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| John Murray |
After tweeting pictures of my classes with us surrounding the manual, I was contacted by UCB Workplace and within minutes, began to look into future collaborations and performance opportunities. After a few weeks of discussion and planning, we had coordinated a trip to UCB East in NYC for a live show and mini-workshop. It was a dream come true for all of us and we couldn't believe that it was happening. 
One of the talented actors performing for us on that day was John Murray. John deftly lead the team that day and served as a wonderful coordinator/moderator for the performance and workshop. After the show, I was able to reach out to John via Twitter and I thought he would be a great person to interview for my Perspectives: On Acting series. John is a talented actor who has worked on 30 Rock, The Daily Show, national commercials and countless UCB sketches and live shows. I was so excited to hear that he was willing to share some of his insight on acting, improv and life in general. For more on John, please check out his featured article in Esquire from earlier this year:
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/culture/john-murray-comedian
And now let's get on to the interview:
1. When did you first know that performing was in your future?
When I was a kid. From and early age, I was always obsessed with movies and great performances. During high school I started to hint to my parents that I wanted to be an actor. I told them it was what I wanted to study in college as possibly my major. It should be known that I said all of this without having any real stage time under my belt (I was a bit of naive kid). My parents weren't surprised by my choice, they knew who I was, but they did feel like I needed to at least try some acting before I attempted to study it in college. So during my Sophomore year, my Mom talked me into auditioning for the high school drama department. I got a part in a play and dug the community. So I stuck around did shows through the rest of high school and over the summer as well. Performing confirmed my feelings to pursue acting as a profession. When I graduated high school I auditioned and got into Syracuse University's Acting Program where I went for four years then moved to NYC.
2. How did you discover improvisation?
Improv came to me an a weird way because it was something I avoided doing for a long time. In Red Bank, New Jersey (near where I grew up) there was a great short form theater that used to do improv on the weekends and I had a lot of friends who were performers but I never thought I was funny enough to participate. Then when I got to college I did a couple of shows with the SU's Drama Dept's short form group (that is now defunct) but I never became a regular member. When I came to NYC, I got a commercial agent. My agent and a lot of casting directors kept saying to me, "You're funny you should go check out UCB, take a class." I ignored them for about...oh, 3 years. I had good reasons (not really): I was too busy (a lie), UCB seemed clique to me (not true at all) and I didn't need more acting classes I had just done four years of acting school (lazy thinking). Well then I had a personal tragedy, my Dad was killed and I found myself kinda wondering about my career and what I wanted it to be. I decided that maybe I was funny and I should check out this place UCB. In April of 2004, I took my first long form improv class and everything made sense. All the feelings I had about acting were encapsulated in this great art form. UCB was a welcoming community that wanted people to succeed and grow. I really dug that vibe.
3. What are the biggest challenges you face as an improviser? As a working actor?
Doubt. I think doubt leads to lack of self confidence which leads to middling acting choices and less informed choices in life. It's hard not to doubt yourself in both improv and your acting career. When you make a choice on stage, you have to have confidence that it's gonna work and that your team is gonna support it. Audiences have good bullshit detectors they can tell when you're not sure of something and they react accordingly. The best shows I've done is when I don't care, when I know I have something good and my scene partners will back me up. The same goes for acting. Auditions come with a lot of rejection. Rejection can chip away at a person, not just the actor but the core of that person's being. You can start to doubt yourself. No one wants to cast an actor who walks into an audition a mess of doubt and wondering why they even got asked to audition. You have to stay confident in yourself. That's where a community like UCB is helpful as well as other classes etc. Those things can keep you grounded.
4. What advice do you have for young actors that you wish you would of heard when you were just starting out?
Say, "Yes" to everything. Don't worry about if it's "good" or "bad" project. Either way you'll have story about it at the end. Also don't worry about pay, or consequence with unions, just do the job and make sure you get a copy. You can figure out, who owes you money and who you owe money to, after you finish the gig. Also keep taking classes, it helps you meet people in the acting community. Classes also keeps that "doubt" in check because you can see the that everyone else is going through the same struggle.
5. What are some misconceptions (myths vs. realities) that people have about improvisation?
It's scripted :) No, I jest, but a lot of people do think that after certain shows. Really I think that the biggest myth is that you can be perfect at improv. We get so caught up with traditional schooling in that we should should always do things "right" and "never be wrong." That's the antithesis of what improv is about, improv is about growing and making mistakes. I've seen great improvisers have bad shows, like anything else they're hard to watch but it's doesn't mean the people on stage aren't still great improvisers. They made some mistakes on stage they'll learn from them and have a better show they next time I see them. They've become better through trying their best and not hitting the goal. Improvisers get to fail spectacularly because they make choice and take a chance. Improv is the one art from where mistakes and failure are welcome because great things comes out it. There's no need to put pressure on yourself when you're doing improv because there is no ideal.
6. Who are some of your inspirations in comedy?
Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor stand out to me. Movies were always something I was really into as a kid before I knew I wanted to get into comedy. Bill Murray has always been a fav probably because of the namesake and the fact that he's AWESOME. The Kids In The Hall were mainstays through my college experience. Now I'd say most of my inspiration comes through people I've met and gotten the pleasure to work with at UCB and 30 Rock.
7. Most performers know that improvisation training is vital to one’s growth as a performer. How have you seen this statement to be true in your acting journey?
Let's be honest, I would not have the career I have right now if I didn't start taking class at UCB in 2004. UCB and long form improv have been very good to me. I think every actor in NYC & LA should at least take one UCB be class (this is actually becoming more and more the norm but it still should be stated). I say this because not only will the classes help you with your auditioning but also because like me you might find out it's the place you feel the most comfortable working. You might find the community understands you and you understand the community, perfect fit.
John's Acting Reel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P92ogEO5HCM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P92ogEO5HCM
ON TWITTER : @TheJohnMurray
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