We were lucky to catch up with Michael DeCamp recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Michael, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
I suppose my optimism comes from seeing a lack of it in the world and realizing that’s what the world needs. I struggle with being optimistic myself but I want to live a life of positivity and success and I want that for the people around me. Sometimes you have to be the change you want to see in the world
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
So I’m an actor, voice-actor, stuntman, mocap artist, and ring announcer. I’ve been studying acting and music most of my life and it has spread and manifested into the other areas of my career. I really like playing characters and telling stories. I also love action, and in general I just love entertaining people. My humble beginnings started in Mesa, Arizona where I lived all through grade school. I tried a lot of things growing up, but as early as five, I was really focused on acting. So, I did a lot of theater through my childhood. After high school graduation I moved to California to continue studying theater and pursue my acting career. Pretty early on I joined the Knott’s Berry Farm’s Wild West Stunt Team which started my foray into stunt work as well as melding my love of acting and action. What proceeded was about a decade of various live stunt shows at various establishments including Pirate’s Dinner Adventure in Buena Park and Universal Studios Hollywood, as well as performing stunts and bit parts in various low budget direct to DVD type movies, with the occasional larger more well known project. My union SAG-AFTRA is currently on strike so I can’t talk much about my on-camera work at the moment, but I have a really cool (non-struck) horror comedy film make up the festival circuit right now called “Forever Home”. I play the mysterious and dangerous “Dead Man”. I get to wear a decent amount of making, put on a scary voice, the whole shebang so keep an eye out for it. People can also catch me ring announcing about once a month for a fight promotion called “Royal Combat Promotions.” They put on MMA and Muay Thai events for young up and coming amateur fighters. The fights are quite exciting and some of the fighters you see there may eventually go pro! I just released an audiobook called “Abandon Hope: A Cutter’s Notch Novel” which is available on Apple Books, Spotify, and Amazon Audible. This one has an interesting backstory in that an author sharing my name reached out to me through social media and asked me to record his audiobook. It’s a fun Goonies style fantasy thriller. At the very least, my narrator voice should be relaxing enough for you to fall asleep to. I’m currently working motion capture on a videogame that’s been announced but I can’t yet link my involvement. Though once you play it, many characters you interact and fight with in the world will have movement generated by me. If I had to label “My Brand” I’m the big evil henchman guy who can move. I mostly play larger intimidating characters that the hero gets to conquer. This is kind of my “zone” if you will, and I don’t mind it, but with my extensive Voice-Over and movement training, I do consider myself a “Character actor.”
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The entertainment business is full of a lot of fragile egos both new and old. A lot of newbies come in not wanting to listen or study so, One, come into it really open minded and do way more listening than talking. Then as you get deeper into the business and your career, stay that way! Second, and this ties into the first, take more classes than you think you need to, and keep studying and learning new things throughout your career. Three, be kind always. Integrity in this biz is tough but everybody’s struggling and kindness goes a long way to making stronger relationships. And bonus four, if you don’t like it, stop doing it. This career path is way to hard to pursue and not love it. Or pivot your studies to something that you like better. Your joy in the pursuit of knowledge should be a guiding factor and should keep you going.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is someone who treats me like a real person and can be honest and kind with me. We know we’re going to work hard. We know there’s things at stake, but we have enough respect and trust to speak with each other clearly and openly. Someone who will not drop me at the slightest kerfuffle or throw me under the bus to protect themselves. If I have deep trust for someone, I will move mountains for them!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.michaeldecamp.com
- Instagram: @michael_decamp
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-decamp-85629167/
- Twitter: @michaeldecamp
Image Credits
David Chan Photo, Johnny Brillantes, Corridor Digital, Royal Combat Promotions, William Lawson’s
