Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Karas.
Peter, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Well, it started with a feeling I would get every time I enjoyed a movie; it’s like something inside of me would light up after I left a theater truly entertained. I’ll never forget the first movie I ever saw. My uncle and mom took me to see Junior, an Arnold Schwarzenegger film in which his character becomes…pregnant. I can’t say this movie inspired me to be an actor but it was my first recollection of really finding joy in the theater experience; I’ll never forget it.
As I grew older, my love for film and the idea that I could bring these stories to life through acting only grew more wildly in my head. However, I was frightened to pursue these dreams. What would my family think? Am I actually good enough? How could I possibly do this? Through High School, I was met with affirmation through my peers that I could be an actor, but still, I was too afraid to make the move.
In the summer after I graduated High School, I found myself lost and with no direction. I thought I wanted to be in International business, but I just wasn’t happy. That’s when something happened; a small yet loud sign that would shift my intended course. As I strolled onto campus to sign up for classes for the year, I saw it in bold lettering, “New classes available: Intro to Acting 101.” The kind of excitement and passion I had been looking for sparked up in me just then. So I made a decision; I would test out the class while taking my pre-requisites to be a nurse. That was essentially the only thing I could see myself doing if I wasn’t acting.
My first big assignment was to do an extensive monologue from a play. I was a ball of nerves as I stood in front of my peers and professor, all eyes on me, awaiting their response as my performance came to an end. Sounds awful, right? When it was over, and I was met with applause and praise, I was encompassed with a sensation unlike anything I had ever felt. I grinned wide from ear to ear, knowing that this was it. Without doubt, this was the path I needed to pursue.
I spent a great deal of time building my resume in Houston for several years in preparation for my move to LA. At the same time I was going to go to the University of Texas – Austin for their Nursing program. I’m sure you can imagine how elated my entire traditional Middle-Eastern family was when I told them I was abandoning a secure degree in nursing to pursue a career in acting with only my gumption and determination to succeed. I’m not sure how well sarcasm is received in writing, but despite what my family thought was best for me, I knew this was a risk I had taken.
My first two years in LA were nothing less than difficult. Although I found myself in a slew of constant rejection, I refused to be defeated; each let-down was a lesson learned. I went through different agents, managers, and went to every workshop in the books. In June 2016 I booked my first TV credit; it was History Channel’s SIX. They flew me out to North Carolina to start shooting on my first show. I was thrilled to be working with the great Walton Goggins and to learn as much as I could. I quietly observed and wanted to take away as much as I could since you never know where you’re next job is going to come from.
A couple months later, I booked a recurring arc on the new spinoff of 24 called 24:Legacy working with Corey Hawkins. This was also the show were I met dear friends Laith Nakli and Zeeko Zaki whom I had previously worked with on SIX. The very next month I booked my next project and it was my first studio film. I worked on 12 Strong and I got to work with producing extraordinaire Jerry Bruckheimer as well as a star-studded cast including Chris Hemsworth, Michael Pena, Michael Shannon, Trevante Rhodes, and Navid Negahban.
Funny enough this was the second project I worked on with Laith Nakli within two months. It was the most incredible experience getting to work closely with Michael Pena and soaking up his knowledge of the industry to help further my career. He’s the most genuine person out there and I can’t say enough great things about the guy.
A month after I wrapped, I came across a role that forever changed my life; I had joined the cast of The Long Road Home based on Marth Raddatz’s acclaimed New York Times bestselling book. It was for National Geographic and was, by far, the biggest role I’ve ever had. Playing Essam opened a wide range of opportunities I never thought possible and the experience alone changed everything. Above all else, the people I met truly inspired me.
I had the privilege to meet the 1st Cavalry unit that was involved in Black Sunday, a battle that was in Sadr City, Iraq on April 4, 2004. My eyes were opened to how these men go through so much to protect us, and all the sacrifices that they make to ensure just that.
I would be amiss to not bring praise to our fearless leader, executive producer, writer, showrunner, and our friend Mikko Alanne. I have never seen someone have complete control of a set and make it the most welcoming, safe space imaginable. Any actor would be lucky to work with him as well as any of my other co-stars. It’s lead by EJ Bonilla, Michael Kelly, Kate Bosworth, Jason Ritter, and Jeremy Sisto. This is also the third time I got to work with Laith Nakli who played my father on the show – He’s clearly my good luck charm.
