Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tony Wolf. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tony, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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.

In early January 2024, I was asked to audition for the leading role in a CBS Super Bowl short film as an iconic football coach / owner – Al Davis. Immediately, I started intense research on the man and his life. Given that I have no specific football background or deep-cuts knowledge of the sport, this seemed like what we would call “A big swing” – and I hadn’t played a character type like this before in a major studio project. It certainly felt like a big risk! The more I researched this real-life sports figure, the more I thought “Crazier things have happened, I could actually do this role.” My ever-supportive wife in particular thought I could embody the role. Actors often need to hear that simple “Why not you?”

Sending that first self-tape in felt exciting – and at the same time, who knows what would happen? I mostly put it out of my mind (as we often do with auditions) and was pleasantly surprised to get a callback. When the callback arrived, it was accompanied by two meaty scenes and an especially powerful monologue. Sitting on our living room floor, I read the monologue and said to my wife Jen: “Well, whoever gets this role is being given a real gift in this monologue. It’s one of the best-written things I’ve ever gotten in an audition.” Whereas I put about 8 hours of research into the first-level audition, once I got the callback, that became about 10 more hours of research. I watched tons of footage of Al Davis, read lots of articles from sports writers over the decades about Al Davis, and watched interviews of people who had worked with him.

I figured “Now is the time to pretend I am Daniel Day-Lewis and act as though this is a multi-million dollar feature biopic, and I’ve been entrusted with the role. It’s time to get *that* intense about it. That’s the best chance for me to get this role, and show a range unlike I’ve had the opportunity to express before on camera.” I didn’t tell anyone beyond a few very close friends about this, because I didn’t want anyone to have a chance to say maybe I wasn’t the best fit for the role or I should keep my expectations low, etc. What I could relate to in Al Davis was the relentless will to succeed, no matter the odds – a trait shared by many of us actors, creatives, and entrepreneurs. He dared to dream big – especially since he himself had never been a professional football player.

Within a week, I booked the role and had the time of my life inhabiting “Mr. Davis,” as he was known to his players. Within two weeks, CBS/Paramount was flying me out to Los Angeles for several days of shooting, including a day spent at the Rose Bowl. The 6-minute short film played in the pregame show before Super Bowl 58 in Feb. 2024, and I’m extremely grateful and thrilled with the end result. This was an example of a risky and creative casting idea from my terrific agent Tom at Innovative Artists. My wife encouraged me and coached me to refine my approach to the role, and her perspective was tremendously helpful. The film can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGyETsqumVQ and was nominated for 2 Sports Emmy Awards: Outstanding Camera Work / Cinematography and Outstanding Short Feature (it won for Camera Work / Cinematography).

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Storytelling excites me, in all its forms. I’ve been acting for 20 years in theatre, film/tv, and voice-over. My TV credits include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Comedy Central. I also have an extensive background in sketch comedy, having been part of over 100 comedy videos created with alums from NYC’s UCB and PIT Theater. Quite a while back, I provided many hundreds of hours of voice-over for a secret Microsoft development project, and I’ve recently begun to work in audiobooks.

I also love making comics, as a writer & illustrator; I’m psyched and thankful that the third printing of my short story collection “Tales From The Wolf” is coming in 2025 from Cosmic Lion Productions. https://cosmiclionproductions.com/comix-shop-1/ols/products/tales-from-the-wolf-pre-order I was extremely fortunate to have my autobiographical comics featured in New York Magazine and other local outlets, which eventually led to creating 4 journalism comics for The New York Times, which can be found online. Here are a few samples: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/dining/carmines-pizza.html and here https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/19/dining/mcdonalds-mcrib.html . The paperback book contains over 200 pages of my art and comics, and is sold at The Strand Bookstore NYC and at comics stores around the country; the third printing will have national distribution. Patton Oswalt even posted about my book! https://x.com/pattonoswalt/status/1670919845343563776 I’ve occasionally done storyboard artwork for films, as well as posters for various projects and anthologies.

An as an actor and creative, it’s always exciting to build relationships and collaborate, because nothing ever happens in a vacuum. I’m always energized working in various capacities to team up and tell great, compelling stories with excellent people! I recently got to be in my first music video with a band called Paperchamps https://www.instagram.com/paperchampsnyc/ ; my friend Anthony Anjudar Jr. is a fellow cartoonist and invited me to be in his band’s music video, playing a dad. As for acting work, I’m definitely playing a lot more fathers, lawyers, doctors, and teachers these days… and I’m here for it! I love doing research for roles and always work to be extra-prepared for every project I do.

Playing Al Davis in that special Super Bowl short film last year was definitely a highlight, and I look forward to more projects like that in the future! Some lifelong goals are to play: David Byrne, Ric Osacek of The Cars, and Cassius in a new film or production of Julius Caesar. And I still gotta get that Law & Order credit! I can also play Benedict Cumberbatch’s brother in something. Get in touch, Ben!

I grew up as a huge comics geek and sci-fi / fantasy / pop culture fan… and still am! It’s always a thrill to help make others’ creative dreams into reality and realize the vision of a director or fellow creative. I’d love to do voices for animation (have auditioned for some and not booked… yet!) and especially for Marvel or DC superhero animated projects. Also love doing movie trailer voice-overs and have done several so far.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

While there are many books about the creative world, “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron is, I think, one of the best and most genuine. It embraces non-judgmental brainstorming and maintaining a flexible, joyful, improvisational approach to creative works and in a creative life. I also love the writings of Scottish writer Grant Morrison and British writer Alan Moore. Acting teachers Sande Shurin (who sadly passed away last year; she taught Anthony Rapp, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Matthew Modine, Method Man, and William Sanderson, among others) and Glenn Morshower (Bloodline, the Transformers movies, 24, Ozark) have also greatly influenced my approach to not only acting but to life itself, in methods and approach to improve myself and all the ways we can make a difference in this world.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I’d love to make or be part of stories that resonate with people and are compelling because they touch a particular feeling or experience. The fascinating paradox about storytelling is that sometimes, by getting incredibly specific, your work or the tale being told can reach, or be interesting to, a wider audience. And it’s best when work has a personal aspect to it, or when we as actors can access a character from some aspect of personal, shared experience.

I’d love to be part of something that brings people together and illuminates a hopeful, positive message in our world. There is an intuition we have as actors / creatives, that there is a project out there which somehow has our name on it, where we can collaborate and be part of a team to make something special. Being part of a creative work, part of something far greater than ourselves, can be so fulfilling and take us out of our anxieties or fears about the world we live in today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tonywolfactor.com/blog.html
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonywolfness/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064201744153
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TonyWolfActor/videos
• Soundcloud: https://www.youtube.com/@TonyWolfActor/videos
• Other: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonywolfness.bsky.social
  At Broken Frontier: https://www.brokenfrontier.com/tony-wolf-tales-from-the/
  IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1061869/
  Book on sale at The Strand Bookstore: https://www.strandbooks.com/tales-from-the-wolf-greenpoint-of-view-and-other-stories-9798987108307.html

Image Credits

Main photo by Rob Figueroa.