When you saw Michael walking down the street you would not think he could tell you about becoming an actor, but you would be amazed. Michael is no Brad Pitt or Colin Firth, he will be sixty this year, he weighs in at around 17-18 stone, and he has diabetes, but he has carved himself out a career in acting.
Like many people Mike did some acting as a child, school plays and the like. He left school at sixteen and served an apprenticeship as a ladies hairdresser. He was reasonably successful in his chosen profession and eventually owned his own salon, still retaining much of the clients he had at the beginning. As time passed his clientele started to die off so decided to contract out a part of his salon to younger, successful stylists, while he concentrated on his loyal client base. So it was that Michael turned to acting to understand how to become a actor.
He started off through getting himself a portfolio of photographs of himself in several costumes and poses. He could have gone to one of the many businesses that advertise this type of thing on the web, but he opted for a local photographer that he knew, who did it for far less. He hired different costumes from a local fancy dress shop and the whole process took an hour or two.
Armed with his portfolio which detailed his statistics, height, weight, chest, waist and leg measurements, and contained his photographs he was prepared to look for work. Mike opted to help ease him in by looking for “extra” work. This is a great idea since you are usually with a number of other people doing the same thing, and you get used to how it all works. You learn who provides the orders, when and where you are likely to stand and so forth.
Michael did his time as an extra and it has appeared in several of televisions top shows for example Eastenders, The Bill, and much more. As time went by he became noticed and Producers and Directors started asking him to audition for small speaking parts, many of which he didn’t get, however some he did.
Today Michael spends about fifty percent of his time acting and he thoroughly enjoys his life, his greatest claim to date since become an actor. He played the body double for that backside of the very famous politician in the Television play regarding his affair together with his secretary. This role got him enormous publicity and resulted in a lot more work.