ACTOR

Kristian majored in drama to be classically trained in conservatory. He received his BFA in Acting at USC & studied text analysis, voice, movement, Shakespeare, & improvisation. His teachers were Mary Joan Negro, Joseph Hacker, Armin Shimerman, Zachary Steel, Kate Burton, Bayo Akinfemi, & Stephanie Shroyer.

In college, Ventura consistently pursued short film work, collaborating with students and professors from top-ranked institutions like the AFI, USC, and UCLA. This intense marathon—spanning over 100 performances—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 leading actor in the Paramount+ drama series School Spirits, starring alongside Peyton List, which was renewed for a third 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 a collection of one-hundred poems for a book titled, Can I Tell You Something? which 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, that 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 a school in a low-income neighborhood—where over 80% of students received 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 in La Puente, California. While 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. By the time Kristian completed 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 flew to Lourdes, France in the summer to learn about and serve the handicap and elderly in hospitals, train stations, churches, and baths. He returned to serve in 2023, and has set plans to volunteer in the future.