Actor Lee Shorten chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about starring in “Swan Song” on Apple TV+, his future plans, and being a performer in the digital age.
‘Swan Song’
On his experience in “Swan Song,” he said, “It’s surreal. To have the good fortune to work on such a beautiful and thoughtful script with a cast and crew of that caliber? Every day was a privilege and an honor. Truly. And everyone was so gracious and humble and generous. Ben Cleary and Mahershala Ali created such a safe and enjoyable space to play. It was something else. Definitely a career highlight.”
Shorten is drawn to his character, Rafa, for many reasons. “Rafa was this quietly thoughtful guy with a bit of an air of mystery, which is always fun. Mahershala Ali is so good so you can just listen and be present and he gives you so much to work with,” he said.
Shorten will also be making an appearance on “A Million Little Things” on ABC in the spring. “That is such a fun show. It has these wonderful emotional moments too of course but my stuff was on the lighter side. I love dropping in and being a guest on shows that are established because they’re like a well-oiled machine,” he said.
“The cast and crew are in a groove and you can just show up and play. Grace and Cameron were wonderful, I had a blast and hopefully, that translates to the screen,” he added.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, he said, “There’s more content which is great. We’re really all quite spoiled. I think, generally speaking, streamers can take more risks than traditional networks because they aren’t handcuffed by advertising revenue, so it’s been exciting to be involved in projects like The Man in the High Castle.”
Regarding his future plans, he said, “Hopefully more work [laughs] You just never know with this business. I do have a few projects coming out this year but unfortunately, I can’t talk about them yet. I’m also just grinding away, writing, and I might even try and direct another short this year. Covid permitting.”
Success
On his definition of success, he said, “The longer I stay in this business the more I’ve come to accept there is no such thing. No matter what level you are at there’s always something else.”
“A friend of mine once said no one in this business is getting every role or project they want. No one. Even Del Toro and Spielberg struggle to get certain projects made. That kind of stuck with me. And of course, the craft itself cannot be perfected, there is always room for growth. So yeah, I honestly don’t think about success, I’d probably fall into a deep depression if I did [laughs],” he elaborated.
“Swan Song” is available on Apple TV+ by clicking here. “Intellectually I hope the fans think about the possibilities and ethics involved with the technology. Emotionally though I just hope it resonates and people can take a chance to reflect on their own lives and families and priorities. Call your loved ones, tell them you love them. Make time for quality time with them. Life is short. Too short. It can be beautiful though,” he concluded about “Swan Song.”
To learn more about actor Lee Shorten, check out his IMDb page, and follow him on Instagram.
