The Thespian’s Mentor

He said “ Become great...the capacity to become one is in the hands of any talented actor committed to working upon himself and the development of his craft”.

This is a short story of a Thespian who became great.

Just few minutes walk from the Metro Station Zara on the Yellow line MyMilanGuide.Com (MMG) was able to find world-class acting talent. Working with well-known international actors/actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Mel Gibson, Alec Baldwin, Peter Fonda and Willem Dafoe.

Just as the warm winter sun was, we met Michael Rodgers, Scottish-born actor now based in Los Angeles.  Our interview took place at the ActorsAcademy where Michael was dressed in a casual but chic brownish jacket and jeans, looking a 100% of an actor with his boyish but serious smile and laid-back disposition.

Arriving only in Milan last January, he has already started to converse in Italian with a crisp Milanese accent.

MMG was given an exclusive one-on-one personal interview of this fascinating man of many talents and rich experience in life.

As warm as the winter sun his smiled often during the interview explaining how his path to acting came to be. From the small Scottish village he found his calling to acting to hard to resist. After a few stints in Edinburgh his quest to perfect his craft was never quenched there.

With his definition of acting would sound something like this, he said its “ part dream, part planning, part excitement, part hunger and parts for the unknown.

He then packed his bags and went to Los Angeles to explore his world.

In Los Angeles he took lessons from Larry Moss who is also a disciple of  Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg, and Sanford Meisner to fine-tune his craft. These same mentors of his also became the personal coach to acting great Leonardo Di Caprio in the movie “ The Aviator “ and in “ Blood Diamond”. Hillary Swank in “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Million Dollar Baby”, Helen Hunt in “As Good As It Gets”, Michael Duncan in “ The Green Mile”. He never seemed to have a doubt in his mind that his skills will make a difference… and it did.

MMG inquired about his new found joy, living in Milan. Teaching at the Actor’s Academy he plans to share his love of the craft with as many students as possible sharing his vision of acting and how to project the elements of the script regardless which ever the emotion is required.

“ My plan is to grow with the academy….” He confided with MMG. “ Actors need an outlet to grow”. he  further added.

Smiling all the time he further explained,  “ I would like to explore the possibility to put up a Department of Short Films at the Academy.” He reasoned he wanted to make things happen rather than wait for things to happen for him.

Able to speak with different accents (latest count is 17) he credits this with having “ keen interest in learning these skills properly by going to school.

Asked about his most memorable acting experience to date, he paused for a while as he tried to recall his acting career…” I played Robert Burns one time in Edinburgh…but it was before I moved to L.A.

As the interview progressed he passionately shared his definition of an actor… “ Actors should know who they are…”then he stopped, looking directly to me he further stressed, “ it is not just simply knowing who you are…you should REALLY know who you are.”

You can sense his commitment to his craft that he further added “ you shouldn’t have too many inhibitions…” As if explaining with conviction that one… you should have the “freedom”. You can’t portray anyone if you have limits on what you can do.

He self describes himself as a bit eccentric, slightly OCD, and very passionate with everything in life.

He will finish his Acting class this coming April 2009. But because the current class was so impressed and delighted with his style of instruction there was a Student Petition that was sent around urging the Actor’s Academy to put in extra classes because of the high demand.

True to form, Michael limits his class to a maximum of 15 to make sure he could interact with everyone and gets personalised instruction. A true thespian indeed…

Quizzed about his most “difficult and challenging” role he had ever played to date. “ There was this play called the “ Epitaph” that was on in New York City”.

“ I played a character there.” he explained. “ It took me 9 times to read and re-read the script.” 

He shared with MMG an actors “tip”, most of the accomplished actors would always read their scripts many times over. “ Each time I read a script, it gives me another dimension of the character.”

“ A different feeling each time I re-read each script.” 

These things are just a few “tips” any aspiring actor can learn from. He generalised his life and career as like the wind taking him into different places and experiences. He does not have a “particular plan in life” just following his thespian instincts.

His life’s quest to further “Become great” continues, the wind blew him here in Milan, and the local actors community is very grateful to this fortuitous event. In fact, everyone should be a bit grateful. Everyone is an actor inside we just need someone to show us how to nurture this gift. Individuals like Michael Rodgers are the  “Thespian Sculptors” that unravel the actor within everyone. It has been said “You can’t teach something you don’t know…” Michael Rodgers is then the man who is one who actually knows and the ActorsAcademyMilano.Com is the springboard to release that thespian within. 

And Become Great Yourself...

Carlos Hipolito reporting for MyMilanGuide.Com. Special thanks to Rita Di Bella, Press Officer of ActorsAcademyMilano.Com. David Callahan, the Students and Staff of ActorsAcademyMilano.Com

Please ring the Academy for further details: +39  02 365.93.242 or fax: +39 02.8738.48.78 or email at info@actorsacademymilano.com website: www.actorsacademymilano.com 

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