Actor Rokki James interview with Copa Style Magazine
1. Share with us your background.
I was born in Bönnigheim Germany. My father managed a movie theater. He tells me all the time that he used to keep me in the projector room for company and that triggered my bug for acting; I think he’s right. We moved to the United States when I was five, and I grew up in Florida. Because of technology, my father left as a project man and became a commercial house painter. Growing up I was an athlete. I played soccer, lifted weights and my favorite sport was boxing.
2. Has acting always been in your blood?
Yes, ever since I was a little kid I knew I was going to be an Actor. It started to show in High School. I was really good at impersonations. I’d impersonate people on TV, teachers, and my relatives.
3. When did you get your first break?
My first big break was in 2010 landing the lead role in the feature film “The Killing of a Japanese Bookie.” It was a remake of John Cassavetes’s “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie” starring Ben Gazzara and Donna Gordon. The film is about a strip club Cabaret Owner who gets in a gambling debt with the mob. His club isn’t making enough money to pay off his debt so the mob sends him on this crazy hit to kill a Japanese Bookie. The LA Film crew came to Florida to shoot the movie. It was a 30-day shoot, two weeks in Miami and two weeks in Tampa. They also brought back one of the original lead Actresses Donna Gordon. This time she was the mother of the showgirl that worked for me in the cabaret lounge. Donna Gordon was an amazing lady really funny and shared many stories about John Cassavetes between filming. We had many laughs and this movie was a blast and opened up a lot of doors for me especially with the Casting Director Marty Marrero.
4. Finish this sentence- Acting is like…
"Acting is like an escape, breathing, listening and reacting with the use of all your human behavior senses at the best level.”
5. What is your mantra?
The ocean, the stars sunrise, and sunsets.
6. Who inspires you?
I’m inspired by my father. He is my number one hero and I would do anything for him. With the entertainment world, I’m inspired by the classic Actors Humphrey Bogart, Paul Newman, Steve Mcqueen and of course Brando. They all share one thing that goes beyond acting and it’s called, “class.”
7. Tell us about “The Full Monty.”
I’ve been in a lot of plays over a dozen so far, but for the longest time, I’ve always had a thing for the Full Monty. I loved the movie. When I found out they were going to do the play I couldn’t wait to audition. I was cast as Teddy Slaughter he was the jerk boyfriend. I also did a couple of filler characters in the play. One was a Chippendale dancer. I had to get in really good shape and this helped out a lot in my next audition. I cast as Rocky in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show."
8. What interested you about “The Rocky Horror Picture?”
I was always a fan. What’s not to like about Rocky Horror? It’s one of the greatest movies and musicals of all time. For an Actor, you experience so many challenging levels from singing, dancing, makeup,and wardrobe. The show that I did in Lakeland, FL is one of the biggest Rocky Horror's in the country with 1,400 people in attendance.
9. What is unique about your acting?
My research that goes into finding and creating a living soul in every character I get cast in.
10. What challenges do you see in the theatre that aren’t found in film?
Relationships and teamwork with your fellow Actors are much stronger in a play than a film. You spend so much time rehearsing. The biggest challenge is making every rehearsal which is months and months of commitment on your Actor calendar. Whereas for a film there are no rehearsals usually your given dates you show up for filming. In most cases you work with that Actor for the very first time; it’s a whole other ball game. The challenges are extremely different but both are very rewarding. The reward in the play is the energy of performing live for your audience. In a film for me, the biggest reward is the moment you are doing it when the camera rolls. I enjoy that way more than a red carpet or watching it in the movie theater. It’s not a challenge really when the Director has to do many takes for his or her camera angles, I’m okay with it because I get to live that moment over and over again; it’s the part I enjoy.
11. What is your favorite Shakespeare play?
All of Shakespeare’s plays are unique, my favorite is Hamlet.
12. What is it about Shakespeare that moves you?
Everything about Shakespeare moves me. Shakespeare created stories specifically for the Actor because he was an Actor. He wrote these plays in a very special world where Actors are able to express themselves in every human emotion possible, it’s a complex language of poetry and sexual mystery revolving around a heartbeat speech that takes work to perfect and find but once you get there it will move you and your audience.
