By: Meredith Bahuriak, Barbizon International
“It all started with Barbizon,” according to Barbizon Michigan graduate, Martyn Hale. Martyn’s first on-camera experience was in the feature film Real Steel starring Hugh Jackman. Once filming wrapped, Martyn wanted to find representation.
In 2010, Martyn auditioned for Passport to Discovery (PTD), which is revolutionizing the modeling and acting industry by bringing talent and industry professionals together on an unforgettable vacation experience. With competitions that are judged by top industry professionals, PTD is where agents and managers look to discover new talent
For Martyn, “Passport to Discovery was incredibly beneficial and a life changing experience. I was discovered while on the ship by the 2010 Talent Manager of the year, Terrie Snell. PTD started my acting career and got me to Hollywood.
The entertainment industry can be an intimidating career choice. Martyn explains, “When I moved to L.A. I had no idea what was going to happen, but I took the risk. For me, believing is achieving.”
Martyn Hale Nike Commercial with NBA’s Blake Griffin
Since his move to California, Hale has appeared in national commercials, powerful feature films, PSAs and print publications. He spent a few weeks in the mountains of California filming, Coldwater. Hale portrays a shackled inmate and told us, “The best thing about it was meeting new people and making new friends.”
In Coldwater, a teenage boy is sent to a juvenile reform facility in the wilderness. As we learn about the tragic events that sent him there, his struggle becomes one for survival with the inmates, the counselors and with the retired war colonel in charge. The film premiered at the South By Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) and has received numerous awards including:\r\n
- Las Vegas Film Festival – WINNER – Grand Jury Award: Best Feature Film; Best Director; Best Actor (PJ Boudousqué)
- Fresh Film Festival – WINNER – Audience Award: Best Feature Film
- Boston Film Festival – WINNER – Best Director
- Cinema at the Edge Film Festival – WINNER – Audience Award: Best Feature Film
In the always evolving entertainment industry, it is important to continuously work to improve your craft. For Martyn, “Auditions are still scary for me, so auditions are what I am constantly working on. Although you don’t always get the auditions you want, as long as you believe you did your best, then it’s their loss for not choosing you.” Martyn laughs as he relays, “It’s bad, but once I leave an audition, I believe if I don’t get the role or at least a part, then it’s probably not going to sell. So I just move onto the next audition, continuing to have fun.”
One of the challenges of being an actor is the constant rejection that comes with the business. One of our favorite things about Martyn is his positivity. Martyn’s advice for struggling actors, “My grandma always told me there is a reason for everything. People are going to laugh at you and you have to always keep believing even when nobody will believe in you and just have fun, because if you don’t enjoy the struggles, you won’t enjoy the successes.”
“Special thanks go out to my grandparents and to Barbizon, where it all started.”
For more on Martyn check out:
IMDB
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
And be sure to watch Coldwater – available now on NETFLIX!