We're all here because, for some odd reason, we have this uncanny ability to believe in imaginary circumstances really, really hard. So much that they are our own, in the most intimate kind of way.

Mike Markoff knew he belonged on stage at a very young age. He started acting in the Chicago theater scene when he was eight, and five years later; he was already acting for a traveling theater company from the same city. Despite conquering a respectable space in the acting community of LA at only 20 years old, Mike left Hollywood, became a food and beverage consultant, and traveled around Southeast Asia, Europe, and Oceania for 10 years. His early beginnings in acting, plus his experiences overseas, polished Mike's acting, turning him into an actor with a broad range, capable of playing complex antihero characters like anyone. Besides his abundant experience in theater, he has over 50 film and TV credits, including "When Jack Came Back," "Space Waves," and the nerve-racking short "Hard To Place." He was recently handpicked by Richard Linklater & Glen Powellfor the 2024 film HITMAN, which already premiered at Sundance and will soon be on theaters and Netflix. 

We had a fantastic conversation about Mike's unique perspective on acting, from how to prepare for the never-optimal conditions actors find themselves in almost constantly to getting ready to be a character and not an actor auditioning in casting calls. Mike also shares lessons learned throughout his extensive and successful acting career, his secrets for playing the darkest, most horrific antiheroes, an incredible trick to add depth to seemingly trivial conversations and land roles during auditions, and much more.

Tune in to Episode 100 of Hollywood Dream Maker to learn more about Mike's methods and tricks that can transform your acting career. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Mike's early appearance on theater stages (4:20)
• Train yourself. Never stop honing your craft (10:30)
• Mike shares his thoughts on the benefits of self-tapes (18:00)
• Be a wildcard choice (25:20)
• Mike shares an incredible trick to transform scripts during auditions (27:40)
• Know your character better than the writer who wrote it (34:00)
• Mark talks about his time overseas (41:30)
• Never get too comfy (52:20)
• Mark shares an advice for young actors (57:00)

Connect with Mike Markoff:

• IMDb
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Let's Connect: 

• Manhattan Actor Studio 
• Inside the Manhattan Actor Studio on YouTube
• Website

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