Latest / Next Act with Jeff Ornstein / Michael Strickland – Film & Television Actor, Founder of The Winnipeg Actors Academy

Transcript

Michael Strickland – Film & Television Actor, Founder of The Winnipeg Actors Academy · Next Act with Jeff Ornstein

• 0:03
  Jeff Ornstein: Today's guest is Michael Strickland, a Metis actor, voice artist, and acting coach whose career spans film, television, gaming, and education.
• 0:12
  Jeff Ornstein: From Hallmark movies and comedy series to voicing multiple characters in major video games, Michael has built a career around versatility, storytelling, and helping the next generation of actors find their voice.
• 0:25
  Jeff Ornstein: Michael, welcome to the podcast.
• 0:28
  Michael Strickland: Thanks for having me, Jeff.
• 0:29
  Michael Strickland: Appreciate it.
• 0:30
  Jeff Ornstein: It's my pleasure.
• 0:31
  Jeff Ornstein: So as you know, we're next act, and it's oftentimes people changing careers or people morphing their experiences into yet a new career.
• 0:43
  Jeff Ornstein: But you've got a pretty solid resume of having been an actor, engaged actor, studying and working for quite some time.
• 0:54
  Jeff Ornstein: I I would like to think so.
• 0:56
  Jeff Ornstein: Yeah, no, I'm impressed.
• 0:58
  Jeff Ornstein: So and what I love also, and we find this, we come across this occasionally, is that you've got a real commitment to mentoring as well.
• 1:06
  Jeff Ornstein: So I yeah, I think that's fantastic.
• 1:11
  Jeff Ornstein: Because you have you you've got so much to share, why not?
• 1:14
  Michael Strickland: Yeah, well, when I was growing up and I was taking a lot of acting classes at a younger age, I found that many of the acting coaches that I was running into were always giving very similar feedback in the sense of like, oh, that was amazing, great job.
• 1:29
  Michael Strickland: And then I'm sitting there going, okay, great.
• 1:31
  Michael Strickland: If it's so awesome, why do I not have an Oscar?
• 1:33
  Michael Strickland: Why am I not booking work 24-7?
• 1:35
  Michael Strickland: Something's wrong.
• 1:37
  Michael Strickland: What do I need to fix?
• 1:38
  Michael Strickland: And I was never completely getting that answer.
• 1:41
  Michael Strickland: And it wasn't actually ironically until I met an acting coach out in Vancouver during my time there, whose name is Andrew McElroy, and I purposely showed up to his class, did not do my work, walked right on stage, and I was like, he's just gonna say the same thing that every single acting coach has said previously.
• 2:00
  Michael Strickland: So I got up there, I did my performance, I stopped and he sat there and he looked at me.
• 2:04
  Michael Strickland: He's like, You didn't do your work, did you?
• 2:06
  Michael Strickland: And I went, No, I didn't.
• 2:09
  Michael Strickland: And he's like, Okay, great.
• 2:11
  Michael Strickland: And everybody in the class immediately looks at him and don't I ever show up to my class without knowing your stuff ever again.
• 2:19
  Michael Strickland: Get off the stage.
• 2:20
  Michael Strickland: And I went, I love this guy.
• 2:22
  Michael Strickland: Oh my gosh.
• 2:23
  Michael Strickland: I know there's a lot of actors out there that are probably like, oh, that's a little too tough for me.
• 2:27
  Michael Strickland: But that was exactly the type of coach that I've always looked for, is someone that's gonna give you the brutal honesty as to where you're currently at and what you need to do to get better.
• 2:37
  Michael Strickland: And every class I took with him after that, it was on the ball of being like, okay, these are the areas that you did very well, but here's where you're falling short.
• 2:45
  Michael Strickland: This is what we want to focus on for the next two, three, four weeks, whatever it might be.
• 2:49
  Michael Strickland: So I told myself that if I ever become an acting coach, that's exactly the style of coaching that I want to do.
• 2:56
  Michael Strickland: I don't want to sugarcoat people and hold their hands through.
• 3:00
  Michael Strickland: It's like, no, this is at the end of the day, this is a business.
