Mindy Dougherty’s resume is extensive and impressive. She didn’t start acting until 2017, but before then, she had real-life experiences that would rival any role she may play in a film. In a nutshell, Mindy joined the US Army right out of high school. After contracting pancreatitis while she was serving in Bosnia, Mindy was medically discharged. After struggling with and overcoming health issues that followed over the last several years, she attended an acting improve class and she was hooked. Mindy has since built an impressive acting resume that also includes production credits.
Mindy’s military experience has come into play for her being cast in some roles. She played a soldier in Michael Su’s 2022 Bridge of the Damned, and Robert Resto’s upcoming Z Dead End, both action horrors. She also recently completed her own documentary with her fellow Army combat medic entitled, Cooking With Fire.
Besides acting, Mindy has authored two books; her aptly-titled autobiography, Resilient Warrior and A Dragon’s Voice, which is aimed at parents and their children. She also has quite a green thumb and is the founder of Feed My City, an organization that teaches people to grow fruits and vegetables and give to their community food banks and churches.
What you have read just scratches the surface of this remarkable lady’s accomplishments. Learn much more about Mindy in the following exclusive interview she did with Idol Features. Above photo by Hal Harrison.
CHRIS CHARLES: It’s a pleasure to have you here, Mindy. First off, I see that you and I have something in common in that we were both in the Army. I understand you were a medic?
MINDY DOUGHERTY: I joined the Army shortly after graduating high school. Four days to be exact. I wanted to go into the military to earn money for college and to get the best experience in the medical field. If there happened to be a war started while I was in, I would learn a lot, be able to help many people, and I could bring the knowledge gained after I completed my service time to put towards a career. I served from 1995 to 1999. I was stationed in Germany, deployed to Bosnia in 1996, then stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado to finish out my time from 1997 to 1999 where I became the BOSS (Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers) President. I was appointed, elected, then re-elected amongst my peers of over 20,000 and I was sent to Washington DC to represent the single soldiers on the base. I was sent to an international convention where all of the BOSS presidents and vice presidents joined together to help our bases get changed and make the living standards better for all soldiers living on base. At the time we only had one pay phone on each floor, and many would not be able to speak with their families, so I contacted Sprint at the time and convinced them to obtain a large contract so that every room would have a phone in it and the soldiers would be able to speak to their families. This boosted the morale on base, because it was a time before cell phones were available.
CHRIS: I can sure relate to that. So, where did you go to basic training?
MINDY: Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, which is often referred to as “Fort Lost in the Woods, Misery.” I went to basic in June so it was very hot and humid.
CHRIS: Here’s a question I’m usually on the answering end of: Why did you decide not to make the Army a career?
MINDY DOUGHERTY: I joined the Army shortly after graduating high school. Four days to be exact. I wanted to go into the military to earn money for college and to get the best experience in the medical field. If there happened to be a war started while I was in, I would learn a lot, be able to help many people, and I could bring the knowledge gained after I completed my service time to put towards a career. I served from 1995 to 1999. I was stationed in Germany, deployed to Bosnia in 1996, then stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado to finish out my time from 1997 to 1999 where I became the BOSS (Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers) President. I was appointed, elected, then re-elected amongst my peers of over 20,000 and I was sent to Washington DC to represent the single soldiers on the base. I was sent to an international convention where all of the BOSS presidents and vice presidents joined together to help our bases get changed and make the living standards better for all soldiers living on base. At the time we only had one pay phone on each floor, and many would not be able to speak with their families, so I contacted Sprint at the time and convinced them to obtain a large contract so that every room would have a phone in it and the soldiers would be able to speak to their families. This boosted the morale on base, because it was a time before cell phones were available.
CHRIS: I can sure relate to that. So, where did you go to basic training?
MINDY: Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, which is often referred to as “Fort Lost in the Woods, Misery.” I went to basic in June so it was very hot and humid.
CHRIS: Here’s a question I’m usually on the answering end of: Why did you decide not to make the Army a career?
