Meet Mike Caravella | Actor/Writer/Producer/Director

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

Hi Mike, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve always been dramatic. Part of it is intrinsic. And part of it is growing up New York Italian. The first part of my childhood was spent in a really tough crime ridden section of Brooklyn. East New York. So I really didn’t spend much time outside with other kids. And then I got hit by a car when I was 7 years old and almost died, and was incapacitated for a year. That combination led to me spending a great deal of time by myself. Most of that time was spent watching old movies on television, which I loved. When I wasn’t watching movies, I was putting on dramatizations with my stuffed animals and action figures, and theatrically acting out scenarios by myself to 70’s rock music. I was compelled by all the great actors of the 1970’s, so the acting bug hit me first. I’ve always had the capacity for storytelling, but never the confidence to write. There can be a lot of empty down time as an actor trying to make your way in the industry. I starting writing just as a creative exercise for myself to keep busy, which morphed into writing to create opportunities for myself. Producing manifested out of creating my own projects, which I learned I had a real knack for from my already developed skill sets from years in survival jobs based in communication and leadership (bartending, teaching, football coaching, and strength training).

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What I am most proud of and excited about is the upcoming release of my cult-classic, midnight movie, Western/Sci-Fi/King-Fu/Comedy with a 70’s vibe feature film, ASTRAL PLANE DRIFTER. It is the feature length version of my multiple award winning multi-genre short film of the same name. I am the Writer, Producer and Lead Actor (not to mention about 10 other job titles I fulfilled) The short actually won awards in 8 different genre categories. I also won an audience award for Best Actor, and Best Hero for “The Drifter”. We will be making the movie available to distribution companies for screening starting June 3rd.

The journey to creating “The Drifter” and getting to the point of making a feature film was quite the extraordinary one. In 2016, I was a sometimes working actor who supplemented his income with bartending, football coaching and strength and conditioning training with a wife and three kids when I was diagnosed with tongue cancer. It was a devastating blow to me and my family as it spread to the lymph nodes in my neck and we didn’t know what was going to happen. One thing I knew for certain a few months later after 3 major surgeries (partial removal of my tongue, a neck dissection to remove 50 lymph nodes, and then a revised dissection to take out 6 more lymph nodes after they found more cancer), 3 rounds of chemotherapy, and 7 weeks of radiation treatment in my mouth and neck… My acting career was over. My appearance had changed significantly, and I couldn’t speak clearly. Not things that bode well for a career in the entertainment industry,

For 2 and half years I just focused on getting my health back, going to speech therapy, and being with my family. I also underwent a complete psychological and spiritual transformation as I became extremely grateful every day for just being alive. I no longer allowed negativity to linger around me. In 2018, I decided I wanted to try and do something creative and see and hear myself on camera again. I hosted a podcast where I interviewed industry friends, family members, and other unique creatives. I did that every week for 6 months and posted it on YouTube. At the end of 2018, with the support of my family, I decided it was time for me to throw my hat back in the ring, and give the acting thing another go.

2019 turned out to be my most successful year as an actor in my career. Auditioning regularly (which in and of itself is a victory), and booking multiple roles and shows and movies, including It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Superstore, and Made For Love. Full of confidence an optimism, I declared to my wife Jean that 2020 was going to be my best year yet.

We all know where this story goes now… After about 8 months of sitting home waiting for the world to start again, I said to myself on November 1st, 2020, “I think I want to do something weird in the Desert…” By November 6th, the script to the short film version of Astral Plane Drifter was written. I started making phone calls to friends. Now armed with a Cinematographer, 2 Actors, and my wife and kids as Crew, we went out to the Mojave Desert for 3 days, December 1st-3rd, 2020 and shot the short. Post-Production was completed by January 7th, 2021 and I immediately started submitting to film festivals. By January 31st, 2021 we won our first festival. 3 months less a day from having an idea to winning a film festival.

This went on for a year and half. Winning awards in all sorts of festivals all over the country. Western, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Psychedelic, Experimental themed festivals, they all loved Drifter. The one genre that surprised me that really grabbed a hold of it was the Horror Community. They have been a wonderful group of new friends that I hold all over the country.

I knew I had something good not long into the festival circuit and started writing. I came up with a complete Drifter Trilogy. By the middle of 2022, meeting other filmmakers along the way who showed great enthusiasm for Drifter, I assembled a team and I started to pursue money to make the feature. I worked with one fairly notable production company for several months, but it wasn’t going in the right direction. Against everyone I knew in industry’s advice, I decided in March of 2023 to launch a crowd funding campaign and raise the money myself. I did not raise all of the money I needed, but we did raise a good amount, which also raised awareness. I started to find investors and by October I was a fully financed independent film. We filmed in the desert again end of November through December.

The last 15 months have been a whirlwind. I’ve literally been actively involved in every single component of feature film making. Producing, Executive Producing, Writing, Acting, Directing, Location Scouting, Casting, Editing, Music, Sound… you get the idea. It’s been the most exhausting and most fulfilling (other than my family) component of my life.

I’m really excited about what the future holds. I know I have a good concept because it’s already been battle tested. Selling the feature will be the culmination. But what I really look forward to, what I really have come to love, especially after cancer and covid, is getting back out there with the people and just talking movies, sharing stories, and connecting.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am nothing and nowhere without the unrequited, never-ending love and support of my wife Jean. When we met, I was already a single dad of two small children. She not only stood by my side, but became an active participant as step-parent, and was integral in my winning full custody of my son and daughter. After raising them and having one of our own who was still small, we were met with another huge challenge when I was diagnosed with tongue cancer. 3 major surgeries (including partial removal of my tongue), chemo, and 7 weeks of radiation therapy in my mouth left me a shell of myself for quite some time. I was sure my career in the entertainment industry was finished, on top of me not being physically able to work in any capacity for about a year. Not only did she keep the whole family afloat by herself financially in this period, but spiritually she kept me going as I built myself back up, and wound up not only reviving my entertainment career, but thriving more than ever before. During her cancer battle several years later, I tried to be everything for her that she is for me. But that would be impossible. We are truly a co-existence. There is no me without her.

Website: https://astralplanedrifter.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astralplanedrifter/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-caravella-93238412/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astralplanedrifter

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@astralplanedrifter

Other: https://www.facebook.com/mikecaravella13/
https://www.instagram.com/themikecaravella/

Image Credits
Main Profile/Headshot Photo – Matt Stasi
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX)
Made For Love (MAX)
Superstore (NBC)
Minx (STARZ)