“I feel like, in the last month, the world has changed considerably,” he said. “This year started with the Australian bushfires, a pandemic (COVID-19) followed by murder hornets, and now we have civil uprising and protests. 2020 is challenging us,” he stated.
He acknowledged that quarantine for him has been “interesting” and noted that it’s had its ups and downs. “It has definitely given me time to focus on some of the creative things I haven’t had a chance to focus on before such as writing and playing guitar. I’ve been going on nature hikes and exploring different places in California, so that has been fun. Plus, I have been spending a lot of time with my dogs. I love the dogs,” he said.
“Quarantine has taught me that I need to be around people more than I thought I did. It showed me how much I miss my friends, now that I can’t see them,” he said.
This past April, Manning partnered with the American College of Surgeons to tell his audience and the public that it is essential to “stay home,” in an order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. “In the beginning, people weren’t taking social distancing and wearing a mask seriously. It took medical professionals to come out and say that this is a real thing. I was happy to do that because I thought the message was very important,” he said.
Manning plays the role of Caleb McKinnon in the hit digital drama series, The Bay, which recently earned seven Daytime Emmy nominations. “That felt really good. The Bay is the first show I have been involved with that has Daytime Emmy nominations. It makes me proud,” he said. “The team has been so great in welcoming me to the show. I am very grateful to Gregori J. Martin and Kristos Andrews for welcoming me into The Bay family.”
He had nothing but the kindest words about fellow actor Blake Cooper Griffin. “Blake is such a wonderful and talented person. He is a great friend. I love how he uses his platform to push important causes. He and I care a lot about the same things. Blake is amazing,” Manning said.
He spoke about being a part of Brad Everett Young’s Dream Loud campaign. “Brad is such a talented photographer and he really creates an environment where you can have fun and express yourself in different ways. I love the fact that he uses props since it makes the photoshoot a different experience. I loved my shoots with him before,” he said.
Ever since he was a little kid, he expressed his love for Superman as his favorite superhero character. “I have Superman books and a little Superman statue. I just love him as a superhero and what he represents,” he said.
Manning underscored the importance of people getting out and voting this November, in an effort to make their voices heard. “We are seeing the end of the pandemic, at least for now. I would encourage people to stay positive and try to pick back up with their lives as best as they can. In terms of the riots and everything going on with the Black Lives Matter movement, I would hope the media covers the peaceful protests and the positive parts about the movement. I feel there is a lot of good coming from these protests,” he said.
“Personally, I’ve gone to a few of them and I have to say, everything that I’ve experienced has been peaceful, meaningful, and powerful. We’ve already seen the impact of these protests in a positive way, and I hope the media covers more of that. Also, please vote in November,” he exclaimed.
To learn more about actor Mike C. Manning, follow him on Instagram.