• 3:03
  Michael Strickland: And you guys that have to know how to be able to do this business well, not just from the creative side, but also from the business side.
• 3:10
  Michael Strickland: So that's kind of where that's gone to.
• 3:13
  Jeff Ornstein: Well, I noticed you studied at Stella, so did I for about five years in New York.
• 3:17
  Jeff Ornstein: You don't want a cheering section.
• 3:19
  Jeff Ornstein: I could perform in my living room and my husband could cheer for me.
• 3:22
  Jeff Ornstein: You want critical analysis.
• 3:24
  Jeff Ornstein: And that's what this guy he called you out, who he knew you hadn't studied.
• 3:29
  Jeff Ornstein: And look what it did.
• 3:30
  Jeff Ornstein: It made an impression.
• 3:32
  Jeff Ornstein: And I'm sorry, but for the actors that think it's too harsh, this ain't an easy industry.
• 3:38
  Jeff Ornstein: You can't be thin skinned.
• 3:40
  Jeff Ornstein: I had a guest recently who said you have to say to yourself, is there something else I will get as much joy from?
• 3:47
  Jeff Ornstein: And do I have another passion that I could do and really enjoy and maybe make a consistent living without worry?
• 3:55
  Jeff Ornstein: And if there is, do it.
• 3:58
  Jeff Ornstein: Because there's a lot of rejection, there's a lot of ups and downs, and you can't be the faint of heart.
• 4:03
  Jeff Ornstein: So it doesn't seem like you had too many downs.
• 4:05
  Jeff Ornstein: I'd love to touch base on this.
• 4:07
  Jeff Ornstein: I mean, aside from your academic, which is goes on and on, Meisner, Adler, so it's stannel.
• 4:16
  Michael Strickland: Stanislavski, yeah.
• 4:17
  Michael Strickland: It's a tricky one.
• 4:18
  Jeff Ornstein: All right, a third podcast today, and all the improvisational lessons, plus the University of Manitoba.
• 4:25
  Jeff Ornstein: I mean, that's fantastic.
• 4:26
  Jeff Ornstein: And you're studying in Vancouver.
• 4:28
  Jeff Ornstein: So you founded at one point in time the Winnipeg Actors Academy.
• 4:34
  Jeff Ornstein: Well, you founded in COVID.
• 4:36
  Michael Strickland: Yeah, yeah, actually.
• 4:37
  Michael Strickland: Ironically, the day I opened the studio was the day Winnipeg shut down.
• 4:41
  Michael Strickland: So I went, oh, and I had to make a very quick pivot.
• 4:46
  Michael Strickland: Thankfully, I had not signed my lease agreement and whatnot, because I was like, oh, I would have been in the hole and the business would have been alive for 12 minutes and then bankrupt right away.
• 4:58
  Michael Strickland: So thankfully I switched over to online and I was teaching some classes online.
• 5:02
  Michael Strickland: But as someone who's taken online classes before, I absolutely hate it.
• 5:07
  Michael Strickland: It's I find that it's challenging in the sense that sitting down and having a physical connection with someone is always going to be so much more useful for you as an actor to be able to really play off of each other's energy.
• 5:21
  Michael Strickland: And while you and I are able to play off of each other's energy right now, it would be nowhere near the same as if you and I were sitting in the same room.
• 5:28
  Jeff Ornstein: Absolutely.
• 5:28
  Jeff Ornstein: I completely agree.
• 5:29
  Jeff Ornstein: I mean, physically being in the space.
• 5:31
  Jeff Ornstein: And it plays also to the difference between acting from the stage, you're acting for film.
• 5:36
  Jeff Ornstein: Absolutely.
• 5:36
  Jeff Ornstein: Oh, yes.
• 5:37
  Jeff Ornstein: You don't have that the synergy of the buildup of the emotion and the emotional roller coaster in a film like you do.
• 5:44
  Jeff Ornstein: I mean, the viewer sees it in the final cut, but when you're a performer, it's a little bit different with all the takes.
• 5:51
  Jeff Ornstein: So I'm right there with you.
