Today we’d like to introduce you to Colin A Borden.
Hi Colin A, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I got my start as an actor in 3rd grade when I followed my friend to an audition out in suburban Philly. I was a very shy, quiet kid but something sparked almost immediately and I knew that I had found my tribe — I loved the culture that embraced being weird and creative. I went all in and pursued acting as professionally as I could, attending the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts where I studied Miesner from one of his protégés, Mel Williams (notable alums include ?uestlove, Black Thought, and Leslie Odom Jr.). So from about eight to eighteen, there wasn’t a month that went by that I wasn’t in some class, play, commercial, or creating my own VHS shorts with friends. It was all-consuming!
When it came time for college, looking for a change of pace, I switched gears a bit and pursued motion picture production out in Santa Fe, NM. I moved to LA in 2007 with an eye to write and direct, but instead worked for several years on the soulless production side of the movies — I was on some big budget, exciting projects, and learned a heck of a lot, but the best part of my twenties was making my own shorts with friends and my now wife. We hit a lot of festivals, forged some incredible collaborations, won several awards, and had a real laugh along the way. But the needle on a professional directing career only limply jumped a few times, so, on the sound advice from my far more creative and intelligent wife Anna Ramey Borden, I got back into acting. I’ve been privileged now, in only a few short years back on the horse, to work all over the country in theater and film, and as a series regular on the hit web show, Dhar Mann.
I’ve continued to write and direct shorts, animation, and theatre, but the acting has turned into a proper career and really been just so much fun and creatively stimulating. My somewhat saccharine sentiment is, “Acting fills my heart, directing fills my soul.” I need both in my life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Well… nothing has ever really gone to plan, no… But, I’m still breathing and privileged to make believe for a living, so I also don’t want to say it’s ever been too painful, either. What’s worked best for me is to keep my creative juices energized and flowing despite professional setbacks, whether that’s writing, posting shorts and monologues online, or even just silly TikToks; if it’s a creative laugh, I’m in. During the pandemic, when show business — y’know, the one that relies almost entirely on live, human interaction — took a nosedive, I knuckled down and churned out a full-length musical, directed several digital plays that really eschewed the stock social distance zoom model, and released my film, Scary Finger, which screened all over the world and won a handful of awards. It was a pretty good time, all things considered!
All along the way, I’ve had friends and collaborators who have believed in me and offered their time, talent, and advice when needed — that sort of thing is invaluable and keeps the proper struggling to a minimum.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In my heart, I’m just an entertainer; it manifests itself in lots of ways, but at the end of the day, I’m just looking to bring a little joy to people’s lives. Setting my intention on finding that joy in my own work has really opened up the possibilities, too. I’ve been able to play a great variety of roles these days from good guys to bad guys, mechanics to millionaires; fathers, lawyers, detectives, a Klingon — I even got all done up in proper prosthetics once to play an octogenarian!
My wife and I are right now working on a pilot package for a kids’ podcast. We have two little guys of our own and saw a hole in the market for a silly morning program for kids — what if you could turn on our podcast and more-or-less walk away while we got your kids up and ready from snooze to shoes? I’d buy it.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
As I said earlier, I was a shy kid and that hasn’t really left me, but I did recently discover a fun trick for networking at a party — compliment their clothes. I’ll walk up to the Stranger that Seems Like a Good Conversation and throw out a, “I gotta say, I’m digging those shoes,” and it just opens everything up. Most folks will spin a yarn about a great sale or sewing something up themselves, but even a humble thank you is sufficient enough to break the ice and start a genuine human connection. People are great; you can learn something from anybody if you just listen.
Contact Info:
- Website: colinaborden.com
- Instagram: @colinaborden
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/colinaborden
Image Credits
Main: James Thomas Gilbert
