ACTOR

Kristian studied classical conservatory acting at the USC School of Dramatic Arts, earning a BFA focused on voice, movement, and Shakespearean training.

In college, Ventura pursued short film work from AFI, USC, and UCLA. This intense marathon—spanning over 100 credits—became his personal acting laboratory, a key part of what accelerated his on-camera mastery beyond his theater roots.

By the time he graduated, Kristian sparked a signing war with some of the biggest agencies in Hollywood battling to represent the actor [Deadline exclusive]. His first credit began as a recurring role in 20th Fox’s Reboot with Keegan-Michael Key and Johnny Knoxville directed by Steve Levitan. Ventura then landed roles in Lionsgates’ The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent starring Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal, Hulu’s horror film Grimcutty, and HBO Max’s sci-fi feature Gray Matter. He then became the series lead of the Paramount+ drama series School Spirits, starring alongside Peyton List, which was renewed for a fourth season.

Kristian’s focus on transformational character work was highlighted in his performance of Richard III at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. Later he performed in Maxim Gorky’s Barbarians directed by Susan Angelo and Camino Real directed by Edgar Landa.

WRITER

Kristian's literary career was first received in speeches written and performed to audiences for non-profit organizations. Several came to be performed and awarded by the California State Legislature Assembly and Rotary International.

In 2020, Ventura published, Can I Tell You Something?, a poetry collection that became a finalist for the 2020 American Fiction Awards. Writer’s Digest deemed his poetry “soul-shattering in the very best of ways.” That year, the notoriously harsh Kirkus Reviews reviewed Ventura’s writing as "exquisitely crafted.” Following, he wrote The Goodbye Song, which won the 2021 American Fiction Awards in Poetry: Anthologies. His latest novel is titled A Happy Ghost, which Kirkus called a “masterfully imagined creation.”

VOLUNTEER

For over ten years, Kristian’s unwavering dedication to service has been recognized and awarded by some of the largest humanitarian organizations, non-profits, and leaders including former President Barack Obama, U.S. Senators, the City of Los Angeles, and mayors across California.

While attending school in La Puente—where over 80% of students receive free lunch—Kristian launched a series of fundraisers in response to global emergencies. He successfully raised thousands of dollars to provide clean water, food, shelter, and child protection to those in need. Each semester, he gave presentations classroom-to-classroom, educating students on international crises and offering tangible ways to make a difference. He mobilized sports teams, student clubs, and administrators to co-host events and joined the Los Angeles UNICEF Congressional Action Team and UNICEF Symposium. At the age of 17, Kristian was awarded the President Obama’s Volunteer Service Award for his exceptional leadership and work with the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). He was later awarded by the Parent Institute of Quality Education for tutoring children and hosting a daycare. Once at university, Kristian narrowed his volunteer work to homelessness in Los Angeles and leading volunteer groups in food banks, warehouses, and homeless shelters such as St. Francis, the LA Food Bank, and the Midnight Mission. Before even completing his freshman year of college, his university awarded him with the USC Service Award.

At 18, Ventura travelled to the Dominican Republic to volunteer in orphanages and schools to meet children who battle with HIV. He painted schools, constructed fences, and played sports. He returned to the DR the next year to build a kitchen. Ventura maintains a close relationship with Thrive in Joy and Vision Trust, the organizations that he partnered with to help lead these trips.

In 2019, Kristian traveled to Lourdes, France—one of the world’s most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites—to volunteer in service of the sick, elderly, and disabled during the summer pilgrimage season. Assisting in hospitals, train stations, churches, and the healing baths, he later returned to serve again in 2023 and 2025, with plans to continue for years to come.