We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Paul Cottman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Paul below.

Paul, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Like any other skill, I learned to act through study and practice. I’ve taken classes, i’ve read and reread several literary works on the various facets of performance, and I also get the opportunity to try something a bit new or better apply what I’ve learned to each new project. That isn’t to say you rely on the projects you’ve booked to be the only time you’re honing your craft. That would in fact be a mistake. I also absolutely love reading scripts, almost as much as I enjoy watching the films they eventually produced which comes in handy when you need to break down a scene. When I started acting I was actually incredibly shy and found the stage to be something of an outlet. The introspection and rumination that often accompanies shyness can be of benefit to an actor so long as they are not the hindered in their ability to perform. Thus a conundrum is created where when they are called upon to perform, there exist a tempestuous wealth of emotion and thought behind the eyes that struggles to come across as authentic because of the busyness of the film set. The challenge becomes acclimating oneself to that climate so that you can do on a film set what you do when you practice alone at home or in class.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started out on the stage back in middle school where I immediately fell in love with the craft. When I went to college in New York I had my first experience acting on film. Since then i’ve been fortunate enough to be cast in films that have released to various streaming platforms and been distributed by the likes of companies like Lionsgate. Something I believe sets me apart from many others in my field is the understanding that having confidence in yourself and at the same time recognizing that there is still more to learn and improve upon are not mutually exclusive. The ability to stay disciplined and drive yourself to continue building on your craft while maintaining your confidence in your skills isn’t always an easy task, especially in an industry chock full of rejection.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Time and time again, I find that that feeling I get while watching a good film is one that I long to give to others with my own work. Storytelling is part of who we are and I relish the fact the I get to do it at all.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

If I had to reduce the vision I have for my current and future creative endeavors it is simply to provide for myself and my family while creating quality entertainment. I want people to have confidence in my ability to parse out and select quality projects with which to attach myself so that when they become available to the public i’ve build something of a trust between myself of any potential viewers. I want them to think that if Paul Cottman is attached to a project they’re in good hands but more importantly, I want to deliver on that end.

Contact Info:

• Website: imdb.me/paulcottman
• Instagram: instagram.com/paulcottman
• Facebook: facebook.com/officialpaulcottman
• Youtube: youtube.com/paulcottman