Meet Michael Hooper | Actor and Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Hooper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I first decided to become an actor back in elementary school. Although, I didn’t actually pursue it until a little over 2 years ago. My first memory of acting was performing Chip in Beauty in the Beast in 4th grade, and the feeling I got while performing was one of the best feelings I had ever experienced. When I was in college, I wasn’t entirely sure what career I wanted to pursue. I had always envisioned myself being an actor, but never actually thought it could be a plausible career for myself. However, I took a break from school during the covid pandemic in order to reassess what I wanted to do with my life. I could never imagine working a 9-5 job, I had tried doing jobs like that, but never enjoyed it. So I decided I’d rather move to LA to become a broke actor, because I would rather do something I love and risk not making money, than do something I hate and have a guaranteed safety net. The feeling of performing and creating something artistic is what drives me, and ultimately made me want to pursue a career in the arts.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think what sets me apart from others in this industry is my personality, go-getter mentality, and athleticism.

My mom always told me I was unique (I hope that’s a good thing), and I do think she’s right. I think to many people in the acting world, I am seen as (or my “casting” is) an air-headed jock, or a frat guy. But while I may have some of that in me, I think much of that is just surface level, what I look like. Once people get to know me, I think they come to find that I joke around a lot and I am very comedic (although I would highly recommend not getting to know me and your life will undoubtedly be easier). Suddenly, that aura of ignorant frat dude washes away, and people see me for who I really am. Being able to play a range of roles in this industry is an extra tool that can be used to secure roles, whether it be idiotic jock, or idiotic idiot.

To go along with this, I think I am a go-getter as well. The past two years of being in LA, along with acting lessons and scene study, I have written a plethora (big word) of comedy sketches. Instead of waiting around for my reps to send me out on auditions (which I usually do not book), I decided to take matters into my own hands (along with friend and collaborator Chase Korzep) and started producing my own short films in order to get more experience being in front of a camera, add credits to my resume, gain reel footage, and (most importantly), have fun!

Lastly, I think my athleticism helps me stand apart. Athleticism is not usually the first word people think of when you tell them you are an actor. However, I grew up playing many different sports, and played baseball in college. I believe that having a background in athletics, opens me up to many roles within my casting. I also currently surf, train mixed martial arts, and practice yoga to keep my competitive edge. However, more importantly, being an athlete has aided me with discipline which you need a lot of to survive as an actor in Los Angeles.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take them to Venice Beach. Venice has a ton of cool things to do, and places to check out. I love to surf at the beach there, as well as check out all the cool stores along the beach. There are a ton of great restaurants there, as well as great bars too, if you enjoy going out. A perfect day for me would be to surf in Venice in the morning, walk along the beach (maybe spending money I don’t have on some cool wall art), grabbing a burger at the Win-Dow, watching the sunset, and then going to the Victorian to top it off.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people responsible for aiding and making my life worthwhile, down here in LA. First off, I’d like to shoutout my immediate family. My mom, has given me unconditional love and support through my entire journey down here. I’d also like to thank my father, who is not with us anymore, who taught me how to work hard at everything I do. My brother, Ryan, who has always been there for me, and continues to be a great role model for me. My cousin, Douglas, who I live with and is my best friend. All the people I live with in my apartment complex have been a huge part of my life down here, and I have made tons of memories with them. My girlfriend Melanie, who is also an amazing actress, and who supports me everyday. My acting teachers Art Cohan and Taylor Nichols, who have helped me develop my craft, and taught me a ton about the business of acting as well. Chase Korzep, Mirlana O’Keefe, and Ethan Griffith: three extremely talented individuals (director, director, editor) who have helped me develop some of my comedy short films. Also, Stephanie Peters and Julian Pisani, my cousin and her husband, who helped me (and continue to help me) in navigating LA and this crazy industry.

Finally, I’d like to shoutout my friend from back home, Alex Baldwin, and his family who have supported me in my journey down in LA. Alex’s brother, JV Baldwin, just passed away, and they recently started a foundation for him, called the Liv Like Bub foundation. I wanted to shout them out because JV was a wonderful person, they are a wonderful family, and the foundation has many fantastic causes. Their website is: www.livelikebub.org. Feel free to check it out to learn more about JV Baldwin, his life, and his passions.

A long shoutout for a ton of people who have helped me in my endeavors down in LA (and there are many more, I just don’t have enough space to name them all!).

Website: www.michaelhhooper.com

Instagram: @mhhoop

Other: www.livelikebub.org