• 5:53
  Jeff Ornstein: And I love all kinds of performance, but I have a very special attachment to stage performance for that reason, that physical connection.
• 6:01
  Michael Strickland: Well, and to touch on what you were saying before, too, and you're like, oh, a lot of people don't know too much about the downs, right?
• 6:07
  Michael Strickland: And you had mentioned before rejection.
• 6:09
  Michael Strickland: And I have had a speech prepared for the day that I win an Oscar one day.
• 6:14
  Michael Strickland: Big ambitions.
• 6:16
  Michael Strickland: You gotta share it.
• 6:17
  Michael Strickland: You gotta share it.
• 6:18
  Michael Strickland: Shoot for the moon.
• 6:19
  Michael Strickland: But the way that I have always told myself that if I ever get an Oscar, the first thing I say when I step up to the microphone is, and I just want to make sure I have the proper number, 1281.
• 6:32
  Michael Strickland: That's how many auditions I've done in my career and have been rejected.
• 6:37
  Michael Strickland: I don't know of those, how many are rejections, but well over 90% of those are rejections.
• 6:43
  Michael Strickland: So this is an industry where you have to have thick skin.
• 6:46
  Michael Strickland: You've got to learn to take every little rejection as something to use as a building block on how can I make my career better?
• 6:54
  Michael Strickland: How can I continue to improve?
• 6:56
  Michael Strickland: If you got rejected, I relate it back to high school.
• 6:59
  Michael Strickland: When you go and you try to ask the girl out and she says, No, do you just immediately give up on ever having relationships ever again for the rest of your life?
• 7:07
  Michael Strickland: No, sure, you're gonna take your licks and you go heal and then get back out there.
• 7:11
  Michael Strickland: Right.
• 7:12
  Jeff Ornstein: So you know that's something that our listeners comment on a lot because a lot of the guests who that are performers and actors talk about rejection and the importance it is to psychologically understand that's just part of being an actor.
• 7:29
  Jeff Ornstein: And you have to be able to say, I went in, I did a great job, the director wanted somebody else.
• 7:35
  Jeff Ornstein: And I think now that the listeners are hearing it from more than one performer, I think it's loosening people up.
• 7:41
  Jeff Ornstein: I mean, I know it is because I can read the comments and they're saying, I gotta get over this.
• 7:46
  Jeff Ornstein: Every performer is saying the same thing.
• 7:47
  Jeff Ornstein: You gotta get over it.
• 7:49
  Jeff Ornstein: Just always do your best work and then walk out and don't think about it again unless the phone rings.
• 7:54
  Jeff Ornstein: Also, that you've done extensive comedy and drama.
• 7:58
  Jeff Ornstein: I want to talk to you about that because obviously, I mean, performing is performing and centering in on your character and you owning that character is important no matter what you're performing, but they are very different.
• 8:10
  Jeff Ornstein: So, what's your take and what do you have a preference?
• 8:13
  Jeff Ornstein: And what do you find out about yourself when you're performing like that?
• 8:17
  Michael Strickland: So, man, don't get me wrong, I love dramas.
• 8:20
  Michael Strickland: I thoroughly enjoyed doing dramas.
• 8:23
  Michael Strickland: I've done much more intense dramas.
• 8:26
  Michael Strickland: Like a couple years ago, I did a film called The Hillsdale Adoption Scam with Lifetime, where I start opposite Keisha Night Polium, and it was very it was a very dark it's a story about obviously someone who has a son and a daughter, but their son is adopted.
• 8:42
  Michael Strickland: And then right before they're about to file the paperwork to finally actually keep the boy, the court decides no, we're gonna give him back to his original mom, even though we've had him for the last two years.
• 8:52
  Michael Strickland: So now we're going through this crazy depression.
• 8:55
  Michael Strickland: And then this girl comes along who's like, I'm pregnant and I'm about to have the kid, I don't want it, and it kind of looks like an amazing opportunity for us.
• 9:04
  Michael Strickland: It's like everything starts going downhill, but turns out to be a scam, spoiler alert.
