Back To The Future with Connor Clark

A very special episode this month where I interview my son Connor Clark.  In this conversation, Connor discusses his journey and aspirations in the acting industry. He shares his experience preparing for university and the benefits of formal education in acting. 

Connor also talks about his favorite movie and TV show locations explored while we enjoyed a family holiday in the USA over Christmas and the New Year. Also, the impact of a Broadway show, namely Back To The Future (the Musical)  on his perception of theater. 

He reflects on when he first knew he wanted to be an actor and the importance of finding a supportive group of actors.

 Finally, Connor reflects on what he has learned from my acting journey and the importance of the business side of acting.

Takeaways

• Formal education in acting can provide valuable training and a diverse set of skills.
• Experiencing different movie and TV show locations can inspire and deepen an actor's connection to their craft.
• Theater productions, such as Broadway shows, can showcase the possibilities and complexities of acting.
• Finding a supportive group of actors can enhance the acting experience and provide a sense of community.
• Approaching auditions with confidence and a belief in oneself can positively impact the performance.
• Balancing theater and film acting can provide a well-rounded skill set and open up more opportunities.
• Technology can both enhance and change the acting industry, requiring actors to adapt and stay informed.
• Acting requires a willingness to step out of one's comfort zone and embrace vulnerability.
• The business side of acting, including maintaining a professional online presence, is important for career development.

Check out Connor on IMDB.

And check out Future Vision Pictures on YouTube.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Acting Journey of Connor Clark
• 13:20 Discussion on Broadway and Acting Experiences
• 25:26 University Acting
• 30:26 Acting Degree Pros and Cons
• 34:01 Generational Gap in the Acting Industry
• 46:09 Actor's Challenges and Future Goals
• 52:05 Connor's Audition and Future Success

Transcript

David John Clark (00:00)
Welcome to another episode of the Late Bloomer Actor. It is with a heavy heart that I make this message. I would like to dedicate this episode to a great friend and fellow Adelaide actor, and I'm sure he'd agree, a late bloomer himself perhaps, Kyle Robertson. He unfortunately passed away the weekend prior to the release of this episode. Kyle was a very well known and respected actor here in the Adelaide community. Both he and I have traveled together on a similar path as actors under Nick Buckland, Carina Gun and Krystal Cave at B & G Talent.

Kyle jumped on all the possible training courses he could and it was paying off with recent credits in The Tourist alongside Jamie Dornan and Danielle McDonald as well as the recent Roadkill feature.

I've been fortunate to work on set alongside Kyle myself and notably a MAPS student film called Locals Only, as well as the 2020 Stan Christmas feature, A Sunburnt Christmas, which was also today's guest's first meeting with Kyle. Kyle will be truly missed in the Adelaide community and I would like to take this opportunity to say, rest in peace, mate. I'll see you on set. Now, I would like to introduce to you all another wonderful actor, in my humble opinion,

my son, Connor Clark. I've asked Connor to come on the show as he's at the commencement of his acting journey. And he's about to start his first year at Flinders University studying a Bachelor of Performance in Acting under the guidance of recent guest to this podcast, Tiffany Lyndall-Knight, among other lecturers on this wonderful course. So no bias or favouritism here whatsoever. Please enjoy this very insightful episode with Connor Clark.

David John Clark (01:55)
It's silent.

Well, good evening, good morning or good day from wherever you are. This is the Late Bloomer Actor coming to you live. It's February and this is episode two. And we have in the room today, a early Bloomer Actor. He looks very familiar to me. Let know who we're talking to today.

Connor Clark (02:11)
What?

I'm Connor Clark. I am the son of the late bloomer actor.

David John Clark (02:21)
I thought you looked familiar. I thought you looked familiar. And how are you this evening, Connor?

Connor Clark (02:26)
I'm good, I'm ready, I'm great.

David John Clark (02:28)
And where are you calling in from?

Connor Clark (02:31)
Um, about seven meters to in front of you.

David John Clark (02:35)
Well, I did consider putting us in the room together like I've done in the past, but using Riverside, the recording works much better when we've got our own lines. So I get a better editor and it looks better in the end, especially for the YouTube. So obviously you are here because you're an actor. And my podcast has always focused on late -limber actors and the journey that I go through and what I've learned along the way in bringing in people in the room. But...

I decided I've always wanted to have you on the show because that was a given because you're an up and coming actor and we're going to talk about that in a sec. But this is a pivotal month for you, isn't it? What is happening for you this month as an actor?

Connor Clark (03:21)
preparing and getting ready for university where I'm doing the bachelor of performance of acting. So it's, yeah, it's a lot. Yeah.

