Mimi Michaels

By Courtney in Actors and Actresses on May 20, 2009

An Actress Who Also Loves Writing a Little Poetry

Mimi Michaels has been a professional actress since age four. She received a formal performing arts education and has been working on her craft ever since. Her resume includes impressive stints on 'Saturday Night Live,' 'Law & Order, 'Six Feet Under' and 'All My Children.' Mimi recently took the time to answer some questions for us which can be found below.

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When did you first begin acting professionally and why?

Well, I started with commercials and modeling when I was pretty young, I was about four years old. I just remember watching T.V. and telling my mom that that was something I just had to do. Performing was there, in my blood, and I just had to get out and do it. So, I started doing that and then as I got older, I got more into television with co-stars and guest stars. Then, I went to a performing arts high school where I really just honed in on my skills as an actress.

How old were you when you started?

Well, with the commercials, I was about four years old. Then in my teens, is when I really started to do proper acting.

You were offered a seat at world renowned S.U.N.Y.Conservatory, but instead decided to go straight to LA to pursue your acting, do you regret this decision or have things turned out how you hoped?

You know, I’m a person that just doesn’t regret. You make decisions in your life and you have to stand by them and make the best of anything...(couldn’t hear part of this)…probably I would have learned a lot of things but I found moving out to L.A. and just jumping into the work was an education by itself. I learned so much just pursuing it and working. Now, I don’t regret it. I’m very happy with the decision I made, moving right out to L.A. after high school.

What is your most memorable acting moment?

Wow, that’s a tough one because I have so many…but when I was in the performing arts high school, I did a performance of Desdemona in ‘Othello’ and obviously it was the more amateurish stuff, but it really stands out in my mind as just a moment of clarity…that acting was the only thing I could do with my life and just when I was so immersed in the character and after we finished, I had this sort of ‘out of body’ experience, and it was the coolest feeling. I knew that I just had to do this. So, I think that was a moment of just pure joy for me.

What actor and/or actress is most inspiring to you? Why?

I guess, and this may be cliché, but Meryl Streep is so inspirational to me just because she can do anything! The woman is so versatile, she’ll do comedy, she’ll do drama, she’ll play quirky characters and she’ll play very severe, strong characters. Every role that she plays, she plays it to perfection. I aspire to do that with my work, to play all sorts of roles and really play them with the detail and the nuances that she does.

If you could star in a remake of any film, which film would it be and which role would you want to play?

I think I would love to be in a remake of ‘The Fountainhead’ and play Dominique just because Ayn Rand is one of my favorite writers and I love the story. So, I think they should definitely make another version of the film and I should be in it (laughs).

You worked with such big actors as James Woods, Daryl Hannah, and Mandy Patinkin. What were those experiences like? Did you learn anything about acting from them?

…just wonderful. I’ve watched their work since I was a kid and to be able to actually work with them, was just amazing. They were all just class acts, such nice people and wonderful actors. I remember when I did "Shark" with James Woods, he just gave me so much to work with that you just couldn’t fail in a way because he’s such a generous actor that it lifts your performance. The same with Mandy and with Daryl Hannah…they’re just very giving actors and it’s so important to have that in the work environment as an actor.

You've appeared on television shows such as "Law and Order" and even "Saturday Night Live". What television shows would you like to appear on? Why?

Hmm…one of my new favorites is ‘True Blood’ on HBO and I had a great opportunity to work on the other T.V. show Alan Ball did which was ‘Six Feet Under.’ I’m just such a fan of his writing and his concepts for stories. ‘True Blood’ is very cool and it’s a whole new spin on vampires and I would love to do something on that show! It’s very dark but funny. It has many layers to it. I think I’d love to show up there someday.

Did you learn anything about acting from them?

Just watching them I learned so many things. Yes, I learned a whole lot watching them, just the way they prepare and to completely immerse themselves in the characters. That was just a learning experience to watch the way they approach their characters.

Can you tell us about your experience on "Six Feet Under?"

That was also such a memorable and exciting moment in my career just because I was such a lover of that show. When I auditioned for it and booked it, I was just on Cloud 9, to be able to work on such a quality show with such quality actors and writing…Alan Ball is just such a genius. I mean, "American Beauty" is one of my favorite films…and it was a great role. I got to play a very dark, twisted teenager and my character had a conversation with Brenda, which was played by Rachel Griffiths, and it was just very cool. She’s a great actress.

How do you prepare yourself before going into an audition?

…before going into an audition, I try to focus, just sort of blur out anything around me and focus on the work that I’ve done prior to the audition. Forget Mimi and just become whatever character it is I am. So, when I walk in that door, I am that person right from the get-go.

Do you think you would of had a different childhood if you hadn't started modeling/acting at such a young age? Do you have any regrets?