MINDY:I was deployed to Bosnia in 1996. When I was serving in Bosnia, I contracted parasites from the food being cooked for us by the Hungarians. This caused me to have pancreatitis for eight years, and I had my gallbladder, duodenum, appendix, and pancreas taken out in three separate sections. I was cut from rib to rib three times. Because the pancreatitis would not stop, I was rendered medically unfit to go to war if I was to be called to go. So, after serving my full contract for four years, I received an honorable medical discharge. I struggled for three more years, was in three comas and had multiple organs taken out. I wanted to go to officer school but that was cut short because of the pancreatitis. Once my pancreas was taken out in 2004, I became an automatic insulin dependent diabetic.
CHRIS: Wow, you’ve overcome a lot. Moving on to your acting career; I see you have built up quite an acting resume since 2020. Did you have any acting experience before then?
MINDY: I had very little experience. I was at a coffee shop one day, and met a woman who is also a great friend of mine now, and she invited me to an improv class in 2017. From that point on I was hooked.
CHRIS: I see you have played soldiers in a couple of your films. Were you cast in those roles because of your military experience?
MINDY: Yes. I was also able to offer ideas, make sure the uniforms were on correct, and all weapons had empty chambers before the filming started.
CHRIS: You’ve also been the voice of announcers and reporters in a few films. Do you have any real life experiences in that field?
MINDY: No. I have heard many people tell me they really like the sound of my voice and wanted to work with me. I have been told that my voice soothes and calms people down, and that I have a radio or meditative voice. I can honestly say I have had a lot of fun with it.
CHRIS: Wow, you’ve overcome a lot. Moving on to your acting career; I see you have built up quite an acting resume since 2020. Did you have any acting experience before then?
MINDY: I had very little experience. I was at a coffee shop one day, and met a woman who is also a great friend of mine now, and she invited me to an improv class in 2017. From that point on I was hooked.
CHRIS: I see you have played soldiers in a couple of your films. Were you cast in those roles because of your military experience?
MINDY: Yes. I was also able to offer ideas, make sure the uniforms were on correct, and all weapons had empty chambers before the filming started.
CHRIS: You’ve also been the voice of announcers and reporters in a few films. Do you have any real life experiences in that field?
MINDY: No. I have heard many people tell me they really like the sound of my voice and wanted to work with me. I have been told that my voice soothes and calms people down, and that I have a radio or meditative voice. I can honestly say I have had a lot of fun with it.
CHRIS: What is your most recent film project?
MINDY: I will be filming Killer Pizza Man in Texas created by Will Collazo and Julie Anne Prescott in August 2026. I am also beyond excited to also work with Chase Dudley on his film called A Widow’s Oath which is an action film for the time period of the 12th century. I will be playing a friend and mentor to Nicole Butler Vegas’s character. In addition, I will be playing Noel G’s sister. You may recognize him from The Fast & The Furious films. We will be filming in a castle located in Kentucky. The date is set for March 2027.
CHRIS: You appeared in Clown Motel 3 Ways to Hell, which has a cast full of well-known names in indie horror. What was filming that one like for you?
MINDY: I liked that I was able to create my own character as a vampire clown. I met many people on set who remain my friend today. I trained for months prior to going on set. I worked out at the gym with a personal trainer and kept my nutrition on point.
CHRIS: I understand you also recently filmed a documentary entitled, Cooking With Fire. Please tell me about that.
MINDY: Yes, the documentary was filmed with my publisher and friend Robbie Grayson. It brought my friend and I together to show that two people from different parts of the world could come together and cook a meal while talking about our stories about our lives. We are both Army combat field medic veterans.
MINDY: I will be filming Killer Pizza Man in Texas created by Will Collazo and Julie Anne Prescott in August 2026. I am also beyond excited to also work with Chase Dudley on his film called A Widow’s Oath which is an action film for the time period of the 12th century. I will be playing a friend and mentor to Nicole Butler Vegas’s character. In addition, I will be playing Noel G’s sister. You may recognize him from The Fast & The Furious films. We will be filming in a castle located in Kentucky. The date is set for March 2027.
