10 Questions with 8 Actors by Barbara Janice Kielhofer
Actor #1: Carrie Watt
1. What made you realize you wanted be an actor?
I was 5 years old watching a production of ‘Carousel’ at Northwestern University with my mother and when I got home I performed the entire show for my family and it was the best feeling in the whole world.
2. What makes someone a New Yorker?
The first time I felt like a true New Yorker was when I gave seamless subway directions to multiple tourists groups in midtown. So I think knowing the city up and down, but more importantly knowing short cuts! Whenever someone asks me for directions I always secretly ecastic on the inside for passing as a real New Yorker.
3. If you weren’t an actor what would be your ideal occupation?
I would be a detective. Or a psychologist. Or a pediatrician. The best thing about being an actor is the fact that I could potentially get to play all of those characters!
4. Who (or what) is your mortal enemy?
The internet. I can’t imagine my life without it and it is absolutely amazing, but oh the time that can pass while researching some seemingly important fact…
5. Movies or theatre?
I’m going to say theatre… I love movies, but theatre is constantly changing and its different every night. Whether I am on stage or in an audience, I find the energy that pulses through a live performance space intoxicating.
6. Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
I’m obsessed with Jay-Z right now. He is an incredible talent both musically and in the business sense. He fosters new artists and always makes a point of recognizing and giving back to the community he came from. I think that giving back to the community is one of the most essential parts of being an artist, and a human for that matter. No one person can make it on their own, ensemble is where all the magic happens.
7. What’s your favorite vice?
Gummy Bears.
8. What do you hate most about living in New York?
Not having a car. I love getting behind the wheel and rocking out to my car music, but zip cars are always thrilling!
9. If age, type, or gender were no issue what would your dream role be?
Hedda Gabler. I have been obsessed with Ibsen’s play since I first read it in sixth grade and one day I will play the incredible heroine.
10. If you could give one piece of advice to yourself at the age of 12, what would it be?
Not everyone is going to love you, and that is okay.’ I still tell myself that on a regular basis.
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Actor (and Director) #2: Chris Klinger
1. What made you realize you wanted be an actor?
As far as actually having the desire to act, I think it was when I found out that the people I was watching on TV were real people just like me, so it was possible to have the same adventures they were having. My mother was the one who pushed me to take the risk and go to school for it, though. If she hadn’t come downstairs to breakfast one morning and told me she had a dream that I was supposed to follow my dream and become an actor, I would have become an english teacher.
2. What makes someone a New Yorker?
Being impatient about all modes of transportation, walking with your head down, and the speed with which we talk.
3. If you weren’t an actor what would be your ideal occupation?
I feel like I have three occupations at the moment: actor, director, and teacher, so I’ll choose one that’s not one of those. My other ideal occupation would be a logistics coordinator for the CIA. I have a creative mind that gets around obstacles quickly in order to get to solutions, so I would create resourceful tactics to aid service operatives on covert missions.
4. Who (or what) is your mortal enemy?
My alarm clock. A true nemesis: I cannot stand life with it, nor without.
5. Movies or theatre?
Theatre for me. Movies are incredible, but there is something scary and magical about theatre. The collective energy that passes through the house when a moment moves everyone at the same time is exhilarating to me.
6. Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
My wife, Lacy.
7. What’s your favorite vice?
My wife also works here, but i’ll say gluttony – late night snacking in particular. Chinese food is utterly irresistible.
8. What do you hate most about living in New York?
I’m going to sound so neurotic, but it’s when I have to take a subway south in order to catch a different train to go north. Something about that irks me so deeply.
9. If age, type, or gender were no issue what would your dream role be?
The biopic of Bjork. She is beyond fascinating.
10. If you could give one piece of advice to yourself at the age of 12, what would it be?
YAHOO, GOOGLE, MICROSOFT. INVEST NOW.
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Actor #3: Rob Manning Jr.
1. What made you realize you wanted be an actor?
I did a play and I got to kiss a cute girl and I didn’t throw up on her.
2. What makes someone a New Yorker?
Patience and good walking shoes.
