Welcome! I’m running a series here on my blog Interviews With Professionals! where I’m specifically focusing on those in the acting industry! We have a great guest list lined up, so be sure to check back often for new interviews!
Today’s special guest is Sam Trewhitt, a very talented actor! So without further ado, let’s begin the interview!
Tell us your name and how long you’ve been acting!
I’m Sam Trewhitt, 22 years old and I’ve been acting since I was 10.
What’s your story? What inspired you to end up in the exciting career of acting?
My story is a little bit erratic. I was born in Nottingham in England but moved to Switzerland at the age of 2. I lived there for 10 years and took part in a couple of school productions and also an English-speaking theatre group. That’s when I realized I enjoyed acting a lot more than anything else I’d ever done. My love for acting was also slapped in my face every time I went to the cinema, where I would leave the cinema always thinking to myself that’s what I want to do everyday. I don’t want to work in an office 9-5 for the rest of my life, I want to make people smile, laugh and cry when they’re watching a film. I want to provide an escape for people that just want to switch off from life for a few hours. I want to do something I love and am passionate about every day, even if I’m ‘working’ weekends.
As a voice actor in general, what types of roles do you portray the best and why?
That’s a tough question as I’m still young and still have very little experience in voice acting in particular. The most recent production I took part in was the famous Christmas play ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ where I played the role of the passionate and charismatic Mr. Macy. I thoroughly enjoyed stepping into the shoes of a character who was very much a lot older than I am and in a completely different stage in his career. Plus there was also the fact that he's American and I’m English. From that experience I would say that I’m best suited to playing a senior character or a role that needs composure or seriousness to be brought forward, although I’ve never dabbled in a comical radio production. I would love to do a similar role again or simply an American character, it was a challenge to deliver the American accent to convince people an American was indeed voicing the role but I would love to try my hand at it again.
We have other actors and voice actors who subscribe to this blog. What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in these careers?
Don’t say no to any work. Sure you might think that a role might not give you a big break, I’m still hunting for that, but at least by saying yes you’ll gain experience and a guarantee to learn something new. I’d also recommend that when you are rehearsing for a production that you speak to your fellow actors regularly to see what their routine is, any tips they have and also soak up their experiences like a sponge. Lastly, enjoy every single minute even if you might be stressed or angry; just remember that at the end of it all you’ll be putting a smile on someone’s face and that’s what counts.
Any special tips or “hacks” for getting into character?
For theatre acting I would echo what was told to me when I first started acting in theatre which is ‘never go on stage and act, act and then go on stage.’ This means you should get into character a good 5 minutes before you’re on stage so if you’re going to be happy on stage then get happy, if you need to be sad then remind yourself of how you felt when you were at rock bottom. Also what is often overlooked is how does your character walk? If you’re a king then you need to walk like a king and not a peasant. You need to be convinced that you’re the character before anyone else, once you’re convinced then there’s little reason to think others won’t be. Another ‘hack’ is again something I was told which is ‘clothes maketh man.’ You have to be comfortable in the clothes your character wears, because if you don’t then this will restrict your ability to be completely comfortable in your character, which means you cannot do your best to fulfill the role. Lastly, I want to reiterate that you should soak every moment of rehearsals and the production itself in, this means put your phone down for a couple of hours. 2 hours of engaging with your fellow actors and watching how they get into character and perform will do you much more than 2 hours planning something with your mates.
What would be your dream role?
I don’t have a dream character that I would necessarily like to play but more directors that I really want to work with. My dream director would be Wes Anderson, his creativity and quirkiness of how his films are directed are just captivating and it’s not like he has films coming out every other year like other directors.
What role are you the most proud of that you’ve done so far?
I’m most proud of voicing Mr. Macy as this was by far the most challenging role I’ve had to play. I would still say it wasn’t my best performance but it’s for sure the role where I’ve learnt the most. The effort I put in to listen to American accents to try and fool people I was American and not an English kid playing an American was where most of my time was spent. But hard work paid off and I can say that I cringe very little when I hear it back, which is rare as whenever I see pictures of myself in character or videos I often cringe.
If you are currently cast in a role or have recently completed a role, tell us about it!
I recently took part in an amateur production of ‘Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood.’ This was so much fun to work with actors of all ages and just enjoy every aspect of working in local theatre where there the focus is on supporting local communities and interacting with the crowd where possible. As far as I know the term ‘pantomime’ isn’t widely known in the U.S. but this production was a ‘panto’ which is very comical and engages the audience with what’s going on.
Optional Bonus Question: We have a Christian community subscribed to this blog as well who like to hear about inspiring stories involving walks of faith. If you have a story you’d like to share about this, either related to acting or not, please feel free to do so.
While I don’t go to church, I still believe that there is a higher power. Certain aspects of life just can’t be explained and I often pray to my sister who sadly passed away at a young age, before I’m acting, as I like to think she’s watching and laughing at me either fluff my lines or just deliver a line. Secondly, it takes a lot of ‘luck’ to make it in acting which is where I believe a higher power is also welcomed and that’s why many people who have made it often say they couldn’t be in that role without God as you’d be crazy to think that pure talent will get you a career in Hollywood. If you do believe that, then you won’t be there long.
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