We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Don Finklea, Jr a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Don, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned acting through a combination of formal training, personal mentorship, and life experience. Initially, I pursued theater classes at Coppin State University under the guidance of Professor Amini Johari Courts, who provided my foundational skills, specifically teaching me the Meisner Technique, and confidence. Later, studying under Kathryn Laughlin at Performers Studio Workshop in Tampa further sharpened my craft, teaching me professional audition techniques, industry know-how, and the Eric Morris acting method. Most recently, I’ve expanded my training by studying Uta Hagen’s acting method in classes at HB Studio.

Knowing what I do now, I realize I couldn’t have significantly accelerated my learning—acting requires life experience. Experiencing real-life challenges, especially through my military career, became crucial sources of emotional depth for my performances.

Currently, I’m fully immersed in learning how to produce and honing my skills as a screenwriter, broadening my capabilities and enhancing my overall understanding of storytelling and filmmaking.

The most essential skills I’ve cultivated are adaptability, emotional openness, and resilience. Acting requires being fully present in every moment and adapting to changing circumstances quickly. The biggest obstacle I faced wasn’t external, but internal—overcoming self-doubt and limiting beliefs was my greatest challenge. Those internal barriers often posed more of a threat than any external situation. Once I learned to move beyond those self-imposed limitations, my growth accelerated immensely.

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?

My journey into the entertainment industry began humbly, with no initial connections or immediate support network. From an early age, I knew acting was my calling and recognized the importance of professional training. Although my first attempt to attend The University of the Arts in Philadelphia was unsuccessful due to academic competition, I found a pivotal opportunity at Coppin State University in Baltimore. Under Professor Amini Johari Courts, I learned foundational acting techniques, specifically the Meisner Technique (I mentioned earlier), and gained the confidence to perform on stage, notably in the Baltimore debut of the play “Ulyssa’s Luck.”

Life soon presented significant personal challenges, prompting me to enlist in the Air Force—a decision I initially perceived as a significant detour from my creative goals. However, after returning from a deployment in Iraq, I seized an unexpected opportunity to audition for the HBO film “Taking Chance,” starring Kevin Bacon. Landing that role reignited my passion and reaffirmed my commitment to the arts.

Recognizing the need for a supportive community, I later joined Performers Studio Workshop in Tampa, Florida, founded by Kathryn Laughlin. This experience provided me comprehensive industry knowledge, professional audition skills, agent representation guidance, and introduced me to many young gifted people just like me who wanted to live a life serving stories. With what I learned and having found my tribe, I wrote and produced my first short film, “Kim,” in 2015, which earned me an invitation to join the Screen Actors Guild.

Today, my creative services extend beyond acting; I’m actively involved in screenwriting and producing, committed to bringing compelling stories to life. My unique background in the military, combined with extensive professional acting training and personal resilience, enables me to authentically portray diverse, emotionally complex characters. This diverse set of experiences and skills allows me to offer depth and authenticity in storytelling, setting my creative work apart from others.

I’m particularly proud of my ability to adapt and maintain consistency, even while I was traveling extensively due to military obligations. Although I’m now retired from the military life forced me to develop a robust portable setup enabling me to audition globally, ensuring that my craft is continually honed and opportunities are never missed.

I want potential collaborators, fans, and followers to know that dedication, authenticity, and resilience are at the heart of my work. My goal is always to inspire, connect deeply with audiences, and deliver impactful, authentic narratives. As I stated before, the biggest obstacle throughout my journey hasn’t been external challenges but overcoming internal doubts. Learning to trust myself fully has been the most transformative part of my acting journey and personal growth.

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

One of the most defining moments of resilience in my journey occurred shortly after returning from my first deployment to Iraq in 2007. At that point, it had been six years since I’d actively pursued my passion for acting. Serving in the military, I’d gradually come to accept that my dreams might have to be sidelined indefinitely. One afternoon, during repatriation—meant to help military personnel transition back to their lives at home—I received an unexpected email about auditions for an upcoming HBO film starring Kevin Bacon. The catch: auditions were happening that very day, in less than an hour.

My immediate reaction was excitement, quickly overshadowed by doubt. I convinced myself that acting was no longer practical or realistic for me and to be honest I was ready to ignore the opportunity entirely. However, something compelled me to share the email with my wife. Without hesitation, she simply asked, “What are you still doing here?” Her straightforward encouragement instantly reminded me of my deep-seated passion and purpose.

Fueled by her words, I quickly gathered myself and raced to the audition. Two months later, I received a call from HBO Films informing me I had secured the role in “Taking Chance.” The experience of working on that set not only reignited my acting career but also taught me an invaluable lesson in resilience: It also taught me the importance of believing in myself and staying open to opportunities, no matter how improbable they seem.

This moment profoundly shaped my journey and ultimately reignited my lifelong passion for storytelling and performing.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I’ve found that artists often deeply care about a wide range of issues, many of which affect all of us in significant ways. I believe this heightened sensitivity is why artists can create work that resonates so profoundly with people from diverse backgrounds and at various stages of life. In my view, the best way society can support artists, creatives, and nurture a thriving creative ecosystem is simply to care more. Society can show greater appreciation for the effort and dedication artists invest into their craft. It means recognizing and valuing the countless hours, years of hard work, and personal sacrifices artists make to produce meaningful and impactful work for the public.

Practically, this means prioritizing arts education from an early age, ensuring consistent and meaningful creative exposure for young people. Increased funding, grants, and resources for artists and creative projects can significantly amplify diverse voices, encouraging collaboration and innovation. Public engagement—attending performances, visiting galleries, and directly supporting local creatives—further demonstrates genuine care and ensures artists can sustainably contribute their gifts to society.

By genuinely caring, both emotionally and practically, and actively supporting artists’ contributions, society helps ensure a vibrant, sustainable, and flourishing creative community.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @donfinkleajr
• Facebook: @donfinkleajr
• Youtube: @donfinkleajr
• Other: Threads: @donfinkleajr

Image Credits

David Muller Photography
Brett Green Photography
Stills from “Inner Dialogue” provided by Change Your Stars Productions
Still from “Codename” provided by Snoop The Cat Productions