• 9:08
  Michael Strickland: Oh, but I enjoy doing those types of films, and I mean, I've done a lot of hallmarks in great American families and whatnot, which are always such a blessing.
• 9:18
  Michael Strickland: And anytime I'm on set, it's truly a blessing.
• 9:21
  Michael Strickland: But I, my god, I love doing comedies.
• 9:25
  Michael Strickland: I did a film just back in November, December of just this last year with Sophia Bush and Lauren Hawley called Broad Trip.
• 9:38
  Michael Strickland: And I got to step onto that set.
• 9:40
  Michael Strickland: And when I was performing, I was playing it very grounded.
• 9:44
  Michael Strickland: I was like, I'm gonna, this is a regular guy doing his TSA job, working at the airport, etc.
• 9:49
  Michael Strickland: etc.
• 9:49
  Michael Strickland: And then Lauren leans over to me and she's like, Mike, your character has been sticking his finger up people's butts all day because that's his job.
• 10:00
  Michael Strickland: And now he gets to pull a prank.
• 10:03
  Michael Strickland: He should be so excited about this.
• 10:06
  Michael Strickland: And I'm like, Oh, okay.
• 10:09
  Michael Strickland: And the director's like, Yeah, go big.
• 10:12
  Michael Strickland: Let's see what happens.
• 10:13
  Michael Strickland: And I'm like, This has only ever happened twice in my career where someone's like, just go as big as you want, and we'll pull it back if we need to.
• 10:20
  Michael Strickland: And I said the same thing every time, which is I just want to confirm you're letting me take the leash off and you're gonna let me run.
• 10:27
  Michael Strickland: And they're like, Yeah, go crazy, let's see what happens.
• 10:30
  Michael Strickland: And you don't actually see it.
• 10:32
  Michael Strickland: I have footage of it, I'll show it to you another time.
• 10:34
  Michael Strickland: But there's like one scene where I start like opening my shirt and stripping.
• 10:39
  Michael Strickland: There's one scene where the character's name is Genie.
• 10:41
  Michael Strickland: I look at her and I'm like, let's let the genie out of the bottle.
• 10:45
  Michael Strickland: And then I start like twerking on her, like it was hilarious.
• 10:49
  Michael Strickland: But and everyone was laughing in between each one of the takes.
• 10:52
  Michael Strickland: So I'm like, okay, cool.
• 10:53
  Michael Strickland: So I'm allowed to go this crazy.
• 10:54
  Michael Strickland: So that's where like the origin of my love for the craft started was comedy and making people laugh.
• 11:01
  Michael Strickland: So being able to tie back into that is just like it's a blessing.
• 11:06
  Jeff Ornstein: It's clear you love it, it's coming through loud and clear.
• 11:09
  Jeff Ornstein: So you mentioned Hallmark now a couple times, and I noticed in your bio you've got this the lifelong love of you were Rory.
• 11:16
  Jeff Ornstein: Can you tell us a little bit about that?
• 11:17
  Jeff Ornstein: Oh, yeah.
• 11:18
  Jeff Ornstein: Is that a hype right?
• 11:19
  Michael Strickland: Yeah, so that was uh that was actually the first movie I got to deal with.
• 11:23
  Michael Strickland: A very good friend of mine, his name's Nicholas Humphreys, he's a direct director out of Vancouver.
• 11:27
  Michael Strickland: He's actually ironically, he's here right now in Winnipeg shooting not one but three Great American Family movies.
• 11:34
  Michael Strickland: So yeah, he's phenomenal.
• 11:36
  Michael Strickland: If anybody wants to look him up, you should.
• 11:38
  Michael Strickland: He's directed number ones for both Hallmark and Great American Family.
• 11:42
  Michael Strickland: Anyways, when we did that film, I had originally read Rory as this character who is kind of villainous, which is ironic because Hallmark, like everything is always saved by the magic of Christmas.
• 11:55
  Michael Strickland: No matter what.
• 11:56
  Michael Strickland: You can't, you cannot play Hallmark, it's got a very specific tone.
• 12:00
  Michael Strickland: Even when things are bad, it's like you've kind of got a smile on your face, being like, Oh, you told that girl that I liked her.
