Conversations with Mickey O’Sullivan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mickey O’Sullivan.

Hi Mickey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born to hardworking Irish parents in New York City, New York. As a toddler, my mom brought  my brother and I  to auditions for print ads and TV commercials. One day, we auditioned for a role on a soap opera called “As the World Turns.” Call it luck or good timing, my brother was not content to put on a happy face that day, so I crawled out there to console him, and voila, I was cast in my first tv series as Baby Adam. That along with various commercials was how I got my start. But then…

Life took a detour when my parents separated; we moved to Chicago with my Mom and my Dad stayed in New York. We put acting  on the back burner until much later. Life got tough for me as a kid. I struggled with having big emotions, changing schools, and feeling normal. I remember getting picked on for my freckles, for that stubborn unibrow that I tried to shave off the week before seventh grade, for being a heavier kid, for not being “cool,” for being too sensitive, and so on.  That frustration and anger built up until it turned into regular trips to the principal’s office.

My mom (An incredible, compassionate, and dedicated single parent working more jobs than you can imagine to pay the mortgage and feed two growing boys) tried everything she could until I became too much. She finally came to me and said “Look, I give up, so why don’t you tell me how to turn this around?”. Get me back into Ice Hockey.”, I replied.

And she did – When we were younger, my brother and I played Ice Hockey, but we stopped because it’s terribly expensive. So, the new agreement was, if I kept my grades up and stayed out of trouble, she would find a way to foot the bill.

So, I did. I taught myself to love to learn… and I stayed out of trouble… but only because I didn’t give myself any time or energy to get into it. I put every ounce of effort I had into hockey. I forced myself into being the best hockey player I could be– I dove head first and gave it every ounce of my soul – Waking up at 6 am to stickhandle and shoot pucks, playing pick-up hockey or street hockey on the weekends, practicing my skating skills with kids 5 years younger than me, rollerblading for hours with my discman every night after homework, destroying the inside of our garage with hockey pucks, joining cross country, jump roping, lifting weights and showing up until the sweat turned into results. And it did. Quickly too. Within 4 years, I went from being one of the worst kids in our local house league to moving away from home at 16 to play U18 AAA hockey in Wisconsin.

Hockey took me all over the country. It gave me a team of friends,  allowed me to find confidence in my physicality, and take real ownership over my mental health. I found a way to direct all of the frustrated energy that was building up inside of me and turn it into something productive.

And then I busted my knee. That injury sidelined me long enough to start questioning my future as a hockey player. So – I quit. I still question whether or not it was the right decision. Not because I felt like I was going pro – I wasn’t. But because I quit right as I hit my first true challenge. My first plateau. And sure enough, without hockey to take my time and energy… I went looking for trouble.

Luckily, my high school theater director, Tom Dzurison, pulled me aside and invited me to audition for the school play. And then the speech team. And then another school play. And then, without too much convincing, helped me decide to double major in Theater and Special Education at Illinois State University.

While studying both, I quickly realized I only had enough time to commit to one of those pursuits, and I, without a doubt, chose acting.

And I did it. Just like I did hockey. I gave it every ounce of my soul. I knew I’d have to learn fast in order to have any chance of earning a living as an actor. In college, I forfeited my general education requirements and enrolled in only theater related courses. I did every directing scene that people asked me to be a part of. I auditioned for film/tv production student projects. I stayed in town during the holidays to be a part of local theater. And I read scripts like they were candy.

I took every opportunity that came my way. It became my #1 priority. And it paid off. I’ve been acting in Theatre, Film, TV, and commercials for 16 years on both coasts and here in the Midwest. Some highlights include filming “Driftless” (Which you can watch on Amazon Prime) in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2019.

It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
I believe that if you put your head down and focus on the work, you can accomplish anything. And, if you love that work, you won’t notice how much time or energy it costs you to get to where you want to go. It will fill you up more than it depletes you. Imagine running a marathon where every mile you get energized more than you get tired.

So, yes, I’ve struggled, but maybe I romanticized the journey enough to get through the struggles relatively unscathed. I love an underdog story, and that’s the narrative I see myself in.

Struggles –

I’ve been poor – For the better part of 10 years, I refused to work any job that would interfere with my Acting career. I got fired from or quit many jobs that did interfere. In order to build my career as an actor -I’ve worked for free. I’ve worked for food. I’ve filled in for people in emergencies. I’ve lived out of my car. I’ve slept on floors, and I’ve slept in theaters. It’s been exhausting, hazardous, and also… radically exciting. Acting is a gig job. You have a job – and then you don’t. I’ve become comfortable with that. And with sleeping on a floor and eating a budget diet of Tuna, Eggs, Spinach, and Quinoa. And while this has been stressful at times, it has also been one of the most vibrant parts of my existence.