CHRIS: You appeared in Clown Motel 3 Ways to Hell, which has a cast full of well-known names in indie horror. What was filming that one like for you?
MINDY: I liked that I was able to create my own character as a vampire clown. I met many people on set who remain my friend today. I trained for months prior to going on set. I worked out at the gym with a personal trainer and kept my nutrition on point.
CHRIS: I understand you also recently filmed a documentary entitled, Cooking With Fire. Please tell me about that.
MINDY: Yes, the documentary was filmed with my publisher and friend Robbie Grayson. It brought my friend and I together to show that two people from different parts of the world could come together and cook a meal while talking about our stories about our lives. We are both Army combat field medic veterans.
CHRIS: You are also credited as a producer in a few upcoming films.
MINDY: I was an executive producer on a film called Bridge of The Doomed, a zombie horror film. I was an associate producer on Cheer Bloody Murder which is a horror film about a cheerleader attending a cheer camp. There are a lot of great well-known actors in that one and we are waiting for Lionsgate to release it. I am an Executive Producer on Killer Pizza Man which is about a joker who was betrayed by his gang and left to die behind a pizza shop. A voodoo curse brings him back as a demonic pizza creature. I was the assistant producer on Lost Media which is about a group of actors who are waiting to get picked up from their hotel to get taken to set but instead they get kidnapped by a group of lunatics.
MINDY: I was an executive producer on a film called Bridge of The Doomed, a zombie horror film. I was an associate producer on Cheer Bloody Murder which is a horror film about a cheerleader attending a cheer camp. There are a lot of great well-known actors in that one and we are waiting for Lionsgate to release it. I am an Executive Producer on Killer Pizza Man which is about a joker who was betrayed by his gang and left to die behind a pizza shop. A voodoo curse brings him back as a demonic pizza creature. I was the assistant producer on Lost Media which is about a group of actors who are waiting to get picked up from their hotel to get taken to set but instead they get kidnapped by a group of lunatics.
CHRIS: Do you have a favorite film genre?
MINDY: Comedy and action.
CHRIS: Are there any people in indie films, on either side of the camera, you particularly want to work with?
MINDY: Yes, it would be a dream come true to be able to work with the Canadian actress Katheryn Winnick, and the Australian actor Travis Fimmel. Both are well known from the History Channel series, The Vikings, which was written by Michael Hirst.
CHRIS: You’re also the author of two books, so far. One is your autobiography; Resilient Warrior and the second is A Dragon’s Voice. Was Resilient Warrior in the making for a very long time?
MINDY: I was asked by my grandmother at the age of 22 to write a book about my life, and I put it off for a very long time. However, the thought of it kept coming back around and the more I spoke to people, the more I would hear, “You should write a book about your life.” About 20 years later, my grandmother was diagnosed with dementia which made me want to fulfill my promise to her. It took me three years because I felt like I was reliving my whole life story all over again. I continued doing multiple therapies to rewire my brain, and when I finally turned it in, the editing process took a while. When I got my book published, I sent a copy to my grandmother, and she read it in 1 day which was on her birthday. She told me she was proud of me for writing the book and we discussed the events that occurred.
CHRIS: Tell us a little about A Dragon’s Voice and what inspired you to write it?
MINDY: Comedy and action.
CHRIS: Are there any people in indie films, on either side of the camera, you particularly want to work with?
MINDY: Yes, it would be a dream come true to be able to work with the Canadian actress Katheryn Winnick, and the Australian actor Travis Fimmel. Both are well known from the History Channel series, The Vikings, which was written by Michael Hirst.
CHRIS: You’re also the author of two books, so far. One is your autobiography; Resilient Warrior and the second is A Dragon’s Voice. Was Resilient Warrior in the making for a very long time?