3. If you weren’t an actor what would be your ideal occupation?
Civil Rights Attorney
4. Who (or what) is your mortal enemy?
Roaches. The flying ones.
5. Movies or theatre?
Equal merit for me.
6. Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Subway rat. I see rodenticide signs everywhere and yet they persevere.
7. What’s your favorite vice?
A Guinness
8. What do you hate most about living in New York?
The winter months.
9. If age, type, or gender were no issue what would your dream role be?
My mom.
10. If you could give one piece of advice to yourself at the age of 12, what would it be?
Invest your money.
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Actor #4: Gwynneth Bensen
1. What made you realize you wanted be an actor?
My mom makes costumes and my dad was a director, and after growing up in that world, with all of its magical transformations and funny, outgoing people, how could I resist? Also, I was painfully shy, but I found that when I got up to pretend I was someone else, I didn’t want to disappear. I wanted to shine.
2. What makes someone a New Yorker?
A fast pace (why waste time?) and a fierce sense of pride (if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.)
3. If you weren’t an actor what would be your ideal occupation?
I think I’d like to be a shrink, or someone else who gets into people’s heads and analyzes their thoughts and behavior in order to help them. What draws a lot of us to acting is a fascination with human behavior and motivations.
4. Who (or what) is your mortal enemy?
Procrastination. But I’m so good at it! And hoarders is on!
5. Movies or theatre?
Gotta go with theater, even though it can be extremely expensive and insular. Movies reach millions of people all over the world, while sometimes it can feel like theater is only reaching other people who make theater. Can’t beat that magic, though. The electricity of events unfolding right in front of you. People channeling spirits and making the air thick with raw human emotion. You just can’t beat it.
6. Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional? nnTony, founder of Tony’s pizza. What would I do without you?
7. What’s your favorite vice?
Cheeseburgers. I mean, there’s protein, right? So it’s not all bad…
8. What do you hate most about living in New York?
Lack of leg room. And a scarcity of growing things. It sure would be nice to have a little more space, maybe with a patch of grass, dare I dream for a garden?
9. If age, type, or gender were no issue what would your dream role be?
Coalhouse Walker from Ragtime. Epic, epic role. He spans the entire spectrum of human emotion over 2 acts. And he sings amazing songs.
10. If you could give one piece of advice to yourself at the age of 12, what would it be?
Start growing a pair now. You’re gonna need ’em.n
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Actor #5: Christina Norris
1. What made you realize you wanted be an actor?
Well, as much as my pragmatic mind tried to provide myself with other practical options, my true self knew that I couldn’t not be an actor. (Pardon the double negative)
2. What makes someone a New Yorker?
3 theories: 1) 7+ years; 2) the inability to go anywhere without comparing it to New York; or 3) the ability to balance between a strong territorial bubble and being open to shared experiences. But really, a combo platter between 2 and 3.
3. If you weren’t an actor what would be your ideal occupation?nnA nurse or a humanitarian (this is ideal self, right?).
4. Who (or what) is your mortal enemy? nnSelf doubt
5. Movies or theatre?nnMy heart is always in the theatre, but there is so much skill, artistry and creativity that film allows that makes it its own special beast.
6. Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Liz Lemon
7. What’s your favorite vice?nnMy sailor mouth (or whiskey).
8. What do you hate most about living in New York?
Lack of space–both in apartments and on subways, slow walking tourists, and the summertime smell of garbage day.
9. If age, type, or gender were no issue what would your dream role be?
King Lear, Bottom in Midsummer, or any of Martin McDonough’s men.
10. If you could give one piece of advice to yourself at the age of 12, what would it be?
“Get out of your own damn way!”n
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Actor #6: Mara Gannon
1. What made you realize you wanted be an actor?
Apparently when I was little, I said I wanted to be an actor. I first REALIZED I wanted to be an actor when I was a junior in high school and someone mentioned going to school for theatre. I then realized that this was a career choice.
2. What makes someone a New Yorker?
When you, every so often, have that moment of, “Holy shit, I live here.” Also, when you feel that pang of guilt for every homeless person you walk past. Humanity and humility.