• 12:06
  Michael Strickland: I I'm not really happy about that.
• 12:08
  Michael Strickland: But so, and that's very much the tone, which is still beautiful.
• 12:12
  Michael Strickland: But when I read Rory, I was like, this guy kind of seems like like one of those like executive guys that's like, oh, really?
• 12:21
  Michael Strickland: Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna have to give you very much more time.
• 12:24
  Michael Strickland: I gotta go.
• 12:25
  Michael Strickland: Thanks.
• 12:26
  Michael Strickland: And so that's what I did with the character.
• 12:28
  Michael Strickland: And when we got on set, again, Nick was saying to me, he's like, you know what?
• 12:32
  Michael Strickland: Just like if you want to improvise some stuff at the very end, be my guest.
• 12:36
  Michael Strickland: And I will always, any film set I'm ever on, I will improvise once all the lines are done until they say cut.
• 12:44
  Michael Strickland: I'll make a whole new movie if they just keep the camera rolling.
• 12:47
  Jeff Ornstein: I'd like to lock you in a room with Melissa McCartney.
• 12:49
  Jeff Ornstein: Phenomenal improv.
• 12:51
  Jeff Ornstein: Absolutely, I'll do that.
• 12:53
  Jeff Ornstein: Right, right, right.
• 12:54
  Jeff Ornstein: I think you'd give her a run for her money.
• 12:56
  Michael Strickland: Oh, it'd be a blast.
• 12:57
  Michael Strickland: And sometimes some of those things make it into the final take, like in that movie.
• 13:02
  Michael Strickland: There was a point in time where I answered the phone at the very end, and I was like, Oh, hey, Shelly, how you doing?
• 13:09
  Michael Strickland: Oh, I haven't seen you since those flood pants.
• 13:11
  Michael Strickland: How you doing?
• 13:12
  Michael Strickland: I don't know, just making stuff up.
• 13:14
  Michael Strickland: Or there was one take where I was like, it's Dolly Parton, I gotta take this.
• 13:18
  Michael Strickland: Sorry.
• 13:19
  Michael Strickland: Just having fun with it.
• 13:21
  Michael Strickland: But yeah, it's I've if I can throw comedy in there, I'll do it.
• 13:25
  Jeff Ornstein: Okay, you know, you work across film, television, voiceover, and teaching.
• 13:29
  Jeff Ornstein: Which version of yourself feels the most at home creatively?
• 13:32
  Jeff Ornstein: And I think we might have already answered our question because I think you like to be in the comedic realm.
• 13:38
  Michael Strickland: Oh, I do love being in the comedy realm, but I've to be honest, each one of those sections that you mentioned are truly a piece of me.
• 13:46
  Michael Strickland: I will always love being in the classroom.
• 13:49
  Michael Strickland: I will always love watching other actors because for me, it's when that light bulb goes off and they're like, okay, now I finally get it.
• 13:57
  Michael Strickland: And you watch their performance just completely change.
• 14:00
  Michael Strickland: And whether they go out and book stuff after, like I've had tons of students that go out and book work right afterwards, and I've had so many that that don't do any acting afterwards, and that's okay.
• 14:11
  Michael Strickland: At the end of the day, it's watching them get that realization of how to play with that creativity and really just the joy that they get spills over for me, at least for the teaching aspect.
• 14:23
  Michael Strickland: And then again, being in the voiceover booth, Jeff, I'll tell you, being in the voiceover booth is the greatest thing ever because it's one of the few places where usually you gotta be well groomed, all that other jazz.
• 14:37
  Michael Strickland: I will show up into the booth sometimes in sweatpants and a hoodie, and then I'll just have my bottle of water and I'll be like, all right, let's do this.
• 14:46
  Michael Strickland: Uh when I did there's a video game I did called Warhammer 40,000 where I played a character named Morterian, and I walk in there, I tell the director, I'm like, hey, can we drop the microphone down to like my kneecaps?
• 14:58
  Michael Strickland: And he's looking at me like I'm crazy.