MINDY: I was asked by my grandmother at the age of 22 to write a book about my life, and I put it off for a very long time. However, the thought of it kept coming back around and the more I spoke to people, the more I would hear, “You should write a book about your life.” About 20 years later, my grandmother was diagnosed with dementia which made me want to fulfill my promise to her. It took me three years because I felt like I was reliving my whole life story all over again. I continued doing multiple therapies to rewire my brain, and when I finally turned it in, the editing process took a while. When I got my book published, I sent a copy to my grandmother, and she read it in 1 day which was on her birthday. She told me she was proud of me for writing the book and we discussed the events that occurred.
CHRIS: Tell us a little about A Dragon’s Voice and what inspired you to write it?
MINDY: I wrote this when I was sitting around watching my friend’s kids reading their books. I started having flashbacks to when I was in school and recognized the struggles I had with reading comprehension and memory. We moved around so much that learning became very difficult for me. When you do not have the skills as a child to read, write, and comprehend, it becomes hard to catch up in the later years. School was very difficult for me even though I received good grades. I always needed a lot of tutoring, reading help, and I also needed someone to read to me in school otherwise I couldn’t understand what I was reading. This book is currently in six police departments in five different states, and I would like to get it into more schools, police departments, and family advocacy centers.
CHRIS: You’re also a Watsu Practitioner. For those, such as myself, who aren’t familiar with that, can you summarize what that is and how you got started with it.
MINDY: Watsu was created by a man named Harold Dull who passed away two years after I learned this practice. Essentially Watsu is Shiatsu massage in warm water. I personally like to go to the hot springs because it has natural minerals that help restore health naturally. I work with a lot of people that have severe trauma, neurological-cognitive impairments, orthopedic issues, depression, and anxiety. I put floats on the person’s legs and provide a neck pillow, then I begin to work the areas of concern. The reason I learned about this practice was from healing my own medical issues with my left leg and foot after being bed bound for three years and eight months, using a wheelchair and having a neurological burning disorder called CRPS which is rated the highest level at the pain scale. Mine would start in my left foot, travel up thru my spinal cord, then into my brain. When I received Watsu, it helped but it was never enough. I vowed to learn this once I was able to walk again because I wanted to help others struggling with pain. Both mental and physical. It took seven years to relearn how to walk without falling on my face. At one point I was taking ketamine every other day and going into a medical office to receive it via IV therapy when it became too much to bear the pain. My leg and foot would swell to the size of an elephant’s foot, turn bright red-purple, and the burning sensations were intolerable. CRPS is also known as the suicide disease due to the constant pain.
CHRIS: You’re also a Watsu Practitioner. For those, such as myself, who aren’t familiar with that, can you summarize what that is and how you got started with it.
MINDY: Watsu was created by a man named Harold Dull who passed away two years after I learned this practice. Essentially Watsu is Shiatsu massage in warm water. I personally like to go to the hot springs because it has natural minerals that help restore health naturally. I work with a lot of people that have severe trauma, neurological-cognitive impairments, orthopedic issues, depression, and anxiety. I put floats on the person’s legs and provide a neck pillow, then I begin to work the areas of concern. The reason I learned about this practice was from healing my own medical issues with my left leg and foot after being bed bound for three years and eight months, using a wheelchair and having a neurological burning disorder called CRPS which is rated the highest level at the pain scale. Mine would start in my left foot, travel up thru my spinal cord, then into my brain. When I received Watsu, it helped but it was never enough. I vowed to learn this once I was able to walk again because I wanted to help others struggling with pain. Both mental and physical. It took seven years to relearn how to walk without falling on my face. At one point I was taking ketamine every other day and going into a medical office to receive it via IV therapy when it became too much to bear the pain. My leg and foot would swell to the size of an elephant’s foot, turn bright red-purple, and the burning sensations were intolerable. CRPS is also known as the suicide disease due to the constant pain.
CHRIS: I know this is a topic all in itself, but you have received stem cells due to your neurological condition in your spinal cord. Most of us laypeople have heard of stem cells from Christopher Reeve’s case. Would you say his advocacy for stem cell research greatly helped make it possible for people like yourself to receive them?
