Michael B. Woods enjoys playing those hyper-intelligent characters with tragic flaws.
He loves the challenge of “crafting small pieces of humanity for the audience to latch on to.” Woods does this so well in Amazon Prime’s amazing series “Utopia.” Woods is known for his roles in “Sinister 2,” “Chicago P.D.,” “Empire,” and his more projects to look forward to are “Broadcast Signal Intrusion” and “Range Runners.”
Conspiracy theory fans will follow a young group of people who discover that a strange comic is indeed real. It foretells the demise of humanity. Along with its talented young cast, the series includes stars John Cusack and Rainn Wilson. Get to know this talented actor and find out why he likes hat tricks, cane twirls, juggling, and aliens.
Colleen Bement: You played the role of Rod in “Utopia” and your character was so compelling and entertaining. How did you prepare to play that part, and tell us about your experience on the set of “Utopia.”
Michael B. Woods: Preparation was tricky as the full script and vision were kept at a low profile until we got to shooting the scenes. A lot of discoveries came when I saw the wardrobe selections and met with Toby (director). Rod came into focus for me when I saw the hat, gold chains, and bowling shirt. He was a man that “played” at being cool but never fit that definition. He’s alien and psychotic, and so the horrific things he does are merely chores to get done; like taking out the trash. Working with Chris Denham also allowed me to find a similar inhuman energy when the cameras rolled (we even ended up walking in step in almost every shot). We’d both talk between takes to find moments and non-verbal communication that filled out the characters.
MBW: The cast and crew were really innovative. You could tell everyone cared about what they were doing and they really wanted to make a compelling, good show. Gillian Flynn is a master storyteller and she collaborated with the entire creative team to try to build the world of UTOPIA to be the quirky, dark, bizarre world that it is. There was an energy on set that I really relished.
CB: What can you tell us about “Broadcast Signal Intrusion.” Will we get to see this soon?
MBW: This script is off-the-wall, wild and I loved it. It’s a fever dream, a reality bender for sure. All I will say is that a man gets caught up in a mystery that is hidden in old broadcast signal intrusion tapes, but as he pulls back the curtain, he starts pulling away from reality too. This should hit the indie circuit mid-2021, but it depends on how the pandemic affects release dates. Cross your fingers for updates and where to stream.
CB: Do you have any other projects in the works that you are allowed to share?
MBW: I’m currently in a film called “Range Runners” that premiered to stream on Amazon Prime. We shot it all in the deep woods and it is a great thriller. As is the case with many in the acting community, this pandemic has ground most projects to a halt. I am working on a few spec scripts and writing projects now. I’m based in Chicago, and it has been hard for all of us to maintain any sense of momentum in the theater and film communities.
Trailer for “Range Runners.”
CB: What attracted you to acting?
MBW: Acting and performance have always been this inevitable path for me. I never felt like I had a list of professions and I chose acting; it was simply a part of my framework and it is what I do. I was very fortunate to have stellar acting teachers and role models to encourage me to pursue it as far as I could. And I adore movies, and I knew I had to be a part of that magic in some way.
CB: Is there a particular type of character that you enjoy playing?
MBW: I’ve always enjoyed playing hyper-intelligent characters that have to wrestle with a moral or emotional dilemma. Those tragic flaws get the best of them. And amoral characters are always fascinating too. If you strip away foundational human elements from a character, then the challenge is to craft small pieces of humanity for the audience to latch on to. And aliens … I like aliens…
CB: Do you have any hidden talents? The quirkier the better?
MBW: I am a student of farce comedy, so I’ve taken many clowning and mime classes. Hat tricks, cane twirls, juggling and I can pratfall with the best of them.
Be sure to check out the trailer for “Utopia.”
Written by Colleen Bement