• 14:59
  Michael Strickland: He's like, Why why?
• 15:00
  Michael Strickland: I'm like, please just trust me.
• 15:02
  Michael Strickland: So he's like, All right, so he drops it down, and then I get onto the ground.
• 15:05
  Michael Strickland: He's like, You ready?
• 15:05
  Michael Strickland: I'm like, Oh yeah, go ahead.
• 15:06
  Michael Strickland: And then I like shape my body into this thing, and I'm like, I will destroy each and every one of you.
• 15:13
  Michael Strickland: But it was but you don't get to do that, obviously, on camera as as much.
• 15:20
  Jeff Ornstein: So it gives the listeners so much to work with.
• 15:23
  Jeff Ornstein: You I mean, I just created a visual for your character, Wartlog, I'm sorry, whatever his name was.
• 15:30
  Michael Strickland: Mortarian, yeah, yeah.
• 15:31
  Jeff Ornstein: Mortarian, excuse me.
• 15:32
  Jeff Ornstein: That was terrific.
• 15:33
  Jeff Ornstein: That was terrific.
• 15:34
  Jeff Ornstein: We talked about the owning the rejection sort of as a badge of honor.
• 15:38
  Jeff Ornstein: Like I did it and I didn't give up.
• 15:41
  Jeff Ornstein: But is there a specific lesson you learned about the difficulty of going on an audition and rejection that still helps you today?
• 15:50
  Michael Strickland: I find that every single time I go for an audition, one of the things that I've personally started doing, and it makes me sound crazy.
• 15:57
  Michael Strickland: And I've explained this to my students too, and I'm like, I understand I sound crazy when I do this, but I keep a full Excel spreadsheet of every single audition I do, the day that I get the audition, the size of the role, the name of the care, like I have as much data as humanly possible for my career.
• 16:17
  Michael Strickland: More specifically, so that when I do finish an audition, I can take all of that and usually look and say, okay, it's on average, I'm usually finding out when I do book it within about a week to two weeks, usually at like the the high end point is two weeks after my audition's done.
• 16:36
  Michael Strickland: So if I can do an audition and I see three weeks have gone by, I'm like, okay, I probably didn't get it.
• 16:44
  Michael Strickland: But to be completely frank, the most important thing in the world that I do at the very end of every single one of my auditions, and this has completely changed the game for me, is I have a very specific ritual.
• 16:57
  Michael Strickland: I go and I do an audition, and the second my audition is done, I go straight to one of my local coffee shops called Cafe Postal, and I get the biggest London fog I can get with a chocolate croissant, and I crank Jonas Brothers celebrate the whole way home.
• 17:11
  Michael Strickland: And I just take 30 minutes to an hour just to myself.
• 17:16
  Michael Strickland: Because now what that's done is it's made the audition the celebration.
• 17:20
  Michael Strickland: If I book it even better, great.
• 17:23
  Michael Strickland: But now I'm like excited to finish my audition because I'm like, I get my London fog and I get to listen to my fun music.
• 17:30
  Jeff Ornstein: I love that idea.
• 17:32
  Jeff Ornstein: I mean, that's your ritual, but do you recommend that to your students to keep a spreadsheet?
• 17:37
  Jeff Ornstein: I think that's a fantastic idea.
• 17:39
  Jeff Ornstein: And you know what I also like about it?
• 17:40
  Jeff Ornstein: I don't think you mentioned it, but if you put in the time, the place, the character, whatever, all this information, and maybe like some of what you thought you did well, or what responses well, what were what you th where you fell short.
• 17:55
  Jeff Ornstein: And then you could track that with your acceptances and rejections.
• 18:00
  Jeff Ornstein: And you could say, hey, when I'm playing in this manner, things go well for me, or whatever.
• 18:06
  Jeff Ornstein: I think it's a fantastic idea.
• 18:07
  Jeff Ornstein: And I have to say, on this podcast, I've never heard another actor did it.
• 18:11
  Jeff Ornstein: Or the chocolato or whatever.
• 18:16
  Michael Strickland: Yeah.
