After graduating from Gainesville, Texas, (high school), Ken attended Oklahoma University, then Stephen F. Austin State University on football scholarship where he received some All America accolades. Majoring in Business and Speech & Drama, after a stint in the Marine Corps, he received his Bachalor's degree. Ken worked for IBM as a sales rep., leading the nation in sales his first year. Two years later, Ken entered into business for himself by founding an oil exploration and production company, "Texas Western, Inc.".
It was during the period he was CEO of Texas Western, that Ken became interested in professional acting, having heretofore relegated his drama training to "Little Theater, Community Playhouse, etc.". He was talked into auditioning for a Dairy Queen commercial by Dallas agent, Kim Dawson. They needed a real cowboy and Ken also owned a working cattle ranch in East Texas where he raised registered Beefmaster cattle and Quarter Horses. Suffice to say, Ken got the part. (That's another story.) That was over two hundred sixty commercials (some of which he Produced and Directed), fifteen major feature films, over fifty TV shows and TV movies ago and only God knows how many Industrials he has done.
Ken was the television spokesman for Wolf Brand Chili for six years and most recently appeared in "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS", "RED RIDGE", "THE NEWTON BOYS", "ROCKETMAN", "THE PRESIDENT'S MAN", "LOGAN'S WAR" and six episodes of "WALKER, TEXAS RANGER". Ken has worked directly with many award winning actors; Billy Bob Thornton, Gene Hackman, Lucus Black, Robert Stack, Linda Hunt, Kevin Kline, Kevin Costner, Peter Fonda, James Woods, Ben Johnson, Brian Dennehy, Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Ashley, Karen Allen, Danny Glover, Kris Kristofferson, Rip Torn, Robert Conrad, Scott Glenn, Bo Bridges, Willie Nelson, Peter Brown, Larry Hagman, Howard Keel, Ethan Hawk, Matthew McConaughey and John Cleese, to name a few.
Ken has been known to say, "I can't believe they actually want to pay me for something I love to do so much, I guess my avocation has become my vocation."
In 1984, Ken had a major role in "SILVERADO" and decided to devote full time to acting and moved to Los Angles. While in L. A., Ken continued his acting studies under Cliff Osmond, Rowena Balos, and Rob Spera, among others, at the Actor's Center.
Ken has also written several projects in addition to his book ("ACTING IS STORYTELLING"© ), including the screen play, "SLEEPING DOG" , an action adventure romantic comedy set in Texas; "ROCKABILLY BABY" (based on a play of the same name by Leslie Jordan), a 50's drama about the birth of rock and roll; a MOW/Pilot, "DAMN YOU, BONE", a police who-done-it dramady, and a supernatural action adventure, "SPIRIT WARRIOR" (in treatment form). Additionally, Ken and his partners Buck Steinke, Mike Moroff-Burciga and Jim Colwell of Gainesville, Texas, founded a production company, Timber Creek Productions, LLC, specifically to acquire and produce quality film projects. Some of the acquisitions include "THE TUMBLEWEED WAGON" (which Ken has done several major rewrites on), "THE PEACE OFFICER", "LONG JOHN GREY", "SLEEPING DOG", "ROCKABILLY BABY", "BAD MOON RISING" and "THE RETURN OF CORPORAL CABE". Timber Creek Productions will be shooting "ROCKABILLY BABY", December, 2007. Starring Denton Blane Everett, Todd Farr, Brandi Price, Maeghan Albach and Kelly (Gunny) Jackson. "ROCKABILLY BABY" is based on the stage play, "Rockabilly Baby" by Leslie Jordan and the screen play was written by Ken Farmer. It will be shot entirely on location in and around Gainesville, Texas and Shreveport, La. in HD and directed by Ken Farmer.
In addition to an active acting career, Ken started coaching acting a few years ago. It was during one of his workshops , that someone asked why he didn't write a book on the style of acting he was teaching because it was so logical and easy to understand and it would give the students a text to study outside of class. (nuff said,... here 'tis). "ACTING IS STORYTELLING"© .
Ken currently
resides in rural north Texas near Gainesville, Texas, where he is an ex-officio
member of the board of directors of The Community Preservation Foundation.
Ken has one son, Clay, and one granddaughter, Makena, currently residing
in Houston, Texas. Ken is also a lifetime member of the alumni association
of Stephen F. Austin State University as well as a lifetime member of the
"T" association
(letterman's
club)