Volume 3, Issue 13 |
| Ser'Darius Blain |
Acting is a tough profession that requires a lot of patience, hardwork and tough skin. One must
have a great deal of resolve to fight through all of the rejection that actors go through on a regular
basis; something Ser’Darius Blain knows all too well.
Here, the medical student turned thespian shares his journey through the ups and downs of the
movie business, and how he’s learning to enjoy the ride.
IAE: Please tell us where you’re from and what influenced you to pursue a career in acting?
SB: I’m originally from Miami. My mom was a drama teacher at my middle school and I was always doing
these writing competitions, because that’s where my heart was. Once, I helped my mom rewrite a play and
when casting started, she urged me to audition. I wound up getting an understudy part and when the lead guy
ended up getting sick, I had to step into his role for all the rest of the shows. I was petrified and literally shaking
before I got on stage. [laughs] Then I stepped on stage and all of those nerves just disappeared. I felt like I
was in my element. But I still hadn’t made a decision to really be an actor. I did community theatre throughout
high school, but in the back of my mind I thought, “This isn’t something I could support myself on.” I did,
however, want to be a cardiologist, so I majored in Biology my first two years in college. My girlfriend, at
the time, was big into acting so I went ahead and took her to this acting competition in Florida. While I was
sitting in the lobby waiting for her to finish, the lady who was registering people said that I should register for it.
I was like, “Nah, I’m good!” Finally, they convinced me to audition and I was one of the 90 people who got
picked out of 1,100 people. Since then I’ve been blessed to be riding this wave I’m on.
IAE: What was your first professional acting gig and how did you get that opportunity?
SB: My first professional gig was a short film called, TRUTH ABOUT LIES. That was pretty much what got
the ball rolling for me. Then I booked a commercial for KODAK, as well as one for CREST (toothpaste). I pretty
much started out in commercials and modeling, but FOOTLOOSE was the first “major” film gig.
IAE: Talk about your role in FOOTLOOSE?
SB: I’m still trying to digest that this is even real. [laughs] I play the role of “Woody.” He’s the captain of
the football team. He’s the level headed, mature one of the group. I’m close friends of Ren (Kenny Wormald)
and Willard (Miles Teller), and we all come together to help Ren overturn this ban on dancing. I’m there as the
protector because I’m bigger than they are. It’s awesome because I get to showcase a little dancing as well.
IAE: The movie has done really well at the box office ($45 Million by the time this article was
published). What was it like on the set?
SB: The fact that it’s doing really well at the box office is a relief, but not a surprise. The original did well
with young people in the 80s so, I was confident the same could happen this time around. There were a lot of
naysayers who didn’t think it would do well, but they failed to realize that a lot of people in my generation never
got to see the original.
But, to answer your question, the process of on-set was amazing; we really had a great cast. This was the
most cohesive, drama free group that I’ve ever worked with. It was awesome to see all these people come
together with no egos and put something together that’s so amazing. It was great working with veterans like
Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell as well.
IAE: What advice to other actors who are struggling trying to make it into the business?
SB: Preparation and perseverance all the way. There’s this saying that, “success is when opportunity
meets preparation.” You can’t expect to have an opportunity if you’re not prepared to take it there. I’m the type
of person that, if you give me an inch I’ll stretch it to a mile. You have to be willing to step out there and push to
new heights. Back when I was in school, one of my former acting teachers asked me what I did before I came to
acting school, and I told him that I went to medical school. He told me that I should probably go do medicine
because acting wasn’t for me. [laughs] I asked him how I could get better and he said it would take a lot of
work, and that I couldn’t afford his rate. But I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t back down from a challenge.
Don’t tell me that I can’t do something, because it only motivates me to go do it even more. Ironically, I went
back as a guest speaker at the school where he’s on the board, but I was very gracious to him. Don’t ever
allow anyone to tell you that you can’t do something, because they’re usually only speaking out of their own
personal limitations.
IAE: What’s next for you?
SB: I just wrapped the first 10 episodes of an ABC Family series called JANE BY DESIGN, which will air in
January 2012. Hopefully it does well and we can finish shooting the other 12 episodes. I also recently finished
a short film that I wrote with a few friends, which will be my first production credit. So I’m excited about that.
I’m also working on a lot of music right now. I have plans to release a single soon.
IAE: What area of the film industry would you like to see more improvement in as it relates to
what you do as an actor/ producer?
SB: To be completely honest with you, casting and writing. We need to see more people of color written
into scripts and being cast because it would be a realistic reflection of what we see in the world we live in. I
think there are a lot of really talented actors who happen to be African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Middle
Eastern actors who just don’t get the opportunities they deserve. I think it’s a shame that we have come so far
in American and still haven’t torn down some of those negative stereotypes about different racial groups. So, I’d
like to see the casting and writing reflect more diversity.
have a great deal of resolve to fight through all of the rejection that actors go through on a regular
basis; something Ser’Darius Blain knows all too well.
