We recently connected with Michael Vargas and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Michael, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I get my strong work ethic from my mother and my time in the Marines. When I was younger my mother had the difficult task of raising me and my two brothers mostly on her own. She is one of the strongest and hardest working people I know and she believed in and supported me and my bothers. When I wanted to be an actor and model when I was younger my mom took me to model searches and came to all of my plays in theater. That was on top of her full time day job, taking us to sport practices and games, cooking and cleaning for the three of us. I saw how hard my mother worked to make sure we had the things we needed and it made me want to work the same.
After high school I was working 70 hours a week between two jobs. I was making pretty decent money as an 18 year old but I was so tired all the time from not sleeping because one of my jobs was as an overnight security guard. I ran into a friend who had just returned from Marine boot camp and we talked and he said I should check it out. I did and then spent just over eight years in the Marines. You can’t really have a poor work ethic there if you expect to do well. The Marines taught me the meaning of real hard work, how to push past my limits and how to be a self starter. I am grateful for everything I learned.
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?
I am an actor and model. I really enjoy creating and becoming these interesting and unique characters and having fun while doing it. I love acting because it lets me live these alternate lives by becoming these characters. I get to live in their world and explore their depths and emotions. Whether portraying the complexities of a villain or the allure of a love interest, each character presents an exciting challenge that I can’t wait to take on.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think three of the most impactful qualities and knowledge that can help when trying to become an actor or model are resilience, dedication and getting good representation.
The acting world is a place where you will face a ton of rejection. If you don’t have resilience you will never make it. Sometimes you might have 2 or 3 auditions in a week and then hear nothing back from any of them and you just have to keep going. Something that helps me is; I like to think of my auditions as a chance to show off my skills and do what I love, act.
Right along with resilience is dedication. If you are not constantly trying to make yourself better and improve your skills and marketability as an actor, then you need to be. That includes things like going to acting classes and experimenting with new techniques you have not tried, stage combat classes, improv classes or even accent classes.
Getting good representation should be a something you focus on. Having a reliable manager and agent have helped me so much in my career. My manager Katia Belas and my agent Kim Kennerly are absolutely fantastic and have been instrumental in guiding my career. I am super grateful for the team I have now.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I am feeling overwhelmed there are a couple of things that I like to do. Physical activity is my go-to; I prioritize it in my daily routine. I like to start my day early with a nice gym session and then the sauna. It helps me manage my stress and wake up in the morning. The other thing I like to do is meditate. I spent some dedicated time learning about meditation and putting what I learned into practice. The benefits have been really amazing and I’ve made it part of my daily routine.
If you’re considering physical activity just remember it does not have to be super intense or strenuous. Something as simple as going for a nice long walk in some good weather is enough to change your mood. Similarly, if you’re exploring meditation, start small and be patient with yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: michaeljamesvargas.com
- Instagram: @Michael_James_Vargas
- Other: Manager: Katia Belas [email protected] or [email protected]
Agent: Kim Kennerly [email protected]
