Michael Roark. Photo Credit: Vander Swain.
Actor Michael Roark chatted about his latest endeavors and being a part of the digital age.
Daily motivations
On his daily motivations as an actor, he said, “Ever since I stepped on a stage, I’ve been motivated by connecting with and inspiring the audience.”
“With TV and film, I have the opportunity to reach so many people I could never meet. This work also requires me to endlessly be working on myself and to keep reaching for and evolving to the best version of me… It also makes for quite a ride along the way,” he elaborated.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age (now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent), Roark said, “It gives, and it takes away. I love to connect with fans on social media, but all the instant access takes away some believability of characters on screen and some of the overall charm of the business.”
“There also seems to be this pressure to endlessly post and promote but I have never fell too much into that. In this season of my life and career, I have a healthy relationship with social media, it just needs to be kept in balance,” he said.
“As for streaming, it has opened up a pipeline for many new titles, but it has also
lead to a lot of consolidation in the business which is not such a great thing,” he said.
“Art wants to breathe and the more creative homes a project may find the better,” he admitted. “I think we are still in the early stages of what the streaming age is going to look like.”
“Ultimately, unless I’m producing and/or selling a project rather than just
acting and promoting, it’s out of my control so I don’t worry too much about it,” he added.
Advice for young and aspiring actors
For young and aspiring actors, he encouraged them to “focus on their craft.”
“My mantra as I was starting out was to only worry about getting better,” he said. “There will be many seasons of doubt, defeat and rejection along the way and endless opportunity for distraction. Take time for yourself as needed but don’t get blown off course.”
“You need to learn how to persevere in this game. Ultimately, the only thing that matters is what you do when the camera comes on or the curtain comes up,” he said.
Roark continued, “With where the business is today and where it is heading, you need to cultivate a healthy side hustle. For so long residual checks have kept many actors afloat in their early years, myself included.”
“As streaming gains a bigger foothold in the business, residuals will continue to recede. Take some pressure off yourself and have something going on outside of acting. It’s really hard to do your best work when you need the gig to pay the bills,” he said.
“If you are fortunate to be in a healthy financial position, you should still have something on the side for your own sanity. It brings a greater perspective to your life and to your characters,” he added.
Future plans
On his plans for the future, Roark remarked, “There is always another project on the way. I have a few movies in post and more to be filmed later this year. I still work as an attorney in between gigs.”
“I’m also working on a book and have gotten back into martial arts after some time
off. I have been toying with the idea of getting involved with running for office
as well,” he revealed.
“On the home front, I have been mostly on the East Coast the past few years but
will start spending more time on the West Coast and go bicoastal now that the
strikes are behind us,” he said.
“I’m so nomadic these days I never know where I will be in a few months’ time. I plan to continue spending time abroad as well and I’m working on adding EU citizenship to have more flexibility in globetrotting pursuits,” he added.
‘Bennett’s War’
Roark also recalled starring in “Bennett’s War,” where he worked with Alex
Ranarivelo as director and screenwriter. “I loved making it,” he said.
“Alex is a fantastic director and just a great and fun dude to be around,” he admitted. “As a director, he knows what he wants. He has both the technical skills behind the camera and also knows how to express to an actor what he needs to get the shot. Alex has a quiet confidence about him that sets a good tone for the set.”
“As a screenwriter, Alex was not married to the words on the page which gave me a lot of freedom to bring Marshall Bennett to life. I hope to work with him again,” Roark added.
Passionflix fan convention in Puerto Rico
Roark opened up about being a part of the Passionflix fan convention in Puerto Rico.
“Passionflix fans are such a committed and loyal fanbase,” he said. “I love to meet them and hear their stories about how much these books we adapt for the screen
mean to them.”
“The cast of so many of these films have all become such good friends,” he noted. “We love coming to the events to hang out with each other. It is actually quite a rare thing in this business, to be able to cultivate these friendships and look forward to future projects and events together.”
“Typically, you make a movie and there is a wrap party and a premiere and that’s it.
Passionflix is growing rapidly and its a cool feeling feeling to be on the ground
floor of something as it takes off,” he said.
“Also, I’ve been wanting to get to Puerto Rico for a while and it did not
disappoint. Such a beautiful place and I’m looking forward to going back to do
more exploring,” he added.
Career-defining moments
On his career-defining moments, he disclosed, “Too many to count, but I think one of the fascinating things about life is how we are constantly changing and become different people in different seasons of life. I think back to certain times in my life, and I sometimes ask, ‘did that actually happen in this life or another one?’”
“It is not so much the moments that define us, but our decision and our habits that
lead to those moments,” he admitted. “The habits we cultivate ultimately define who we become.”
“I have made it a habit and a practice to continually challenge myself,
to explore, stay curious, stay kind, always be learning… When I think of all I
have seen and done and accomplished thus far in life, it adds conviction to
stay the course,” he elaborated.
“In addition, I was a junior at Illinois State University and wanted to audition for spring theater shows. I found a monologue in the library and decided to just wing it. I was so nervous and without any training or experience,” he said.
He continued, “As I was anxiously waiting in the wings to go on stage to a packed audience, there was a moment where I thought ‘this is crazy, everyone here is a real actor and I don’t belong here, I should leave’… but I pushed through the doubt and fear in that moment.”
“It is strange to consider but If I turned back in that moment, maybe I would have given up my whole career. Early in my career nerves were wracking my performance in audition rooms. I arrived at certain moments of clarity where I thought, I have suffered and struggled and sacrificed too much to let nerves blow this opportunity,” he elaborated.
“If I go in and give it my all and don’t get the job, them I can live with that… But no more is it going to be because I got nervous and blew it,” he added.
Dream acting partners
On his dream acting partners, he shared, “Many of my dream acting partners have moved on but would love to work with John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Ben Foster, Matt Damon, Paul Giamatti, Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Michael Keaton… The list goes on.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, he said, “Success means knowing the person looking back at you in the mirror and being proud of them. I read a quote recently that goes something like this: ‘the only opinions that should matter to you are those of your eight-year-old self and your 80-year-old self. I think that is right on.”
To learn more about actor Michael Roark, follow him on Instagram.