MINDY: No, because unfortunately our medical system in the USA is driven by money and big pharma. There were studies being made before he became injured, however, because of his celebrity status, we learned more about it.
CHRIS: You traveled to Colombia to receive stem cells. In your case, would it have been at all possible to receive them in the United States?
MINDY: I actually tried stem cells in the United States three separate times and each time they did not work. So, my friend who is a veteran named Boone Cutler who recently passed away from heart failure was the one who told our mutual friend Robbie Grayson, our publisher. Boone went to Panama to receive his while he had very little reserves left in his body and on oxygen, when he received stem cells it saved his life and gave him an additional six years to live. At one point the company BioXcellerator wanted Boone to go to them. They are located in Medellin, Colombia. He told our friend Robbie, “I don’t want to get another stem cell procedure until my wife gets one first, besides I feel fine” He indeed needed another treatment however, he told Robbie to let me have the treatment, and Robbie called BioXcellerator to conduct the deal. After receiving stem cells here, I called my friend and said, “Robbie, I feel different, and as I was on the phone with him, he recognized that I no longer stuttered. I went back to have an additional stem cell treatment placed directly into my spinal cord because it is the only way it can cross the blood brain barrier.
MINDY: No, because unfortunately our medical system in the USA is driven by money and big pharma. There were studies being made before he became injured, however, because of his celebrity status, we learned more about it.
CHRIS: You traveled to Colombia to receive stem cells. In your case, would it have been at all possible to receive them in the United States?
MINDY: I actually tried stem cells in the United States three separate times and each time they did not work. So, my friend who is a veteran named Boone Cutler who recently passed away from heart failure was the one who told our mutual friend Robbie Grayson, our publisher. Boone went to Panama to receive his while he had very little reserves left in his body and on oxygen, when he received stem cells it saved his life and gave him an additional six years to live. At one point the company BioXcellerator wanted Boone to go to them. They are located in Medellin, Colombia. He told our friend Robbie, “I don’t want to get another stem cell procedure until my wife gets one first, besides I feel fine” He indeed needed another treatment however, he told Robbie to let me have the treatment, and Robbie called BioXcellerator to conduct the deal. After receiving stem cells here, I called my friend and said, “Robbie, I feel different, and as I was on the phone with him, he recognized that I no longer stuttered. I went back to have an additional stem cell treatment placed directly into my spinal cord because it is the only way it can cross the blood brain barrier.
I went to Colombia to get stem cells from BioXcellerator to help the burning in my left leg and spinal cord called CRPS (chronic regional pain syndrome aka the suicide disease) I was tortured for four months at the San Antonio, TX VA Hospital and it left me bed bound for three years and eight months. With CRPS, it took a total of seven years to get back to walking without falling on my face. When I was bed bound, I had to keep my left leg elevated otherwise anytime I lowered my left leg below my heart, my left foot and leg would swell to the size of an elephants foot and turn completely purple-red. After stem cells, I was able to walk, talk without stuttering, and communicate with others much better because I understood what they were saying. I no longer needed Ketamine IV infusions and I am completely off most of the medications I was taking for pain.
CHRIS: On a lighter topic; I also see you also have quite a green thumb. About how many hours a week would you say you spend in your garden?
MINDY: Depending on what I have going on for work, I like to spend a few hours a week in my garden observing the birds, pulling the grass, and weeds that come up, and enjoy the flowers blooming.
CHRIS: What are you particularly proud of growing in your garden?
MINDY: A large area of wild flowers for the bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. I often get a variety of birds that stop by because I have a bird feeder. I love watching nature at its finest, and the birds I have found, give me peace when I have the time to watch them. Being in my garden is peaceful and I have found inner serenity by growing flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
CHRIS: On a lighter topic; I also see you also have quite a green thumb. About how many hours a week would you say you spend in your garden?
MINDY: Depending on what I have going on for work, I like to spend a few hours a week in my garden observing the birds, pulling the grass, and weeds that come up, and enjoy the flowers blooming.
CHRIS: What are you particularly proud of growing in your garden?
