William Mapother

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I’m Thinking of…

Posted on: October 5th, 2011 by wmapother No Comments

If player-coaches have a tough time, imagine actor-directors.  Now imagine actor-directors directing their old friends.  Now imagine actor-directors directing their old friends named William Mapother.  Now go get a drink.  I just did.

Fortunately, this bad sort of drama was in absence last week on the set of The Mentalist.  I shot an ep — Blinking Red Light –directed by the star Aussie with blinding smile, Simon Baker, whom I’ve known for longer than either of us care to recall, and Simon was as fun, calm and crafty as you’d expect.  My scenes were with the copacetic Robin Tunney, whom I know from The Zodiak.

Being an actor:  Bad – waiting for work.  Good – making lots of friends, running into them unexpectedly, and working with them when the stars align.

Posted in Acting Projects, News & Events, TV

(A little too) up close & personal

Posted on: October 20th, 2010 by wmapother No Comments

Check out this insightful NY Times article discussing the risks of “overexposure” with HDTV.

And audiences wonder why actors are self-conscious about their appearance. With hi-def television, it could get a lot worse — for both actors and the audience..

 

[This is another in a continuing series of potentially helpful, hopefully practical posts to actors on practicing their craft or surviving the trying.  I bear no responsibility for how this or any of my posts might ruin your life, lead you to law school, or make your parents sick with worry.  For more of the same, click the ‘Info to Actors’ category at left.]

Posted in Acting Tips & Info, Random, TV

There’s a New Villain in Town!

Posted on: July 7th, 2010 by wmapother 5 Comments

WordGirl, the animated show which teaches kids vocabulary words, is re-airing my episode (see post here) as part of “weeklong programming event”:  ‘There’s a New Villain in Town.’  There’s an article on the weeklong shows here.

The episodes run July 19-23 on PBS and feature several fan favorites, which apparently (aww, shucks)  include mine.  Another ep includes the voice of Ed Asner (‘Up!’).

Over there to the right is my beloved villain, Guy Rich.  WordGirl a terrific show, even for those over four years old, intellectually or emotionally.  Check your local listings, please.

Posted in Press, TV, Voice

UCB Sketch Cram

Posted on: July 5th, 2010 by wmapother 3 Comments

So apparently I just can’t get enough of the UCB Theatre.  I was there a couple months ago for the ‘Lost’ skits, then last month for Assscat!, and I’m returning this Saturday night at midnight.

This time I’ll be performing in Sketch Cram, in which a sketch is written, directed, memorized and rehearsed, all within 12 hours.  If it’s like the other shows at UCB, it’ll be a fantastic time.  Hope to see all of you there — especially those of you from overseas.

Posted in Acting Projects, Funny Like Ha-Ha, In Person (or, like, Live), Los Angeles, Stage, TV

‘e’s ‘orrible!

Posted on: June 30th, 2010 by wmapother 6 Comments

Okay, my agent is going to kill me for posting this — so look for me in a bikini in my next role — but over to the right is a shot of me from my never-seen guest spot on the 2005 Fox show The Inside.

There I recline as Ronald Ewing, an 800lb cannibal.  Yes, an 800lb cannibal.  I lured my victims into my home..and they never left.  My only mode of transportation?  A motorized lounge chair.  My favorite food?  Anorexic women.

Yes, dark, and yes, disturbing.  But also very, very funny.  Few minds in Hollywood are able — or willing — to conceive of something like this, but Tim Minear (Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, etc., etc.), god bless him, is one of them.

I wore a 60lb rubber suit, a wig, fake teeth, and prosthetic hands and cheeks.  (All created by the renowned Rob Hall, who also created my prosthetics for The Burrowers.)  The make-up required four hours to apply and nearly two hours to remove.  They had to build an air-conditioned tent for me, because if I perspired — not unexpected in the L.A. summer under 60 pounds of rubber [insert [insert joke here] joke here] — my face and hands would start to slide off.  ‘Access Hollywood’ devoted a segment to the freakiness of it all.

My ep, Skin and Bone, was the show’s 13th and final.  It never aired in the U.S. and isn’t available on DVD, as far as I know.  However, Tim has just posted short five clips from it on Facebook: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  You may need to friend Tim first to see them.  For god’s sake, don’t tell him I sent you or you’ll get nowhere with him.

Fans, friends and family often want to know, “William, oh, William, Why don’t you do more comedy?”  Well, people, you asked for it.

Posted in Acting Projects, Film, Funny Like Ha-Ha, Photos of Wm, TV