• 18:16
  Michael Strickland: Well, it's and I tell everyone, I'm like, come up with your own ritual, whatever that might be.
• 18:21
  Michael Strickland: Maybe you could get a massage, maybe you go get a haircut.
• 18:23
  Michael Strickland: Maybe you're just like, I'm gonna go watch a movie, or just unplug, but just turn the bloody phone off for like one hour and just be happy that you got the opportunity to work.
• 18:35
  Jeff Ornstein: Right, right.
• 18:35
  Jeff Ornstein: Like I think you alluded to the audition is part of being an actor.
• 18:40
  Jeff Ornstein: So you got the audition.
• 18:42
  Jeff Ornstein: Well, you went, you did it, you brought your best, and then the rest of it's up.
• 18:46
  Jeff Ornstein: Just don't go home and kick the dog, right?
• 18:47
  Jeff Ornstein: That's what we want to work for.
• 18:49
  Michael Strickland: Well, there's thousands of people that submit for these auditions.
• 18:52
  Michael Strickland: So when only a hundred, two hundred of people get chosen and you're one of them, that's already a huge blessing.
• 19:00
  Michael Strickland: That means that they love what you're doing and they want to see more of it.
• 19:02
  Michael Strickland: Whether it's for this role or not, it doesn't matter.
• 19:05
  Jeff Ornstein: Right.
• 19:06
  Jeff Ornstein: I have a friend who teaches classes and webinars and seminars and on how to book the job.
• 19:11
  Jeff Ornstein: So she's not a casting agent, but she teaches people once you're in the room how to book it.
• 19:16
  Jeff Ornstein: She's very successful and she's loved by her students.
• 19:19
  Jeff Ornstein: And she was telling me they'll bring in a hundred actors for an audition, 90 of them will suck.
• 19:26
  Jeff Ornstein: Okay, Jeff?
• 19:27
  Jeff Ornstein: So you're one of the 10.
• 19:28
  Jeff Ornstein: All the 10 are just as good as each other.
• 19:31
  Jeff Ornstein: It's like who which is the one that reminds a director of his cousin Eddie about who the role was written about?
• 19:38
  Jeff Ornstein: So the reason you might not get it has nothing necessarily to do with your performance.
• 19:42
  Jeff Ornstein: Because you were already in the top 10, and the other 90 were already weeded out.
• 19:46
  Jeff Ornstein: And that's the kind of thing that I think we've heard elements of that will get people over the I can't stand the rejection component.
• 19:56
  Michael Strickland: I know a film where both of these lovely ladies I knew because I've worked with them previously, and this one who was a blonde booked the role opposite me.
• 20:07
  Michael Strickland: She was going to play my fiance.
• 20:08
  Michael Strickland: And then I found out at the last second they decided to change it and give it to this person to play my fiance, who was a redhead.
• 20:16
  Michael Strickland: And the reason why was because they're like, Well, our lead is a blonde.
• 20:20
  Michael Strickland: We don't have too many blondes, so let's bring this one in instead.
• 20:26
  Michael Strickland: Totally out of her control.
• 20:27
  Michael Strickland: And they're both phenomenal actresses, but sometimes it can be something as simple as like, and it happens with Tom Cruise sometimes too, where it's like Tom Cruise is a little bit of a shorter guy.
• 20:39
  Michael Strickland: So sometimes they want to make sure that the female lead is not too much taller than him.
• 20:44
  Jeff Ornstein: Right.
• 20:44
  Jeff Ornstein: To that effect, the fellow who played Nate in Euphoria, he's very handsome.
• 20:51
  Jeff Ornstein: He played Sidney Sweeney's husband, boyfriend.
• 20:54
  Jeff Ornstein: They say he's six five to six seven.
• 20:59
  Jeff Ornstein: Like they never say how tall he actually is.
• 21:01
  Jeff Ornstein: And I believe because he doesn't want that known.
• 21:05
  Jeff Ornstein: Because if you're six seven and they're thinking about an actress who's five four, that's gonna be a challenge to film.
• 21:11
  Jeff Ornstein: So evidently it doesn't exist anywhere in paper exactly how tall he is.
