Luke Speakman Interview With Colby

Luke Speakman stopped by for a chat!

Colby: Hello, Luke! Your career in the entertainment industry started at a very young age when you appeared in Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories. What was it like working with such a renowned director at such a tender age, and how did that experience shape your passion for acting?

Luke: Hello! Thank you for this awesome opportunity!

What many people don’t know is that Amazing Stories was my very first audition and my very first acting job! Being barely five years old, I was completely clueless ti the significance of working on a project by Steven Spielberg or Apple TV+! I understand it today and couldn’t be more grateful. I honestly believe that working on this project was where I fell in love with it all. I was fortunate that my first experience was with a production of this magnitude! I am a kid with lots of energy, and my parents decided to steer me into acting to try and channel that energy. I remember walking onto set and seeing it all: the cameras, the lights, the trucks outside making rain, thunder, and lighting, the buzz of people on a mission to make it all happen….I was mesmerized…I knew I was where I was meant to be.

Colby: You’ve had the opportunity to work with a wide range of networks and platforms, from Peacock to Disney+. Could you share some insights into the differences in the creative process or working environments when collaborating with these various networks and streaming Services?

Luke: One of the things that my mom decided to do from the beginning was not to let me know the details of a project I was auditioning for. Every opportunity, no matter the size or who it is for, is important and deserves for me to give it my best. I was taught that being given the opportunity to be a character is a giant responsibility. Someone was trusting me with their creativity. That is a big deal. So, I approach every opportunity the same. I learned very young that I can give my most honest acting when I start off by being me. I was fortunate to start very young where most of the roles just want you to be you. So with every role I am given, I begin by trying to find some qualities of the character that are similar to my own and build from there. However, I try to keep myself from being too stuck in my choices of the character, so that I am able to change it up if needed. I have to remember that the overall vision for this character isn’t just how I see it. Somebody else created this character and my job is to help bring that vision to life! I think being willing to listen and learn while creating and remembering that what I am doing is bigger than just me, has been helpful in all the environments I have worked on.

Colby: Your recent project, Lost Man Found, took you to Tokyo, Japan, for filming. How did the unique location influence your performance, and what cultural experiences or challenges did you encounter while working on this international production?

Luke: Filming in Tokyo was more than a dream come true. I say this because I didn’t even know that filming in another country was something I could do, so I couldn’t even dream of it! We honestly didn’t even know the full scale of the project until I was several steps into the audition process. A process done only through zoom since the production team was in Japan. I remember during one callback I was given sides the night before and they had several lines in Japanese! We luckily have a friend who recorded herself speaking and we wrote it down phonetically. My mom held the paper behind the camera for me to read off during the callback!

However, with Covid, everything was iffy. The official offer came with several warnings about the difficulty of getting a Visa or not being allowed to travel due to covid. So instead of celebrating, we waited and prepared for anything. Which, being a child actor, you get used to this. You also get used to managing your expectations. Anything can happen. The project filmed for several weeks in Kalamazoo, Michigan and it was during this time that we were given news that we were finally cleared to travel to Japan!

Tokyo is amazing. I had a few days to adjust to the jet lag, and spent them exploring the city and people. The people were my favorite. Everyone was so welcoming and helpful. I knew I had to do my very best. This was the first Disney+ original to be created from Japan! I did not want to let them down!

One of the biggest challenges while working would be the language barrier. Japanese was the language spoken by the crew and director. I luckily had an amazing translator, Yuki Matsuzaki, who explained what the director was saying or wanting. It was a great lesson on patience. I couldn’t expect my questions to be answered immediately due to the extra step of translating. Even though we couldn’t “talk” much, I still connected with the cast and crew. We all had the same goal and my favorite part was the times when we would all cheer after watching a playback that got the shot we wanted! Also, between takes, some of the crew would pull me aside to play catch or practice hitting. Baseball was our language and it was the best!

Colby: You’ve worked with notable directors like Keith Powell and Mark Mylord. Can you tell us about a particularly memorable or impactful lesson you’ve learned from one of these directors that has stayed with you throughout your career?

Luke: One lesson that comes to mind would be from a moment on the set of Young Rock with Keith Powell. We were beginning to rehearse the scene and I noticed how he was really listening to Uli Latukefu’s suggestions and collaborating to create the moment. I had seen and experienced this before, but for some reason it really impacted me this time. (Maybe it was because I was so shocked to be working on the Young Rock set!) When I suggested a reaction, I didn’t feel like I was being viewed as a child actor but as an actor. It was very empowering and will always be a moment I will remember.

Colby: Living a bi-coastal life between Atlanta and Los Angeles must be quite an adventure. How do you manage your time and balance your acting commitments in two different cities, and do you find that the contrasting environments influence your approach to your craft in any way?x

Luke: I love adventures! I also love to meet new people! Traveling coast to coast is the perfect opportunity to meet and learn about new people. I actually think that being able to learn about so many unique people from so many unique places helps me to understand and portray the characters I am given. Every experience while traveling is a different insight I can use! Being bi-coastal requires flexibility. We have to be ready to “go” on a moment’s notice. My parents work hard to give me a “normal” life, but that normal just looks a bit different split between two places. I play baseball on a team in Atlanta, take an acting class in LA, have an acting coach in Georgia, my school is virtual, and I have great friends in both places.

Having a flexible lifestyle also has trained me to adjust to any environment and any location! No matter where I am on the map, I am always Luke and, like I always do, I approach a character beginning with “me”. No matter where I am, if I am myself, I can’t go wrong!