“Work hard. Handle business. Control what you can control. Everything else will fall in place.” - Edward Martin

I can’t tell you how many times I heard that quote growing up in “The D”. Detroit is known for its blue-collar, boot-strap mentality and my late grandfather, Edward Martin (AKA “Pops”) embodied that, working for Ford Motor Company for 52 years. It was he, and my grandmother (96 years young), that taught me the value of hard work and relying on my faith to go after what I want in life. My family motivates me. They are the foundation of my “why”.

As a Michigan State University broadcast journalism alumnus (GO GREEN), I took to storytelling a long time ago. Storytelling is what allows a peek into the human experience of others who may not have the same beliefs, values, and background as ourselves. Storytelling is a cure for ignorance, breeding sympathy if openness is allowed in one’s consciousness. This is why I love and took to acting.

I’ve always been curious about the human experience of others not named “Al”. As a kid, my parents always remarked about how observant I was, always wanting to learn more about the world around me. As an actor, I love to immerse myself in the characters I portray. How do they live? What inside their background has motivated the choices they make? Why do they walk the way they walk? What makes them angry? Sad? Happy? I mean, sure, every actor does this kind of research, but I’m borderline obsessive about it and you’ll see that in my artistic work. The process is THE passion for me.

My characters are those who may fall, but get up and inspire. They will themselves to the finish line, no matter how hard the losses along the way may hurt. And losses; are they really losses? Some losses are out of our grasp. I believe every experience is a lesson and I strive to play characters who teach us all about that very point. Control what you can control. Hey, that sounds familiar…Thanks, “Pops”.