13. What are your most recent projects?
My most recent work in the film is “Crackbaby Billionaire, "Paying Mr. McGetty", "Oklahoma Sun" and ‘Polterheist" all of which are official selections at Burbank Film Festival and The Sunscreen Film Festival which is a popular festival supported by John Travolta. I’m also in pre-production on two new films family movies “The Woodworker and “Where The Land Meets the Sky”.
14. Do you consider yourself philosophical? Does this play into your acting?
I can be extremely philosophical with the right person it’s up to them if they get that out of me. With acting it’s the conversations written in the film or play using your eyes, listening, watching body movement; everything is only real or passed as real through emotions. You have to pay attention with your eyes and use all your senses. You see the dialogue might never change but your senses, actions tones are constantly changing and bouncing off the other Actor's behavior and it always going to be a little different.
15. What is the greatest misnomer of acting Shakespeare plays?
Dissecting the words, finding the right heartbeat and exploring old origins. Elizabethan Actors are the first Shakespeare Actors. Things didn’t change much from back then to the present time just a few words in spelling are altered a little bit so a 2019 audience can understand Shakespeare better.
16. Which character can you identify with the most?
I don’t identify with any character that I’ve done. The challenge is finding researching and creating new identities. A true Actor looks for characters that aren’t easy. Example if you're a Rapper in real life and your cast as a Rapper in a movie where is the challenge?
17. What is coming up for you in 2019?
For me, 2019 is all Shakespeare. I’m cast as “Thisby” in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Pistol” in “Henry lV,” and “Kent” in "King Lear.” I’m also about to perform Leontes “Winter’s Tale for The Actor’s Studio in NY which is part of the audition process to become a lifetime member. I will be traveling to London in 2019 to get further training at the Royal Shakespeare Company my focus is performing Hamlet.
18. What would people be surprised to know about you?
I volunteered my time to help homeless people, veterans and seniors at Serenity clubs. I’m also involved in the environmental movement by using paper straws instead of plastic to help stop the pollution of our oceans.
19. Why Hamlet?
For me and I’m sure many other Actors, Hamlet is the most intense script ever written and to perform it correctly would be the biggest challenge of my career.
20. Please provide social media links.
https://www.facebook.com/drew.r.james
https://www.instagram.com/rokkijames/
1. Share with us your background.
I was born in Bönnigheim Germany. My father managed a movie theater. He tells me all the time that he used to keep me in the projector room for company and that triggered my bug for acting; I think he’s right. We moved to the United States when I was five, and I grew up in Florida. Because of technology, my father left as a project man and became a commercial house painter. Growing up I was an athlete. I played soccer, lifted weights and my favorite sport was boxing.
2. Has acting always been in your blood?
Yes, ever since I was a little kid I knew I was going to be an Actor. It started to show in High School. I was really good at impersonations. I’d impersonate people on TV, teachers, and my relatives.
3. When did you get your first break?
My first big break was in 2010 landing the lead role in the feature film “The Killing of a Japanese Bookie.” It was a remake of John Cassavetes’s “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie” starring Ben Gazzara and Donna Gordon. The film is about a strip club Cabaret Owner who gets in a gambling debt with the mob. His club isn’t making enough money to pay off his debt so the mob sends him on this crazy hit to kill a Japanese Bookie. The LA Film crew came to Florida to shoot the movie. It was a 30-day shoot, two weeks in Miami and two weeks in Tampa. They also brought back one of the original lead Actresses Donna Gordon. This time she was the mother of the showgirl that worked for me in the cabaret lounge. Donna Gordon was an amazing lady really funny and shared many stories about John Cassavetes between filming. We had many laughs and this movie was a blast and opened up a lot of doors for me especially with the Casting Director Marty Marrero.
4. Finish this sentence- Acting is like…
"Acting is like an escape, breathing, listening and reacting with the use of all your human behavior senses at the best level.”
5. What is your mantra?
The ocean, the stars sunrise, and sunsets.
6. Who inspires you?
I’m inspired by my father. He is my number one hero and I would do anything for him. With the entertainment world, I’m inspired by the classic Actors Humphrey Bogart, Paul Newman, Steve Mcqueen and of course Brando. They all share one thing that goes beyond acting and it’s called, “class.”
