We were lucky to catch up with Michael Santiago recently and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Where to begin? I’ve always had a connection to the artistic space. Like most, music was my first love. Naturally, the first thing we innately do as people is listen. So, then came the cascade of multicultural music starting from the people of my island, Puerto Rico, in the form of Salsa, Reggaeton, then Hip-Hop, R&B, & Rock. As I came to the age that I was introduced to the screen, I remember my first film: Batman, with Michael Keaton. My young mind was blown! With having no concept of what a “movie” was, I thought they ripped Batman right out of the comic books. I was never the same. Over the years, I took acting classes when I could. Although it was a pursuit I was told by people in my life, I assume as what they thought was a way to protect me, that it was impossible, not a real job, dangerous (stop me if you’ve heard this before ). I’ve walked my paths: waiter, truck driver, corporate America. All still lead me back to acting. In 2017, I married the love of my life. It was during her bridal shower that I received a call to ask me a question they would include in the “How well do you know your future husband?” The question was simple enough: “What was something you always wanted to do but haven’t?” Where most would say something about a place they wanted to visit or an activity they never tried like sky diving. I, having no distractions around me, fully aware of the stigmas attached to it, had an honest moment: “Well, I’ve always wanted to be an actor.” To this day, I consider this moment to be what sparked my decision to pursue acting as my lifelong career.

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’m going to be the greatest actor in the world”. A bold statement, I say with no ego. It’s because I have such reverence for the craft that I make such a proclamation. I’m from the streets of North Philadelphia. I come from a poor Puerto Rican family. My entire life has been an uphill battle. I had no clear path, and not for lack of trying. When I found acting, (or when it found me), I discovered the proverbial doorway into multiple dimensions of the Human Condition. An ever-evolving enigma I felt compelled to understand. I studied “Meisner” at Playhouse West, a naturalistic method acting discipline under Tony Savant (great name) . It was here where I discovered what kind of approach to acting I wanted to take. “Acting truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” People associate acting with “lying,” when in fact, it’s quite the opposite. So it’s not that you have to be a “real” serial killer, but you can tell when a performance isn’t genuine. I’m largely an introvert that retreats to the peaceful solitude of my home with my beautiful wife when I feel my “social battery” has been depleted. But when it’s lights, camera, and time for ACTION! I HOLD COURT! One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is not to put yourself above the project. This is a team sport; you have to be able to adapt to what your scene partner is giving you. “You can’t add to a full cup.” I’ve always been a natural performer. Nothing gets me more excited than creating the nexus where I put the character I’m portraying through my life’s filter!

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

My people are greatly underrepresented and often misrepresented. I’m in a position to write and portray a more accurate representation of some of the numerous iterations that make us who we are. You have a responsibility to use your talent to leave the world a better place than you found it.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

That it’s not about vanity. They see a red carpet event or a trailer or a project you put out and assume it’s coming from a place of vanity. It’s a subtle pull in different directions guiding you to make decisions you may not understand at that time. You have a need you can’t explain to do something that may not be understood. It’s an obsession for me. I have a storm of ideas in my head. Acting and writing provide a way to release the pressure.
People see the heat but don’t know what it took to make the fire.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelsantiagoacts?igsh=dnpmOXdsaWtiZ3pr&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@dontmakemefamous215?si=1vTlczn2OfjmGu1M