Michael Steger (“90210” fame) chatted about starring in the horror thriller “The Ruse.”
The film opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, May 16th. It was written and directed by Stevan Mena.
The synopsis is: An in-home caregiver fears for her life after being assigned to a mysterious elderly patient in a remote seaside home.
‘The Ruse’
On being a part of “The Ruse,” Steger said, “It was fantastic. 2023 was a really busy year for me, so I was glad that this movie worked out.”
“When I got the opportunity to go to Maine for a month, I took it. The script was really great, and when I found out that Veronica Cartwright was attached, I got really excited,” he added.
Playing Tom in ‘The Ruse’
Steger was drawn to his character, Tom, for several reasons. “I got to explore what it’s like to live in a small town in Maine,” he said.
“There is a certain loneliness in there, and he really held his own. He had a daughter (similar to me) and I immediately identified with him. Also, he went through a really difficult loss of losing his wife.”
Lessons learned from the script
On the lessons learned from this screenplay, he reflected, “Be careful who to trust. Don’t trust anyone.”
“Be very careful with who you let around you or what spirits you let around you. It’s a very fun script with so many different elements. There were so many things I took away from it.”
Advice for young and emerging actors
For young and emerging actors, he said, “Don’t come to Los Angeles and try it for two years. This is a lifestyle. If you are choosing to be an actor/artist, you’re an artist for life.”
“If you have something to fall back on, you fall back. If you are going to do this, do it 100 percent. Study with all the best teachers, join as many theater groups as you can, and immerse yourself in the arts,” Steger elaborated.
“For me, it took me 10 years to get on a TV show, for some, it takes a year. It is about immersing yourself in the arts and never stop training. A lot of people give up too fast,” he added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Steger said, “It has been pretty incredible. It has really connected people all around the world, and it is giving people a platform they wouldn’t have had.”
“People are bypassing agents, producers, and so many different barriers, and they are getting discovered. We are seeing people becoming famous that would have never become famous had there not been a digital platform,” he elaborated.
“The digital age has made the world a lot smaller and a lot more interesting. The dark side of the digital age is that it has to be balanced because it is just so addicting,” he added.
‘90210’
Steger recalled his time on the hit series “90210,” where he played the role of Navid Shirazi for 114 episodes, and he had the good fortune to work opposite Jessica Lowndes.
“Jessica and I played love interests for the first three seasons,” he said. “I was there from 2008 to 2013. I had a great experience doing ‘90210’.”
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Family.”
“I am really enjoying being an actor right now, and everybody in my household is acting,” he said. “We are a creative household.”
Steger on photographer Bjoern Kommerell
Steger praised German photographer Bjoern Kommerell for being “one of the best photographers that we have.” “Bjoern had such a great spirit to him,” Steger said.
Favorite mottos to live by
On his favorite mottos to live by, he revealed, “Never give up. I never stop. It’s never as good as it seems and it’s never as bad as it seems.”
Superpower of choice
Steger listed “flying” as his superpower of choice.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Steger expressed, “Being happy with your family and the ones you love, and everyone is taken care of.”
Closing thoughts on the film
For fans and viewers, he remarked about “The Ruse,” “I hope this thriller gives people a deeper appreciation for the supernatural genre.”
“It is very old-fashioned with a lot of twists and turns, and scares. I hope people take away survival skills,” Steger concluded.
To learn more about actor Michael Steger, follow him on Instagram.