I’ve been lonely. If you’re lucky enough to choose to rehearse back-to-back shows 5 nights a week for 6 weeks and then perform for 5 weeks for less than $400 a show – you will lose out socially. You’ll make many work friends and lose them as soon as the gig is up. Friendships outside of acting, family and partnerships suffer. Still I cherish the memories we created together. And while I’d focus more of my downtime on cultivating stronger relationships in my 20’s, I don’t know that I’d be where I am today had I not prioritized my life this way.

I’ve doubted myself. Sometimes, while grinding away at the work, you accidentally peek your head up too early and realize you haven’t gone as far as you thought you had. You start to wonder if it’s worth it or if you have what it takes. And it takes a lot of guts to take a breath and get back to work. To ignore the well-intentioned people in your life that question whether or not you should continue being an actor. But I knew, any pursuit worth committing your life to is going to have …

In the words of one of my favorite Singer-Songwriters, Stephen Kellogg –

“High Highs and Low Lows
Only one way that the river flows
Was it comedy or tragedy?
Both, I would suppose
High highs and low lows.”

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I’m known for bringing a certain intensity to my work. It’s who I am; when I do something, I do it 150% with reckless abandon. I love working with a team to accomplish something together. I’ve been told I’m endlessly positive. This is my survival skill. I try to find the narrative that allows me to find purpose.

In a way, I set out to do what most people told me would be impossible. And now, I have a stable life without a 9-5 job, a partner I fall in love with more every day, a stepson who inspires the hell out of me, and 2 of the cutest dogs you’ve ever seen… in your entire life!

And I got here… by being an actor. It hasn’t always been this way, it won’t always be, but I’m proud of choosing to pursue my passion wherever it leads.

I’ve made the younger version of myself proud. I’ve brought him with on this journey.  To show him that life gets better. That one day, he won’t feel so frustrated and out of place. And that one day, he will do unbelievable things that are absolutely out of this world cool.

That despite how hard it felt to make it through childhood, he’d go on to shoot a movie with John Goodman and Machine Gun Kelly. Work with Sophia Bush and LaRoyce Hawkins. Star in National Commercials. Get interviewed for magazines. Fake fight for money. Travel first class to Korea to shoot a movie with Kong Je-gyu and Im Si-wan. Spend a summer shooting a movie in Grand Rapids Michigan against one of the most beautiful backdrops the Midwest has to offer and meet one of your best friends on the first day.

They say that comparison is the thief of all joy. But I am filled with nothing but joy when I compare where I am to where I’ve been. It just keeps getting better.

How do you define success?
That’s a tough one. I’m a fan of staying in the moment, accomplishing a task, and moving to the next one. Setting long-term goals and then setting up checkpoints to get there. Along the way, success has had different meanings to me. Sometimes, success was getting out of bed motivating myself during dry spells. And sometimes, success was managing to prep 5 films in one summer and still find time for friends and family.

Success for me right now is a question of growth. Personally, and professionally.

Personally –

• Have I grown in the way that I live my life? Yes.
• In ways that deepen my personal relationships? Yes.

Professionally –

• Do I continue to evolve in how I approach work? Yes.
• Has that evolution improved my relationships with collaborators, the efficiency of the process, and positively impacted the final product? Yes.

To inquire about my interest/avail as an actor:

please email DDO – [email protected]
Or
WEG Talent – [email protected]

I also help actors find their own stride. Check out my pricing below.

Pricing:

• Audition Coaching – $40-75 I work with you on your audition side and help you nail it by making accurate, fun-to-play, and compelling choices. Buy a package to save money. Package-holding customers will have priority in scheduling. $40 for 0 – 30 minutes. $75 for 30 – 60 minutes. 5 pack $300 ($75 OFF) 10 pack -$600 ($150 OFF).
• Virtual Reader for Auditions $15 per 1/2 hr No Coaching needed? No problem. Contact me and I’ll be ready to assist you on a zoom or phone call. I’ll read the opposite of you, keeping things focused, fun, and productive. This way, you can have a positive self-tape experience without any hassle. $15 for 0 – 30 minutes.
• Private Acting Training $115 per Hour We meet to assess your craft’s state and goals. Figure out your strengths and weaknesses and develop an action-based plan to help you overcome your weaknesses and work confidently. I custom-make programs tailored specifically to you and your goals. You will get priority in scheduling and have my contact information to ask time-sensitive questions. Available via Zoom and in person. The base Rate is $115 an hour. 10 packs – $1000 ($150 Off), 20 packs $1900 ($250 Off).

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mickeyosullivan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themickeyosullivan/
• Other: www.imdb.me/mickeyosullivan

Image Credits
Jeff Kurysz Photography, CarJack Driftless, Barry Brecheisen, NBC Universal