3. If you weren’t an actor what would be your ideal occupation?
Beer taste tester.
4. Who (or what) is your mortal enemy?
People who don’t let you off the subway car before they start to board it.
5. Movies or theatre?
Theatre. Anything done live feels so much more dangerous.
6. Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Cormac O’Connor from Pete Hamill’s “Forever”.
7. What’s your favorite vice?
Chewy fruity candy.
8. What do you hate most about living in New York?
The fact that a beach is so far away. I know, I know, it’s only like an hour but that’s so far away to me! I grew up 4 blocks from an ocean. An hour?! GUH.
9. If age, type, or gender were no issue what would your dream role be?
Iago. Friar Lawrence. Martha from “Woolf”. The Baker’s Wife in “Into the Woods”. I have a long list of these…
10. If you could give one piece of advice to yourself at the age of 12, what would it be?
Don’t worry about being wrong. Being wrong is good. You learn from being wrong. You’ll do it 99 times before you get anything even close to right. Just keep trying.
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Actor #7: Curran Connor
1. What made you realize you wanted be an actor?
The Year: 1995. The Film: Ace Ventura Pet Detective. The viewer: Me. And now I’m an actor. I’m not kidding.
2. What makes someone a New Yorker?
The sense of superiority one feels over people who don’t live in New York.
3. If you weren’t an actor what would be your ideal occupation?
An illustrator. I drew comics as a kid, and nothing made me feel more creative.
4. Who (or what) is your mortal enemy?
Dennis Flanagan. Next question.
5. Movies or theatre?nnI don’t have a preference. I think the immediacy of theatre can make it more exciting, and more frightening, but the scope and scale of film is unmatched. I’m interested in whatever can thrill, surprise, and stimulate me. That’s why I’ll keep going to the theater and to the movies til the day I die.nnSeriously, tho, Dennis Flanagan is my mortal enemy. If I end up dead, he’s the one who did it.
6. Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Stefon.
7. What’s your favorite vice?
Totto Ramen on 52nd.
8. What do you hate most about living in New York?
People who talk about how great New York used to be, making the rest of us feel like tourists.
9. If age, type, or gender were no issue what would your dream role be?
The Internet.
10. If you could give one piece of advice to yourself at the age of 12, what would it be?
Get a job. Also, don’t beat yourself up over every little thing.n
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Actor #8: Zack Griffiths
1. What made you realize you wanted be an actor?
Getting cast as David in my 8th grade play, David and Lisa. Oh, the ego strokes…
2. What makes someone a New Yorker?
An intimate knowledge of the NYC Subway System (including connections).
3. If you weren’t an actor what would be your ideal occupation?
Always wanted to be a freelance photographer/writer working for National Geographic. Maybe I can play one on TV.
4. Who (or what) is your mortal enemy?
FEAR….and, strangely enough, Garret–who would have guessed it, Sean– (though Garret was this one’s first name, and unfortunately, I knew him on a personal basis) a redheaded fat kid who used to push me around in 6th grade until he moved (thank god) out of town. Does Pat Garret have red hair, Sean? Perhaps we’re on to something…
5. Movies or theatre?
Tough one. I certainly see more movies but just because most theater is usually so damn expensive. So, movies for day to day practicality and theater for excitement and experience.
6. Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
New York City. It is a character in of itself. (didn’t have to delete that one Sean, thanks)
7. What’s your favorite vice?
If I’m being safe, commercial free Episodic Television.
8. What do you hate most about living in New York?
The Winters– no wait–the Summers.
9. If age, type, or gender were no issue what would your dream role be?
A film starring me as Margaret Thatcher playing Lincoln in a broadway play. (I didn’t watch the Oscars, did you?)
10. If you could give one piece of advice to yourself at the age of 12, what would it be?
Get that stick outta your a**
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You can catch all of these actors in Apothecary Theatre’s latest production How I Learned To Become A Superhero, playing April 4 – April 27 at T. Schreiber Studio’s Gloria Maddox Theatre.