I guess it’s inevitable that I would have, but I had such a full childhood. I have so many great memories as a kid, jumping around in Manhattan, going to all of these different auditions and meeting all of these people and it was just so rich. I had the most wonderful mom that would just so supportive and made it like an adventure, everyday. It made me who I am today and it’s really contributed to my character. I had done work on ‘Saturday Night Live’ when I was a kid and those were just the greatest experiences of my life. That crew was just laughter non-stop…it was the days of Mike Myers and Adam Sandler. So, whenever they needed a little girl, I would show up and they’d throw me in different skits and the smile was plastered on my face. It was such an amazing time.

You are a gifted singer and dancer, why did you decide to pursue acting instead of one of those talents?

Acting is really the foremost…that’s really where my heart is 100%, completely. I love singing and dancing, don’t get me wrong, but it’s sort of like, acting is like a limb for me! I need it, like an arm (laughs). It’s my oxygen. Dancing and singing, I continue to do that and hopefully, one of these days, I can conquer all three at the same time, but I guess I need to do acting. It’s everything to me…but the singing and dancing are also passions of mine for sure.

Would you ever want to participate in a musical?

I would love to! I would love to do a musical on film but more specifically, I would love to go back to New York and do any type of theatre. That’s where I got my training when I went to performing arts high school, when I got to stage performances, a bunch of musical theatre. So, I would love to do that in the future.

Any Broadway aspirations?

Yeah, I would love to go in that direction eventually…bring me back to New York and my roots.

Your brother Fred is also in the entertainment industry - does it help to have a family member who understands the inner workings of this field?

Completely, yeah, I can really talk to him about it and he gets it. We dialogue about the industry all the time and it’s interesting to hear what he has to say because he’s in it, in a different way. He works for a film production company and I love getting that vantage point from him, hearing his side and how they tackle things. He’s also a writer as well, so I’m hoping one of these days, he’ll write some part for me and we’ll actually get to work together. He’s very, very smart and creative and I would love to work with him on any of his projects.

Do you have an interest in writing as well?

I do, I love writing. I sort of put it on the backburner, but I’ve been talking to a friend of mine, another actress, and we’re thinking about collaborating, possibly writing a two woman show so we’ll see. I do try to write, I write lots of poetry but eventually, I think I’ll start writing more.

Have you ever explored the idea of having your poetry published?

I have thought about it. I definitely have a nice little repertoire of it…yeah, I’ll see…it’s definitely something I’ll think about a little bit more.

If you could be any famous person for a day whom would you be and why?

Wow…I guess I’m not really going to go in my field. I don’t know why he popped in my mind but Richard Dawkins, the writer. I would love to possibly be him just to get an insight into his mind. He’s so brilliant and I’d love to be able to think that way. It’s amazing to me, the tech mind he has.

If you weren't an actress, singer, and model, what career path would you have chosen?

That’s funny, I thought about that and it’s tough to figure out what I would have been because I feel like there’s nothing else I could have done, but I think somehow, I would have wanted to be in the arts. I just gravitate towards it, but there are a whole lot of professions that I find so fascinating and interesting even just in medicine and anatomy, learning all of the intricate details of what goes on inside your body…so maybe some type of scientist or doctor, that’s pretty broad (laughs), but it’s complicated stuff. Maybe I’ll get to play one, then I can do my research.

What do you enjoy doing in your downtime?

I love to read, love reading. I bike around L.A. as much I can, I know you have to drive but I love keeping active and being in nature, going for hikes…I have a dog so we go hiking a bunch. I love taking classes. I go over to USC when I have time to take different classes in Literature and other types of classes. So, I try to keep busy with other hobbies.

Are you able to partake in this activity(ies) often?

It’s tough as far as school goes because it’s a juggling act…getting to school and then with work, but as much as I can, I really try. I am able to read and get my recreational activities in there throughout the day.

Are you in school?

It’s off and on. Right now, it’s an ‘off’ because I’ve been working.

What’s your major?

I’m an English major.

What advice can you give to aspiring actors?

I think there’s a Calvin Coolidge quote that it really hits the whole point, it’s about persistence…and even people that aren’t as talented, when they’re persistent, they get places. So, if you have the passion and the dream to be an actor or an actress, you really have to just push on and stick with it because it doesn’t happen overnight. You have to put in your hours and keeping getting yourself out there and hopefully, eventually it works out…but it won’t if you don’t put that time in and stick with it. I think that’s the advice I would give to aspiring actors. It doesn’t matter what age you are, if you find the passion, you just pursue it with all your might.

Basically, it’s a lot of work and it doesn’t happen overnight.

No, definitely not. I mean yes, there are definitely the "outliers" that it does happen for but most of the time, I’d say 95% of the time, you struggle with it and you have to pay your dues and then hopefully it does work out in the end.