7. Tell us about “The Full Monty.”
I’ve been in a lot of plays over a dozen so far, but for the longest time, I’ve always had a thing for the Full Monty. I loved the movie. When I found out they were going to do the play I couldn’t wait to audition. I was cast as Teddy Slaughter he was the jerk boyfriend. I also did a couple of filler characters in the play. One was a Chippendale dancer. I had to get in really good shape and this helped out a lot in my next audition. I cast as Rocky in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show."
8. What interested you about “The Rocky Horror Picture?”
I was always a fan. What’s not to like about Rocky Horror? It’s one of the greatest movies and musicals of all time. For an Actor, you experience so many challenging levels from singing, dancing, makeup,and wardrobe. The show that I did in Lakeland, FL is one of the biggest Rocky Horror's in the country with 1,400 people in attendance.
9. What is unique about your acting?
My research that goes into finding and creating a living soul in every character I get cast in.
10. What challenges do you see in the theatre that aren’t found in film?
Relationships and teamwork with your fellow Actors are much stronger in a play than a film. You spend so much time rehearsing. The biggest challenge is making every rehearsal which is months and months of commitment on your Actor calendar. Whereas for a film there are no rehearsals usually your given dates you show up for filming. In most cases you work with that Actor for the very first time; it’s a whole other ball game. The challenges are extremely different but both are very rewarding. The reward in the play is the energy of performing live for your audience. In a film for me, the biggest reward is the moment you are doing it when the camera rolls. I enjoy that way more than a red carpet or watching it in the movie theater. It’s not a challenge really when the Director has to do many takes for his or her camera angles, I’m okay with it because I get to live that moment over and over again; it’s the part I enjoy.
11. What is your favorite Shakespeare play?
All of Shakespeare’s plays are unique, my favorite is Hamlet.
12. What is it about Shakespeare that moves you?
Everything about Shakespeare moves me. Shakespeare created stories specifically for the Actor because he was an Actor. He wrote these plays in a very special world where Actors are able to express themselves in every human emotion possible, it’s a complex language of poetry and sexual mystery revolving around a heartbeat speech that takes work to perfect and find but once you get there it will move you and your audience.
13. What are your most recent projects?
My most recent work in the film is “Crackbaby Billionaire, "Paying Mr. McGetty", "Oklahoma Sun" and ‘Polterheist" all of which are official selections at Burbank Film Festival and The Sunscreen Film Festival which is a popular festival supported by John Travolta. I’m also in pre-production on two new films family movies “The Woodworker and “Where The Land Meets the Sky”.
14. Do you consider yourself philosophical? Does this play into your acting?
I can be extremely philosophical with the right person it’s up to them if they get that out of me. With acting it’s the conversations written in the film or play using your eyes, listening, watching body movement; everything is only real or passed as real through emotions. You have to pay attention with your eyes and use all your senses. You see the dialogue might never change but your senses, actions tones are constantly changing and bouncing off the other Actor's behavior and it always going to be a little different.
15. What is the greatest misnomer of acting Shakespeare plays?
Dissecting the words, finding the right heartbeat and exploring old origins. Elizabethan Actors are the first Shakespeare Actors. Things didn’t change much from back then to the present time just a few words in spelling are altered a little bit so a 2019 audience can understand Shakespeare better.
16. Which character can you identify with the most?
I don’t identify with any character that I’ve done. The challenge is finding researching and creating new identities. A true Actor looks for characters that aren’t easy. Example if you're a Rapper in real life and your cast as a Rapper in a movie where is the challenge?
17. What is coming up for you in 2019?
For me, 2019 is all Shakespeare. I’m cast as “Thisby” in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Pistol” in “Henry lV,” and “Kent” in "King Lear.” I’m also about to perform Leontes “Winter’s Tale for The Actor’s Studio in NY which is part of the audition process to become a lifetime member. I will be traveling to London in 2019 to get further training at the Royal Shakespeare Company my focus is performing Hamlet.
18. What would people be surprised to know about you?
I volunteered my time to help homeless people, veterans and seniors at Serenity clubs. I’m also involved in the environmental movement by using paper straws instead of plastic to help stop the pollution of our oceans.
19. Why Hamlet?
For me and I’m sure many other Actors, Hamlet is the most intense script ever written and to perform it correctly would be the biggest challenge of my career.
20. Please provide social media links.
https://www.facebook.com/drew.r.james
https://www.instagram.com/rokkijames/