MINDY: A large area of wild flowers for the bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. I often get a variety of birds that stop by because I have a bird feeder. I love watching nature at its finest, and the birds I have found, give me peace when I have the time to watch them. Being in my garden is peaceful and I have found inner serenity by growing flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
CHRIS Do you have any skills or hobbies only those close to you would know about?
MINDY: I created a company called Feed My City, which teaches people to grow vegetables and fruit then to give some of the excess that normally would be wasted to food banks, shelters, and churches. Right before COVID hit, I went to the Bend Police Department to set up a program to potentially reduce recidivism by helping those who are locked up to learn how to grow food for themselves and others. However, once COVID hit and everything shut down, so did the budget for the programs and funding to provide the materials necessary to create the program. I also work with women and kids that have been human and sex-trafficked to get counseling and act as a mentor so they can see their value and understand how to release the trauma that has a way of taking over their nervous system. I am currently taking Chase Hughes’s (a retired Navy Intelligence officer who interrogated people to find the truth) courses on Neuro Cognitive Behaviors, so I can learn more about others and help more people. I am also working with veterans to help get their medical needs taken care of. To ease my own anxiety, I often write poetry in my journal, and share them sometimes.
CHRIS: With that, I’ll thank you again for doing this for the readers of Idol Features, Mindy, In closing, do you have any shout-outs to anyone?
MINDY: Yes, I would like to thank my friend Nicole Butler for the support she has continued to show me. I appreciate her friendship very much. We are both veterans as well and I am really grateful to have more women in my life that have my friends along the way. I would also like to thank my very good friend who happens to also be my publisher, Robbie Grayson. He has truly been a very honorable and respected friend. I met him from another veteran and mutual friend who got me on a radio show to tell my story. Also, I would like to thank my friend who is the photographer for the shots appearing in this magazine, His name is Ian Phares and he lives in Washington.
MINDY: I created a company called Feed My City, which teaches people to grow vegetables and fruit then to give some of the excess that normally would be wasted to food banks, shelters, and churches. Right before COVID hit, I went to the Bend Police Department to set up a program to potentially reduce recidivism by helping those who are locked up to learn how to grow food for themselves and others. However, once COVID hit and everything shut down, so did the budget for the programs and funding to provide the materials necessary to create the program. I also work with women and kids that have been human and sex-trafficked to get counseling and act as a mentor so they can see their value and understand how to release the trauma that has a way of taking over their nervous system. I am currently taking Chase Hughes’s (a retired Navy Intelligence officer who interrogated people to find the truth) courses on Neuro Cognitive Behaviors, so I can learn more about others and help more people. I am also working with veterans to help get their medical needs taken care of. To ease my own anxiety, I often write poetry in my journal, and share them sometimes.
CHRIS: With that, I’ll thank you again for doing this for the readers of Idol Features, Mindy, In closing, do you have any shout-outs to anyone?
MINDY: Yes, I would like to thank my friend Nicole Butler for the support she has continued to show me. I appreciate her friendship very much. We are both veterans as well and I am really grateful to have more women in my life that have my friends along the way. I would also like to thank my very good friend who happens to also be my publisher, Robbie Grayson. He has truly been a very honorable and respected friend. I met him from another veteran and mutual friend who got me on a radio show to tell my story. Also, I would like to thank my friend who is the photographer for the shots appearing in this magazine, His name is Ian Phares and he lives in Washington.
Mindy’s most recent demo reel
The video Mindy did for BioXcellerator.
Available at Amazon: Resilient Warrior and A Dragon’s Voice
See more of Mindy at her IMDb Page, Facebook, and Instagram
About the author
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Chris flirted with the music business there and in Nashville before joining the U.S. Army and serving in South Korea. He remained in Asia for several years afterwards, teaching English, traveling, and covering the regional entertainment scenes. A former Xanga blogger ("Xangan"), Chris is still in a mindset between Seoul and San Francisco. Besides Idol Features, you can also catch his writings in the print edition of the monthly magazine, Effective.
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