Here, the medical student turned thespian shares his journey through the ups and downs of the
movie business, and how he’s learning to enjoy the ride.
IAE: Please tell us where you’re from and what influenced you to pursue a career in acting?
SB: I’m originally from Miami. My mom was a drama teacher at my middle school and I was always doing
these writing competitions, because that’s where my heart was. Once, I helped my mom rewrite a play and
when casting started, she urged me to audition. I wound up getting an understudy part and when the lead guy
ended up getting sick, I had to step into his role for all the rest of the shows. I was petrified and literally shaking
before I got on stage. [laughs] Then I stepped on stage and all of those nerves just disappeared. I felt like I
was in my element. But I still hadn’t made a decision to really be an actor. I did community theatre throughout
high school, but in the back of my mind I thought, “This isn’t something I could support myself on.” I did,
however, want to be a cardiologist, so I majored in Biology my first two years in college. My girlfriend, at
the time, was big into acting so I went ahead and took her to this acting competition in Florida. While I was
sitting in the lobby waiting for her to finish, the lady who was registering people said that I should register for it.
I was like, “Nah, I’m good!” Finally, they convinced me to audition and I was one of the 90 people who got
picked out of 1,100 people. Since then I’ve been blessed to be riding this wave I’m on.
IAE: What was your first professional acting gig and how did you get that opportunity?
SB: My first professional gig was a short film called, TRUTH ABOUT LIES. That was pretty much what got
the ball rolling for me. Then I booked a commercial for KODAK, as well as one for CREST (toothpaste). I pretty
much started out in commercials and modeling, but FOOTLOOSE was the first “major” film gig.
IAE: Talk about your role in FOOTLOOSE?
SB: I’m still trying to digest that this is even real. [laughs] I play the role of “Woody.” He’s the captain of
the football team. He’s the level headed, mature one of the group. I’m close friends of Ren (Kenny Wormald)
and Willard (Miles Teller), and we all come together to help Ren overturn this ban on dancing. I’m there as the
protector because I’m bigger than they are. It’s awesome because I get to showcase a little dancing as well.
IAE: The movie has done really well at the box office ($45 Million by the time this article was
published). What was it like on the set?
SB: The fact that it’s doing really well at the box office is a relief, but not a surprise. The original did well
with young people in the 80s so, I was confident the same could happen this time around. There were a lot of
naysayers who didn’t think it would do well, but they failed to realize that a lot of people in my generation never
got to see the original.
But, to answer your question, the process of on-set was amazing; we really had a great cast. This was the
most cohesive, drama free group that I’ve ever worked with. It was awesome to see all these people come
together with no egos and put something together that’s so amazing. It was great working with veterans like
Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell as well.
IAE: What advice to other actors who are struggling trying to make it into the business?
SB: Preparation and perseverance all the way. There’s this saying that, “success is when opportunity
meets preparation.” You can’t expect to have an opportunity if you’re not prepared to take it there. I’m the type
of person that, if you give me an inch I’ll stretch it to a mile. You have to be willing to step out there and push to
new heights. Back when I was in school, one of my former acting teachers asked me what I did before I came to
acting school, and I told him that I went to medical school. He told me that I should probably go do medicine
because acting wasn’t for me. [laughs] I asked him how I could get better and he said it would take a lot of
work, and that I couldn’t afford his rate. But I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t back down from a challenge.
Don’t tell me that I can’t do something, because it only motivates me to go do it even more. Ironically, I went
back as a guest speaker at the school where he’s on the board, but I was very gracious to him. Don’t ever
allow anyone to tell you that you can’t do something, because they’re usually only speaking out of their own
personal limitations.
IAE: What’s next for you?
SB: I just wrapped the first 10 episodes of an ABC Family series called JANE BY DESIGN, which will air in
January 2012. Hopefully it does well and we can finish shooting the other 12 episodes. I also recently finished
a short film that I wrote with a few friends, which will be my first production credit. So I’m excited about that.
I’m also working on a lot of music right now. I have plans to release a single soon.
IAE: What area of the film industry would you like to see more improvement in as it relates to
what you do as an actor/ producer?
SB: To be completely honest with you, casting and writing. We need to see more people of color written
into scripts and being cast because it would be a realistic reflection of what we see in the world we live in. I
think there are a lot of really talented actors who happen to be African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Middle
Eastern actors who just don’t get the opportunities they deserve. I think it’s a shame that we have come so far
in American and still haven’t torn down some of those negative stereotypes about different racial groups. So, I’d
like to see the casting and writing reflect more diversity.
| Ser'Darius Blain - Actor from Footloose |
Copyright © 2009-2011 I Am Entertainment Magazine, a publication of NFluential Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
| IAE is published by |
| About us |
| I Am Entertainment Magazine |
| Advertising |
| Connect with us |
| Contact us |
| FOLLOW US: |
