You may have seen Fred Mills around the Kentucky Theatre and not even known it. The Lexington native has been the historic theatre's manager for almost 40 years, throughout the Kentucky's closing, renovating and re-opening. Consequently, film is Fred's favorite art form, although he doesn't "see many movies, to be honest." "There are so many things that film does, it draws you in," Fred said. "It's almost like it's bigger than life."
The best advice Fred said he could give someone new to his field of work is "that they're passionate about it and they're willing to spend the time to see that things get done." Fred himself is passionate about the Kentucky Theatre, and from mid-afternoon to the wee hours of the morning, he is busy helping set up movies and concerts that are featured at the theatre. As to how Fred picks the various movies shown in the Kentucky Theatre, it's not really up to him. The Kentucky Theatre has a "film looker," a type of middleman who, as Fred said, "works with various film studios and distributors, and helps decide what pictures are the best for the Kentucky Theatre. If it wasn't for the Kentucky Theatre, there would be many, many pictures that would not play in Lexington."
Fred has never regretted his many years at the Kentucky Theatre and "never thought about 'what ifs' for more than five minutes." A lover of his job, Fred has yet to become tired of the daily grinds of going to work. And the manager and advocate of the Kentucky Theatre hasn't made any retirement plans, which seems to suit him just fine.
Meet Fred
Birthplace: Lexington, KY
Neighborhood: Woodward Heights
Profession: Manager of the Kentucky Theatre
Family: None, but you could say I'm married to the Kentucky Theatre.
Hobbies: Politics and gardening
Favorite restaurant: Portofino's
Central Kentucky's best-kept secret: The Kentucky Theatre
Best reason to stay in Lexington: Lexington offers everything a large city does,
it's here, you just have to look for it. It's awfully hard to beat the Bluegrass.
Childhood ambition: I was always fascinated with trash collection and wanted to be a garbage man. But aside from that, early on I wanted to become a grade school teacher.
Last movie you saw: "In the Valley of Elah" with Tommy Lee Jones
Favorite comfort food: Hot dogs
Proudest moment in your career: Seeing the Kentucky Theatre come alive again after it was reopened in 1992.
Most influential mentor in life: My parents
Worth splurging on: Your friends
Favorite charitable cause: Movable Feast