Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Smallwood. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I had made the decision that I wanted to work as a professional storyteller before I was ten years old. In second grade, my class mounted a production of Rudolph the Red-nose Reindeer for a Christmas showcase. When the question of who would play Santa arose, I volunteered along with a few other kids. So my teacher held auditions, and I got the role. I knew I wanted to be in front of audiences from that moment on. The following year, I saw Jurassic Park in the theater. I knew right there that I wanted to be involved in Making Movies. The next year, I discovered professional wrestling. The theater of it, the audience, the pageantry, the character work: it all appealed to me so much. So year after year, it was just being reinforced in me that performing in front of audiences, creating and telling stories to people, that was the only way forward. It was the path I needed to follow. And I’ve never veered from that path.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been a professional actor, writer, filmmaker, and arts educator for over fifteen years now. I studied theater at the College of Charleston, and worked as an apprentice at Horizon Theatre Company in Atlanta, GA. As a student, I was a two-time winner of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival’s regional playwriting awards.

As an actor, I have starred in films, television shows, podcasts, and theater. I starred in the Halloween Trilogy under director David Gordon Green, as well as guest star roles on Outer Banks and The Righteous Gemstones. I have been a member of PURE Theatre’s acting ensemble since 2011, where I have starred in many shows. Some noted favorites include The Lehman Trilogy, Marie Antoinette, The Royale, Fat Ham, and The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. I also starred in the podcast series Maxine Miles, produced by Atypical Artists and iHeartRadio.

I’m an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. My short films How Many Times and What a Beautiful Wedding have played film festivals all over the world. My plays have been staged in Atlanta, DC, Charleston, and New York City. My feature film, Tonight and Maybe Tomorrow, is in post-production and will debut later this year.

I have also spent the last fifteen years writing arts articles for the Charleston City Paper and Charleston Post and Courier, including a two year run as the City Paper’s arts editor.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

The journey of a creative is usually painted as this struggle to find your “big break” and then become rich and famous. That is the biggest misconception about the creative fields, and it’s held by both non-creatives and creatives who haven’t started the journey yet. People on the outside tend not to understand that there are levels to being a successful creative. You can make a solid living working in regional theater. You can have a full fanbase making small-scale fan films. You can travel the world and sign autographs without being an Avenger. Regional theaters, independent film, and online streaming have created a world where artists have more freedom in defining their success, as well as opportunities to make a living and check off their career goals without needing to be on the cover of Entertainment Weekly.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

It takes resilience be a working actor, because most of the job is auditioning. Auditioning weekly, ignoring the rejection, and building projects despite it. The analogy I always use is that being an actor (or any gig creative) is like being a swimmer moving from island to island. The only thing you know for sure is that you left an island, and that you know how to swim. You have to be resilient to keep looking for the next island.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6468805/?ref_=ttfc_cst_3
• Instagram: @michaelsmallwoodforever

Image Credits

Personal Photo – Brian Parillo Photography