EST

1991

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MY STORY

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Growing up I’ve always been involved with musicals. I remember the first solo I had ever performed was a falsetto of “Christmas Don’t Be Late” from Alvin & The Chipmunks for the Kindergarten showcase. My first actual role was the Artful Dodger in Oliver when I was ten years old. I've always loved the theatre, but at that age I had no idea I would ever try to pursue it as a career! Let’s skip ahead to where things actually got interesting..

I first decided that I truly wanted to be an actor after watching Martin Scorsese’s "Shutter Island", starring Leonardo DiCaprio in theaters. The two of them were always my favorite actor and director combo; Martin with his trademark cinematography style and Leo with his protean characters and incredibly organic technique. Walking out of that cinema I felt that actor’s epiphany and call to action! I decided to enroll in my hometown college to get my Associates Degree in Fine Arts, where I would learn the the teachings of Uta Hagen and the Stanislavki System under the tutelage of Broadway Veteran, Deborah Bradshaw. Having watched all of Leo's films, I've always wanted to emulate the versatility in his career, so, while in acting classes, I never allowed myself to be comfortable in a specific type. I wanted to be a chameleon of acting. I studied all of my favorite actors and watched hours worth of Inside The Actors Studio episodes. I received The Power Of The Actor, a book by Ivana Chubbuck, from my older brother for Christmas during my first semester. It was there I discovered how to analyze scripts, and voraciously began my character work. I was smitten with the psychology of it all.

As I worked on getting my Associates Degree, I performed in tons of musicals and plays, one of which I received a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Irene Ryan Nomination. I also received an Arts & Humanities Division Award for Excellence in Theatre. After graduating in 2013, I decided the next move for me was to continue my education at The Lee Strasberg Institute of Film and Theatre in NY, to follow the footsteps of my favorite actors and learn the craft of Method Acting. Lee's work was instilled in me by lifetime members of The Actors Studio who had been taught by Lee directly. I completed the One Year Conservatory Program and starred as Franklin Sheppard in Merrily We Roll Along at LSTFI in 2014. In 2015 I made my Off Broadway Debut at The American Theatre of Actors, performed in a musical at The McCarter Theatre directed by renowned acting coach Larry Moss (LarryMoss.com), and assistant taught a Commedia Dell’ Arte class at LSTFI and Acting for Film for the Young Actors Program there as well. In 2016 I’ve starred in films at the New York Film Academy and auditioned to become a lifetime member of The Actors Studio, advancing to the tertiary round. In 2017-18 I landed my first commercial for an app called Couch Potato for Burrow Couch Company and was awarded a state wide nomination for Best Supporting Actor from NJACT and Best Actor by Broadway World for my performance as Judas Iscariot in Godspell. I will continue to press forward, passionately and unwavering, striving to make my dreams come true of achieving an accomplished acting career for the rest of my life.

With Hopes For The Future

-Matthew Serra