We recently connected with Michael Thompson and have shared our conversation below.
Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I think an artist’s path should be littered with the corpses of our failures. Taking a chance can be embarrassing but it’s where the excitement is and the spot where you learn the most. People are afraid of looking stupid but I’m not. I think that anyone who does not embrace their foolishness relinquishes a portion of their power. If you aren’t open to the failure, how will you know the path to move forward?
I’ve been volunteering down at the Elysian Theater for about a year now. It’s a great place, probably my favorite place. This comedian, Ron Lynch, he runs the Tomorrow Show Saturdays at midnight there. I really admire Ron because I first met him when I was 19 and I knew him from all over TV. He gives new talent a chance on his show and he has put me on a few times. All sorts of famous comedians have cut their teeth on Ron’s show, including Jack Black!
He put me on the card and I went up and did a bit as Brian Thompson, the dead healthcare CEO. This was the weekend after he died so it was pretty fresh. I was super nervous because I didn’t know if the crowd would hate me or what. I’d never really tried anything overtly political before. It ended up going really well. I even woke a guy up in the front row! I used this track, a cover of Get Low by T-Pain and Mark Zuckerburg, as background music. I just messed with people alot, acted like an asshole, then got shot a bunch of times with sound cues and then blown up with a missle. It doesn’t sound as funny when I type it all out. But, trust me, it was.
But, like, I didn’t know it was gunna play out like that. I just took a risk, I guess, because I didn’t know what else to do. I thought the idea would be funny but honestly I didn’t even know what to do until I got up there practically. Definitely a page in my book. If I hadn’t jumped like that, I wouldn’t have known that was within me.
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 name is Michael Colby. I’m an actor, writer, and clown in Los Angeles. I like to describe myself as the kind of guy who carries a rolling suitcase. I am 30 years old. I moved to LA a bit over a year ago. It was the best decision I have made so far, suprisingly. I have found a community with similar passions and ties to Hollywood. I didn’t start out expecting to be a clown. But, here we are. Some of the best artists in the world live right here and I get to be around them on a weekly basis. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many artists who actually do art for their living. It’s inspiring.
I have wanted to be the center of attention my whole life. I knew I could make people laugh at a young age by being performative and I was a pretty dramatic kid. Just ask my parents. Actually it was the two of them that encouraged me to follow my passions so this really is their fault.
Living in LA is a dream. I regulary perform on comedy shows and at least get paid some amount of money to act. My clown friends and I crash fancy parties in Hollywood sometimes. The photo of me and my friends Julia and Flannery on the floor with all the water was at the Artillary Magazine launch party a couple months ago. My friend Alex Golshani took the photo, check him out IG: @alexgolshani
Check out my website www.michael-colby.com because it’s rad
I think what sets me apart from other actors is that I am constantly trying to evolve and explore as an artist. I think that if you want the work to be good you have to acknowledge the failures. If you want to get paid for it. I’d rather get told the truth than be placated. I’ll always find a way to improve. Plus, I’m technical. A creative is more dangerous when they pick up technical skills like editing or running a camera. Head in the clouds but your feet are on the ground.
I’d like my fans to know that I sneak into each one of their rooms every night and kiss them on the forehead.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
NFTs are fucking stupid.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being a creative is the ability to describe myself and my experiences outside of my own flesh and blood. I get really passionate and worked up about things and it’s hard to keep that all inside my head. I always have these visions in my head and it’s the most exciting thing to follow them into reality.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.michael-colby.com
- Instagram: @thetastyman
Image Credits
Alex Golshani: Water on the ground photo
Lilly: Made that awesome sketch of me
My cousin Katie: took that modeling shot of me