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival this year.
Born and raised in Michigan and now based in Los Angeles, Tenley stars as Blue Jay, a young girl coming to terms with her sister leaving home in this heartfelt coming-of-age story. Set around Michigan’s Green Lake, Sunfish explores family, memory, and change through four interconnected tales, with Tenley’s performance serving as the film’s emotional core.
Critics have already taken notice — Colliderpraised her as giving “the strongest performance of the entire film… masking her hurt with anger before finally succumbing to the sadness of her older sister leaving is heart wrenching and taps into something extremely raw.” Tenley’s work stands out for its quiet power, authenticity, and emotional honesty.
At just 16 years old, Tenley brings years of theater experience and a natural onscreen depth that signal a promising future ahead.Sunfish’s Sundance debut marks only the beginning of what’s shaping up to be an exciting career for this talented young performer.
Name: Tenley Kellogg
Profession: Actress
Age: 16
Height: 5’ 5”
Instagram/TikTok: Instagram
Hometown: Traverse City, Michigan
What’s the best thing about your hometown? Definitely the lakes and the food. I remember when I was younger, my parents would take me down to the lake for a beach day, and we’d spend the entire day swimming and digging holes. Afterward, we’d go to my favorite burger joint, Slabtown, for dinner. Their burgers and paper-bagged fries are the BEST, in my opinion!
What’s the best thing about you?
I’d like to say my imagination. I’m always up for creating a new game for my friends or a DnD character for the latest campaign.
How and when did your passion for acting start? My passion for acting started around age four, when my mom enrolled me in a theater program, and I loved it. After that, I kept doing theater whenever I could. The last play I ever did was It’s A Wonderful Life, where I played Zuzu. The director of that play told me about a film casting happening in Detroit and encouraged me to audition. I did and got the role! I fell in love with film after that, and the rest is history.
What do you do before going on set? Do you have any rituals? It may sound a little silly, but before the start of each project, I hold the Oscar statue I got from Universal Studios and think about the character for good luck.
What does cinema represent for you? To me, cinema is a space where anyone can be anything. It’s a place where the rest of the world disappears, and for a little while, you get to see life through someone else’s eyes and experience things with the character that you might otherwise never get to.
Who is Blue Jay, the character you’re starring in Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)? Blue Jay is this sweet, sarcastic, and loving character who just wants one more summer with her sister. She’s a true child at heart, who isn’t ready for her sister to leave her on her own just yet.
Tell us something more about the film: The film is an anthology of four different short stories, where the main character of the movie is Green Lake itself. Each vignette is a coming-of-age story told through different people and how they live their lives around the lake. My short, Resident Bird, is about two sisters on two very different coming-of-age paths. Robin is leaving for college, and my character, Blue Jay, is staying behind. Blue Jay has to figure out how to run the Airbnb without Robin while also coming to terms with the fact that Robin, who has always been like a mother to her, is leaving.
Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake) premiered at Sundance Film Festival this year and you were acclaimed for your breakout role. What did this moment mean to you? I still remember getting the call from Sierra Falconer, the director and writer of Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake). My mom and I jumped on the bed screaming with Sierra on speaker phone! It was amazing to say the least. I felt so much pride for this film that I helped create and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
What music are you listening to at the moment? I kid you not—as I’m answering these questions, I have Panic! At The Disco playing in the background. The specific song is “High Hopes,” but I also really love “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.”
Favorite movie/TV show? Right now I’m watching DC Titans, and don’t tell anyone, but my comfort movie is secretly Twilight. Though anything by Marvel, DC, or Star Wars is what you’ll find me watching in my spare time.
Favorite designer, fragrance or beauty product? I’m a big fan of American Eagle. I’m a jeans-and-T-shirt (or hoodie) kind of girl, and I love the fits I can find with this brand.
What are you currently obsessed with? Currently, I’m obsessed with exploring ’90s bands like Yellowcard, The Summer Set, and Green Day—just to name a few. I’m also a BIG reader, so I spend a lot of time diving into both new and classic fantasy books. You can always find a book in my bag!
What place would you love to visit? I’d really love to visit Norway and Greece someday. I have heritage from both places so it would be amazing to get to explore them and learn more of my history.
Future projects you can promote? At this time, I’m unable to share anything (actor’s code ;)), so I guess you’ll just have to stay tuned by following along!
Last but not least, if you were an animal, which one would you be? If I were an animal, I think I would be a Raven. They’re smart creatures who love to think outside the box—and that’s always drawn me to them.
Photos by Brie Childers