Which brings me to present day, completely excited for what’s next. As an incredible person once told me, appreciate the journey because the future is bright and I’m excited to share it with the world.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Definitely not. If an actor says it’s been smooth then they found Wonka’s golden ticket because that just doesn’t really happen. Actors usually have a desire to make it to Los Angeles/New York to pursue their dream. I decided to wait and try to build from where I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Movies and TV shows would be rare in Texas so any times I had an audition I would have to drive either three hours to Austin or six hours to New Orleans where all the opportunities were. Luckily I had a great acting coach by the name of Deke Anderson who helped me develop into a professional down there and I started building my resume quickly.
I prepared to make my move to Los Angeles shortly after booking my first gig in New Orleans. I had reached out to agencies and one decided to give me a chance. After a month went by I hadn’t heard a peep so I went ahead and called my agent asking what I could do to help facilitate some auditions. Turns out my agent got fired and never told me. With a heavy heart, I was back to square one. I went months just blindly submitting to agencies hoping someone would give me a chance.
After I did a workshop in the fall, I was lucky enough to sign to my first real agency where I vigorously went out for any audition I could. Unfortunately, being a Middle-Eastern actor without a lot of big credits only gets you certain amount of auditions; terrorists, cab drivers, angry Middle-Eastern #1 to name a few. Eventually I started to get on a hot streak and turned it into momentum, which has gotten me to where I am today.
Now trust me when I say there were countless lonely days and nights in between all these moments. I came from a Middle-Eastern family that expected I would become a Doctor, Engineer, Lawyer, or Dentist. Deciding to be an actor didn’t go over so easily. I barely had any support and my family thought I was making a grave mistake. Luckily I had some amazing cousins who believed in me and at the end of the day I believed in myself which was all that mattered. It’s an incredibly hard and frustrating industry to be in but the reward is definitely worth it.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
A very long list of people deserve credit. This journey is a long one and it really is a team effort to get to where you want to be. First I have to thank all my acting coaches because I learned such valuable wisdom and insight into the industry. It started with Ellen Ketchum who introduced me to acting in my very first class. She gave me courage to actually take the big leap in to the entertainment industry. Next was Deke Anderson who taught me the fundamentals to booking jobs and how to conduct oneself professionally. I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t learn the do’s and don’ts from him. Lastly when it comes to coaches is the unbelievable Eden Bernardy. I can’t tell you how I was shook to my core when I first met her. Within ten minutes she read me like an open book. After class she had told me all my insecurities, my strengths, my weaknesses; it was as if she had known me for years. She told me I was enough and that I need to stop worrying and appreciate the journey.
I walked out of that class and didn’t say a word to anyone for the rest of that night. I’ve never had a crazy therapy session like that and I realized at that point I had something so remarkably special in front of me. I was ecstatic to keep training with her and she challenged me like no one ever had. Eden was such a motherly figure to her students and we all loved and cherished her deeply. Unfortunately, she had been battling cancer for a very long time. A day came when her wisdom, lessons and kindness were all that resonated in this world. I still think about her all the time. I have this memento I got from her funeral that I always take with me to every audition and every shoot. She’s my guardian angel and I know she’s looking down from heaven saying, “Well done, you”.
A very big MVP goes to my cousin George who believed in me from the start and honestly without him I probably would have never made it to Los Angeles. He helped and supported me in so many ways and I will be forever grateful for that. I’m also indebted to some great actors that helped me along the way whom I consider to be brothers. Scott Deckert, who was actually my roommate, is such a positive influence in helping me with more auditions then you can imagine. We constantly challenged each other and I’m thrilled that he is crushing it right now with projects like Venom, The Walking Dead, and Workaholics to name a few. The other is Brandon Alan Makovy who also helped me get to LA. He pushed me to reach my full potential. Funny enough, these two were the ones who taught me how to cook which is pretty important when you don’t have a mom living in the same city as you.
Lastly, to the ones who present me with all these opportunities; my agents and manager. Too many to list but they are the ones who believe in me and go out to fight for me day in and day out. I have such a love for all of them and I could never forget what every single one of them has done for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.petermalek.com
- Instagram: @peterkaras23
- Twitter: @peterkaras23
- Other: IMDB: imdb.me/peterkaras
Image Credit:
Nat Geo, Warner Brothers, Dana Patrick, Claire Leahy, Fox and Julie Antoun – Sweet September Blog
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