Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Hooper.
Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the Bay Area and was heavily involved in sports growing up. My dad, being an ex-professional baseball player, had me swinging a bat and throwing a ball since the day I could walk. I was so busy with sports that there was not much room for arts and creativity. However, in the 4th grade, my mom forced me to go to an open audition for the role of Chip in my local high school’s production of Beauty and the Beast. I went, not expecting anything to come out of it, as there were tons of kids auditioning. However, I ended up booking the role, which ultimately changed my life. Being in this production ignited a passion for performing that I had never felt before. However, during high school, I was never able to explore this desire to perform. I was too busy playing football and baseball, the latter of which I ended up playing in college for a few years. During my third year in college, a traumatic family event occurred. I took a break from school to process this event and ended up moving to LA to pursue something I had always dreamed of. I immediately started taking acting classes at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and got to work on trying to book gigs. Since moving here, I have been a part of a variety of different projects including: films, commercials, and comedy sketches. I also began writing sketch comedy, something I have always been passionate about since discovering Key and Peele back in the day. After writing for about a year or so, I was finally able to produce my first comedy sketch called Astrology Cops, which I just recently finished shooting in Las Vegas.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was the death of my father. I moved to LA a month or so after he passed away. In general, moving to a new city can be difficult, as it can take time to make friends and grow accustomed to the way of life. It was definitely hard for me at first, not only trying to navigate the emotions of everything that had happened but also not having many people I knew down here in LA. Luckily, I made a lot of great friends since moving here, which has helped me and made life much more enjoyable.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an actor and a writer. Writing-wise, I specialize in sketch comedy. Comedy has always been something that has come naturally to me ever since I was a kid. Whether it was messing around with friends at school or using it to deal with trauma (healthy, right?), I have always loved entertaining people and making them laugh. Acting-wise, I love taking on any role I get the opportunity to work on.
The two things I am most proud of (in the arts) are: my lead role in the feature film “This Sucks” (directed by Cameron Mitchell) and the comedy sketch that I wrote, produced, and acted in, titled “Astrology Cops” (directed by Mirlana O’Keefe and Chase Korzep).
I believe what sets me apart from others is my well-roundedness. I possess a wide variety of skills in many different realms (athletics, business, etc.), which I believe enables me to bring something of value to all different kinds of projects. I pride myself on always learning and trying to pick up new skills. I love the challenge of finding something difficult and attempting to master it. I think that this helps me as an actor because there are so many different roles out there that may require you to have a unique skill, and so the more things you know how to do, the more opportunities you will have.
How do you think about happiness?
The things that make me the most happy are: spending time with family and friends, exercising, and traveling.
First off, I think there is nothing better than spending time with the people you care about. Although sometimes friends and family can get on your nerves, you never know when the last time you are going to see someone, so it is best to cherish each moment you have with them. Sharing memories and experiences with people is one of the best parts of being human, so why shouldn’t we do it all the time, right?
Exercise is something I love doing as well. My favorite ways to exercise are: surfing, mixed martial arts, hiking, yoga, and weightlifting. While exercise is great for the body, I mainly use it to clear my mind. Living in LA can be stressful at times, and if I don’t have an outlet for that stress, it is easy for me to get overwhelmed. That’s why I always try to get at least an hour of some form of exercise in each day.
Finally, traveling is one of my favorite things to do. The thing I love most about traveling is meeting new people and fully immersing myself in a novel culture. I end up coming back home with a greater appreciation for other people and their unique cultures (and a bunch of cool photos).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.michaelhhooper.com
- Instagram: @mhhoop
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12810013/?ref_=fn_al_nm_2
