We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matthew William a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Acting is risky in so many ways and that’s exactly why I do it. Wins and losses have real consequences, and it is in the struggle where I grow, where I learn about myself, fight with myself through all the defenses, and hopefully, if I do it successfully, it means that I’m letting go of the outcome, the expectations, and am just showing up with an authentic version of me. For example, I was cast in a NYC Broadway theater production with some small musical parts for me to sing poorly on purpose. I had never been to New York City, never been in a play and never even seen one! I went from acting in commercials and background roles in feature films to Broadway. It was a huge risk but I ‘Yes, And’ my way through it, just as I was taught by my acting coach Todd Babcock. I didn’t know what I was doing but I said ‘yes, and’ I figured it out as I went along for the ride.

Matthew, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into acting a few years ago to prove something to myself, to do something new, and create an alternate career path. It was in a time of desperation and acting helped me hope in many ways. Hope for the best, hope for the chance, hope for the future, hope for me as a man, and hope that I could practice coming in clutch, nailing it, and arriving in many ways. My acting brand is typically type cast as a funny, dumb, cute guy as if Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott, and Justin Heartly had a baby. I love making people laugh and that’s exactly what I intend to do in TV, film, and theater.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Quit thinking about the outcome and enter fully into the experience as a creator, an artist, and be your authentic self. Forever, I was heavily influenced by what I thought people wanted to see and hear. However, I’m learning everyday the more I let my genuine self show up, I am happier and arguably a better version of myself, maybe even the best!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m on a mission to break barriers in my life, prove there’s nothing holding me back except myself, to conquer my fears, and laugh along the way.   

Contact Info:

• Website: www.matthewwilliamtalent.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/matthewwilliamtalent
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/matthewwilliamtalent
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/talent_mw
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/matthewwilliamtalent
• Other: www.contrails.info

Image Credits
Sarah Demuth Photography, Light Rae Exposures, Jonathan Grijalva