Rick is an actor working in Toronto. We had the chance to chat with him recently about his acting career and life.
As a child, did you want to be an actor, or did it fall into place through other activities?
As a kid, I was always the class clown in school and very animated. I learned early on that I could make people laugh and that was something I leaned on a lot. But at that time, 70’s / 80’s, living in Canada, the notion of becoming an actor seemed crazy. We certainly weren’t considered Hollywood North at that time.
Who inspired you to follow your dream to pursue acting?
I guess, looking back, I was told over and over again, “you should be in show biz”, but I never took it seriously. In fact, a passage in my grade 8 yearbook was, “most likely to be: the next Steve Martin”. Even with so many people telling me I should be a performer, the idea of being able to chase that dream simply seemed unattainable and unrealistic. But in the end, many years later, I was the one who finally pushed myself to chase the dream. I found myself in a position where my kids were all grown up, living lives of their own and a new chapter had begun. I have to say though, my wife has always been a huge supporter of mine and without her blessing and encouragement, this new adventure would not have happened. She has always seen in me, something that even I didn’t see and for that, I am forever grateful.
What challenges have you faced in the entertainment industry? What has been your most rewarding experience?
I grew up in Toronto, but now live in Peterborough Ontario, (about an hour and a half drive to TO, in good traffic). So the commute for auditions and gigs is definitely a challenge. Honestly I don’t mind the drive, but the cost is a big one and I’m continuously reminded each time I pull in to a gas station. However, the alternative would be to move to the city and the increase in daily expenses would surely surpass what I’m spending now. Not to mention my wife and I have a whole world of family, friends and a beautiful granddaughter here that we wouldn’t want to leave behind. Not to say that I wouldn’t live in California / Berlin / New Zealand, etc. for an extended period of time, if a big opportunity came up. That’s just part of the business and you have to understand and accept that possibility.
The entertainment industry is an animal all to itself, so there is a lot to learn when you first jump in and it can seem daunting. There’s a whole new set of rules that apply to this industry that would seem out-of-place in the “normal’ work world, but you soon begin to understand what’s expected of you and start to assimilate. Although I know there are many who start to chase the dream and soon decide that this world isn’t for them. You here it all the time, but the rejection can be overwhelming for some and that’s a big hurdle. Eventually, if you stick it out long enough, you develop rhino skin and can shake it off!
I have been rewarded with some amazing experiences. My very first “professional” gig was the lead role in an episode of Web of Lies (Love goes South). My resume, at that time had about two items on it and one of them was my name. Fortunately, I looked a lot like the main character of the story and was given a chance to prove myself with an audition. It was my very first audition for a tv show and I wasn’t sure how I would answer the call. After all, until that moment, you have no idea how you will respond. Fortunately the director saw something in me and gave me the opportunity. I will always be grateful for that moment, as I know it doesn’t happen to everyone. You have to realize that this business relies as heavily on luck as it does skill. Once you know this, you keep pushing until that next lucky break arrives.
There are several moments I could point to as rewarding, but I remember getting an email from a DOP that I had worked with on a commercial, (didn’t know him previously), and it said, “Hey Rick, hope all is well. Would you be interested in shooting a car commercial in Iceland?” I was packing a bag ten minutes later.
Driving a Mercedes SUV around Iceland and climbing volcano’s had not been penciled into any calendar I owned. That was not only a great acting moment but a life changer too. I came home with a completely different perspective on life. Again, the forces of luck shone brightly that day, but it points to something actors always need to remember… you never know who you are going to work with and how they might affect your future. No matter how trivial you may perceive an occasion to be, always be professional and courteous, cause ya never know!
What is your favourite type of character to play?
Well, it is so early in my acting career that I don’t know if I have a favorite character to play. I have always been a fan of the horror genre and recently did a short film called Serial Killer Confidence. I played a serial killer, dressed in a hazmat suit, cutting up bodies with a meat cleaver. Gotta say, there was something cathartic about crawling that deep into such a dark world. Don’t know why… and not sure I want to know, but until you’ve cleavered your first forearm, you haven’t lived.
I’ve done quite a few dramatic roles and quite like the challenge of expressing emotions with limited dialog. It’s something I’ve worked on quite a bit as there is a definite art to being subtle.
But, as previously discussed, I love to be funny. Something about my personal look doesn’t immediately shout, hey this guy is going to be hilarious. You look at some people like John Candy or Will Farrell and you immediately smile. With me, it usually takes a few interactions with people for them to start understanding my sense of humor. Some of my favorite actors are comedians and weirdly enough those actors usually go on to do great dramatic roles as well. I think the class clowns of the world all have a more serious story to tell.
But I would definitely love to do a comedy sometime. A TV sitcom would do just fine. As a drummer and musician, if they ever renew the FX series, Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll, with Denis Leary, I’m happy to join “The Heathens”, just sayin’.
What market do you currently work in? Are there other areas you would like to work?
I mainly work in the GTA region but as I mentioned earlier, I’m an open book. Not many places, in this world, I wouldn’t travel to, in order to keep pursuing my goals.
What advice would you give to someone new trying to make it in the acting industry?
Keep going! If you love it, if you lock into another level of your brain when someone yells “action”, then just keep going. Definitely and endurance game and not a sprint. I know we’ve all heard the stories about a very lucky few who got to bypass all the initial hard work by getting their big break right away, but those stories are very rare. And if you read deeper into those stories, you often find it wasn’t as easy as a three-minute interview on Jimmy Kimmel would suggest.
Show up early, put your phone away, be quiet, modest, available, listen, don’t try to shake the directors hand at the end of an audition, unless they offer. Just be a pro.
Why, What fuels your passion?
My Dad asked me at 15, “What do you want to do with your life”? Until one and a half years ago, I didn’t know. I’m now 52 years old. It’s been my life’s quest to answer that question. It’s unfortunate that he’s not still here to see me find the answer. I was adopted as a baby and had a wonderful upbringing with an amazing family and wouldn’t change it for the world. But I think being adopted and not having a genetic template / role model to look up to, was a big part of the reason that I didn’t narrow it down earlier.
Often you see actors that have kids who become performers, or politicians that breed politicians, etc. In my case, it was an extremely ambiguous world that I had to decipher on my own. Of course my parents had their own love for certain things but those things didn’t always resonate with me and I just kept searching.
Now that I have found my passion for acting, I don’t need any further motivation to continue acting. The rush of being on set and sharing a creative goal with a room full of people is the only fuel I need.
What is something about you that most people would never guess?
We covered the sense of humor thing and I think that probably tops the list. I also love anchovies on my pizza.
If you were to do it all over again, would you do things exactly the same? Do you have any regrets? Successes that make you proud?
That’s a bit of loaded question, as there are definitely setbacks and tragedies that occurred in my life that I wouldn’t want to re-live. But you have to wonder if those instances and everything else that’s made up the ingredients of your life, are key to who you are today.
I like who I am today, so I’m a very grateful for that. Without loss you can’t appreciate gain and in a world full of “stuff”, it is key to recognize what’s truly important. My wife and I count our blessings all the time as we are forever cognizant of how fortunate we are in a world that can be harsh, to say the least.
To learn more about Rick, follow him at:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsburyrick/
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm9356727/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Mandy: https://actors.mandy.com/ca/actor/profile/rick-amsbury
