Not many can say they chose their career at the age of six…but Santa Clarita resident and actor Andrew Bowen did. In fact, it only took one performance and he was hooked. “I saw the movie Grease and that was it. I was going to do that when I grew up.”
With fully supportive parents, talent and a love for the craft, Andrew was headed for success and never looked back. “Hard work and persistence plays a big part.”
Being charming, smart and able to make you smile with very little effort doesn’t hurt either.
Having grown up in Vermont, Andrew was active with local productions but it wasn’t until his freshman year when his grandmother’s home in New Jersey was chosen as a film location for a commercial that Andrew landed an agent. “A crew picked her house to shoot a commercial at and my dad went up to the director and asked him to point me in the right direction to find an agent.” Andrew landed one in New York and began making the commute to the Big Apple several times a year for auditions. Throughout high school Andrew became the “Callback Kid” but it wasn’t until the summer after graduation that he landed his first role, as George Stark in the comedy What About Bob? Unfortunately, his role ended up on the cutting room floor but Andrew was determined to make it as an actor and moved to Los Angeles at 19 to keep after his dream. It wasn’t long until he began to work again booking commercials and television gigs. “I just didn’t have any inkling that I could fail,” states Andrew. “And giving up wasn’t an option, so I just stayed focused. I loved acting and that is what I was going to do for the rest of my life.”
Andrew’s big break came in 1995 when he was cast as the lead in Capcom’s live action interactive video game Fox Hunt playing Jack Fremont. His wildly funny performance led to the project being turned into a feature film and developed as a television series, landing Andrew a deal with Warner Brothers Television. Shortly after, Andrew joined the cast of the 5th season of Fox’s Mad TV, where his uncanny impersonations (his Keanu Reeves is still regarded as one of the industry’s best) and ability to shift easily from comedy to drama set the stage for a career that has kept Andrew busy and steadily working ever since. “A healthy dose of humility and good luck also doesn’t hurt.”
Aside from the hundreds of commercials he has appeared in and working with talents like James Mangold, Lasse Hallstrom and Jason Reitman, some of Andrew’s credits include recurring roles on Magic City, Reno 911!, ER, appearances on Criminal Minds, Leverage and as Josh Birk / Nyte Blayde in the popular Saint’s Row video game series.
Andrew can currently be seen opposite Uma Thurman in the Jameson First Shot film The Gift (produced by Kevin Spacey) which is already at nearly four million views on YouTube and as the lead in the award winning web-series The Division (whatisthedivision.com). You can also check Andrew out in the hysterical, NSFW sci-fi cult comedy, Rock Jocks which is streaming on Netflix.
What’s in store for the talented actor? “Grocery shopping,” Andrew states with a laugh. The actor does in fact have several projects coming out including roles in the upcoming feature films Tooken and Blood Shy. He will be seen on Nickelodeon’s new show Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn and will be announcing a major character he will be playing in the upcoming WB video game Mortal Combat X.
Advice for aspiring actors? “Just act, act, act! Even if you’re not booking gigs, get out there and do stuff: student films, shoot stuff with your friends, be in a play” Andrew gets more serious, “but more than anything live your life. So many actors are focused on the end game, becoming the star…but life is what happens along the way. Don’t be afraid to fall in love, get married, have kids. I never thought I’d be a dad at 26 but having kids and marrying my amazing wife was the best thing that ever happened to me. It will not only make your life better but your acting work so much richer. In the end, it isn’t going to matter what TV show or movie you starred in. What’s going to matter is who you loved.”
I think we can agree, actor or not, that’s good advice for all of us to follow.
For more information about Andrew Bowen, visit www.theandrewbowen.com, like his fan page on Facebook or follow him on twitter or Instagram @AndrewSBowen.