• 21:15
  Jeff Ornstein: And it's because six seven could be a hindrance.
• 21:18
  Jeff Ornstein: To that point, also, thinking of Sydney Sweeney, she came out with a movie once, it was a horror movie with her and a babysitter.
• 21:25
  Jeff Ornstein: I don't remember.
• 21:26
  Jeff Ornstein: And the other actress looked a lot like her.
• 21:29
  Jeff Ornstein: I forgot what movie housing.
• 21:31
  Jeff Ornstein: And I'll tell you, I mean, I don't know, maybe it's senility setting in, but I got confused a lot.
• 21:36
  Jeff Ornstein: Like, who's who?
• 21:37
  Jeff Ornstein: They look too much, too many blondes in the co in this kitchen.
• 21:41
  Jeff Ornstein: So of course we've gone grossly over here, but I can't let you go because you you've done this for so long, you've done the hard work, the study, you've been in so many kinds of comedy and drama and voiceovers and podcasts and video games.
• 21:58
  Jeff Ornstein: I mean, you really you've tapped into so many parts of our industry, and you're giving it back, which I absolutely love.
• 22:04
  Jeff Ornstein: And I think the listeners really like to hear that someone who's so versatile still has time to give back to people who are trying to figure it out.
• 22:12
  Jeff Ornstein: So, years from now, when the public looks back on your career, what do you hope they say you contributed to the industry?
• 22:21
  Jeff Ornstein: What do you want your legacy to be?
• 22:24
  Michael Strickland: Well, to be brutally honest, the the number one legacy that I want is that my daughter always looks at me with the same eyes that she has right now.
• 22:33
  Michael Strickland: She's currently five.
• 22:34
  Michael Strickland: So I hope that I always remain like that in her eyes and the same in my wife's.
• 22:40
  Michael Strickland: As for the industry-wise, I hope that egos and things like that never ever get in the way, and that people are always like, you know what?
• 22:47
  Michael Strickland: Here's a guy who really truly loved this craft and actually genuinely wanted to help people.
• 22:55
  Michael Strickland: That is the way that I was raised.
• 22:57
  Michael Strickland: That's the way that I want to raise my daughter.
• 23:00
  Michael Strickland: I I want to I want to help people because I've gotten the opportunity to experience what it's like to be on set, and I know the joy that it brings me.
• 23:09
  Michael Strickland: I think anybody that wants to be an actor truly wants to be an actor too.
• 23:13
  Michael Strickland: And I want to make sure I emphasize not somebody that's like, oh, well, I want to be an actor, but they don't do anything to try and push their career forward.
• 23:21
  Michael Strickland: I'm sorry, that's not acting.
• 23:23
  Michael Strickland: But if you're genuinely dedicated and you're like, I want to figure out like I did, I want to figure out what I need to do to get better.
• 23:31
  Michael Strickland: I would love to be your cheerleader and figure out how I can help you push that that rock down the hill so you can just run.
• 23:40
  Jeff Ornstein: Right.
• 23:41
  Jeff Ornstein: That's fantastic.
• 23:42
  Jeff Ornstein: Michael, I gotta wrap this up.
• 23:44
  Jeff Ornstein: It was a pleasure having you on the show.
• 23:46
  Jeff Ornstein: I'm so thankful you accepted our invitation.
• 23:48
  Jeff Ornstein: And I want to welcome you back.
• 23:50
  Jeff Ornstein: If you're releasing a project or something and you want to talk about it and you're pumped and you want to get a little pre release publicity out there, please don't hesitate.
• 23:59
  Jeff Ornstein: Give us a buzz.
• 24:00
  Jeff Ornstein: We'd love to have you back.
• 24:01
  Jeff Ornstein: I mean, I think we could probably talk for hours.
• 24:04
  Michael Strickland: I have no doubt.
• 24:04
  Michael Strickland: Probably.
• 24:05
  Michael Strickland: That's fair.
• 24:06
  Michael Strickland: Thank you.
• 24:06
  Michael Strickland: You take care.
• 24:07
  Michael Strickland: Thanks so much, Jeff.