On his experience on Spinning Out on Netflix, he said, “It was a great experience. It was my first season as a series regular, and that was exciting and very informative. It was exciting because it was a dream come true to work on a show with such a talented cast and crew.”
“It was great to experience the faith and trust everyone puts in you as a series regular to deliver a strong and reliable performance both on and off-camera,” he said. “I found that aspect very encouraging and freeing. I was able to do my thing and portray the character the way I saw him. I, of course, used the help of the directors and the show creator Samantha Stratton who was on set every day to help with any questions and help me with character development. So those are the small behind the scenes vibes that no one sees but helped me build confidence and grow as an artist. I had a blast; my mom called it ‘the full experience’.”
On his inspirations as an actor, he said, “As an actor, I am called to demonstrate human behavior through a character—how we engage with and react to life and the people in our lives. That responsibility inspires me to build my own character. I think of it like this—I craft characters based on how they fit the written narrative, and so I must craft my character as Mitchell just the same, basing it off the unwritten narrative I want to create for my life.”
“So I keep myself in shape, mentally, physically, and emotionally by working out, reading, meditating, spending time with loved ones, all things that I feel will help keep me aligned and better my engagement and reactions to life. Therefore, when I am called to act, I can pull from my everyday experiences. That is only effective if I’m living a balanced life that is diversified in perspective. In short, I’m inspired by building character—the characters I play on-screen and the character I embody in my everyday life,” he elaborated.
On being an actor in the digital age, he said, “It’s dope. There are so many platforms now for creativity, which provides artists the chance to express themselves more freely. Content today is bolder and more risqué because new platforms are offering new perspectives, and old fashioned regulations no longer confine us. We no longer have the movies and network television. We have cable and streaming services and social media, so it gives artists and everyday people more power over what they create and what they consume.”
“That is exciting for a creative like myself because I can create freely and know that I have several platforms willing to distribute my work no matter how ‘out of the box’ it is, as long as it’s high quality and entertaining,” he added.
Regarding the impact of streaming services on the entertainment industry, he said, “Well, one way is like I just stated, from a creative standpoint—content is more bold and boundless. There isn’t the pressure of having to be PG or PC, politically correct, because streaming services are designed for the consumer to choose their entertainment and not have it chosen for them on a regularly scheduled program. Therefore, the content creators don’t have to tailor their work to fit any demographic, they create something they enjoy and share it with others who might enjoy it as well, there are less pressure and rules.”
“That model also gives consumers or viewers more power to find what they love and watch as much of it as they want on any given day,” he said. “That’s ideal. It’s like an on-demand marathon of your favorite show. So streaming services have become an equalizer in the entertainment industry, enabling us to create what we want, how we want, and then watch what we want when we want. It has empowered both the creator and the consumer.”
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “I would say work on yourself and with yourself. Building characters is your job as an actor, so investing time to build your own is a must. It isn’t easy to follow your dream, it takes a lot of heart and mental stamina to stay focused and positive, and there are a lot of things out of your hands, if you can find peace during the ups and downs, then you’ll be successful, and that peace comes from within. So work on you, and the more you learn about yourself, the better you can apply yourself to challenges, and that’s what I mean by work with yourself.”
He listed Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson, and Will Smith as his dream acting partners. “These are big names but all performers who spike my curiosity when I watch them. They’re so alive for each moment, and I’m sure that would lead to a lot of spontaneity and freedom, which is what I live for as an actor/artist,” he said.
For his fans, he concluded about Spinning Out on Netflix, “I got a chance to see the screeners, and fans should know this is a very heartfelt story. It’s very empathetic. We watch Kat try to push through her adversity to realize her dream, and we can all relate to that. So I would say, watch with an open heart and mind because it gets dark and our characters don’t have it all together, they are real people with flaws so the best thing to do is stay open so you can digest their storylines and hopefully learn from each of them.”
To learn more about actor Mitchell Edwards, follow him on Instagram.
