Our Town
by Joanne A. Calitri
Joanne is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: artraks@yahoo.com
Arts in Lockdown Series Part 6:
Michael DeVorzon, Actor and Writer
Is that different for music and art? The beauty of music and art is that they both bypass the conscious mind and speak directly to the subconscious mind, which is where our emotions live. This is why music and art communicate in such a powerful and meaningful way. Music does it primarily with audio but can often affect us more as an audio/visual experience. Art is a visual experience that gets to you almost immediately. I can’t imagine life without either one of them. During lockdown, is your work in films/ TV a plus or minus, for you? I was lucky to complete two movies before the lockdown occurred and both films happen to come out during the pandemic. It’s a very unusual time, one none of us has ever experienced. So many businesses, including entertainment, completely shut down so I focused on what I could, writing, the release of both movies, writing a song, and doing some deep inner work. As Eckhart Tolle said, “Whatever is could not be otherwise” so I try not to label it as good or bad, rather, just the way it is. Are you typecast as an actor? I think when you walk in a room, people tend to make assumptions in regard to casting. I used to resent it
Joanne Calitri, reporting from Zoom Hollywood, with actor/writer Michael DeVorzon
M
ichael DeVorzon grew up in Montecito, with a great family lineage in music, and carved his own way in film and TV. Still working actively during the lockdown, he is polished in defining the narrative of the hard work it takes to stay in the game, do it like a pro, and always with kindness. Michael’s versatility is evidenced by the wide range of genres he worked in, films Fast and Fierce: Death Race (May 2020), Her Deadly Groom (July 2020 on Lifetime), Any Day (2015), Submerged (2016) and Producer Sam (2013); and TV shows Charmed, Beverly Hills 90210, Passions, Son of a Beach, and Melrose Place. He is the 10 – 17 September 2020
son of Barry DeVorzon, a Grammywinning composer, and Jelinda, an honored philanthropist in our town and a former model. On and off set, he is open, kind, thoughtful, productive, and generous to others. Here’s our interview: Q. How does film/TV influence/change the human condition? A. Film and TV can entertain and inspire, but it also teaches us about life and allows us to connect to the human experience. It’s a great way to feel something through a character in a story. We also can experience different cultures and this big beautiful world that we all inhabit.
more when I was young but not so much now. I once had a meeting with a casting director and she looked at me and said, “You’re trouble!” and I laughed and said “Why do I have to be trouble?” I have been cast as some complicated characters and I’ve learned to embrace that. I also feel like I’ve grown as a person and that could influence the range of roles I can play. In my two recent films, I was cast as the action hero in one and, in the other, a likeable romantic lead who’s really a psychopathic killer! My mom didn’t like the idea of me playing a killer. She kept saying “You are too kind and sensitive.” But I couldn’t resist the part, it was a challenging role to take on and get into the mind of a mad man. With that said, I guess the lesson is don’t judge a book by its cover. Is there a healing way out of systemic racism for people? Systemic racism is in the DNA of our country and it’s going to take some time to bring about the change that is needed. It’s going to take the majority of us coming together with a common purpose to overcome those who will never change. When it’s time to vote this November, we can elect leaders who will dismantle
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Chef Dario Furlati serving pizza & authentic Northern Italian Cuisine in Montecito, Santa Barbara and Goleta
With gratitude to our community for its support. We wish you the happiest and healthiest of summers. Now open for lunch, dine-in dinner service and take-out!
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