David John Clark (03:28)
scared, scary. And that's really cool because I want to talk to you about that on two fronts. A, to hear what your experience has been so far because it's something I always talk about as an actor that I won't do any formal education for acting, especially like a three year degree that you're about to embark on.

Um, but other front for the younger listeners here who may be considering it for themselves in the future. Um, because young actor goes straight into, um, drama out of a high school like you are, which is a very fortunate for you. So, um, obviously be able to do a pass on a couple of things that you've learned so far. And what I would like to obviously do is then come back to you in three years time. If the podcast is still running, which hopefully it is.

And we can have a chat about what your journey was for those three years, if in the meantime you don't get a role on Spider -Man, the Australian version or something like that. So, how old are you, Connor, for our listens out there?

Connor Clark (04:30)
That would be nice.

I'm 18 years old as of December 2023.

David John Clark (04:38)
Born in Adelaide, South Australia to some wonderful parents, I believe, David and Kelly. Who's selling themselves here? Hey, mate, I wanted to quickly talk to you. I've got some more formal questions about your acting and about things that you've done so far and where we're going. But I just wanted to open up. We recently traveled to the USA, if you can remember, if the 15 -hour flights haven't...

Connor Clark (04:44)
Hmm, so I've heard.

Yes.

David John Clark (05:06)
truly devastated you and changed your character and persona. And we laugh a lot that our whole trip, which was three weeks in the States from New York to Los Angeles, so coast to coast, flew from the Eastern States to the middle of the country and then drove the rest away. But it was essentially a ghost alien movie themed holiday, wasn't it? So which...

Connor Clark (05:07)
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, there's a lot of that stuff.

David John Clark (05:30)
was all of us were all into that. Kelly was really into the ghost and alien side of things. And me and you were into the movie side of things. So what was your favorite movie or TV related components of our trip?

Connor Clark (05:44)
Um, lot of different types of things, but the main ones would be, like, um, friend's apartment in New York. When we, when we saw her, I was only halfway through the series, but now that I've watched it fully on my own, it means a lot more now that I've actually seen it. And, you know, New York is full of just, New York is Spider -Man. And so see all the different Spider -Man locations, flat iron building, Empire State and that.

David John Clark (06:01)
Mmm.

I thought that was funny because I've never played the game, but it was just every day. I've swung on that. I've climbed on that. I've swung it. Oh, it looks a bit different. But you said a lot how good they got it in how close it was to the actual city, other than the distances between pertinent locations, wasn't it?

Connor Clark (06:21)
Yeah.

Yeah, they would cut some parts out to make it more playable, but the rest of it was pretty much the same. And it was like with Los Angeles as well, because Grand Theft Auto V is that's based, that city's based off Los Angeles. And so they shrunk Los Angeles from what it was all the way down to a very small portion. But there were still moments where I could be like,

I've driven through here or I remember a mission I was there. So it was just really nice to see all the places I recognize just from playing games. Mm -hmm, yep.

David John Clark (07:02)
I crashed my motorbike off this pier. I remember you saying that. And I think Los Angelenos would love the fact that LA was made smaller. It's a pretty big place, wasn't it? And I found the big thing and you having watched Friends is that it was funny because the tour that we did for movies and TV shows was, it was almost not a movie tour. It was a Friends tour, wasn't it? But...

Connor Clark (07:15)
Yes.

Almost, yeah.

David John Clark (07:31)
Friends wasn't filmed in New York, was it? Every time he said, this is, this is, this is, it was always with the caveat, but they didn't actually come here or it was just used as locations.

Connor Clark (07:35)
No.

Yeah, it's always just the outside shots.

David John Clark (07:46)
Movie magic, as they say, movie magic. And I want to ask something further a bit more about our trip there, but I'll come back to that when we've talked about your acting journey so far. So when did you want to be an actor? Or when did you know you want to be an actor? Because I've got some little stories about what we thought as parents, and a really interesting talk about that. But when did you know and decide yes?

This is what I want to do.

Connor Clark (08:18)
Well, I always put you in the story when I'm telling this because I've had to tell it a couple of times, especially to get into the university. I've always paraded around the house in different characters and stuff when I was younger. I always put on voices and you're always like, oh, you should do acting. And at the time I was like, no, that's embarrassing or it's like something I don't want to get into.

David John Clark (08:44)
And we're talking really quite young then too, wasn't it? It was quite young, and quite a few years I always piped up, but you started quite young where I was like, you should be an actor.

Connor Clark (08:48)
Yeah, like.

But once I got into high school and I was choosing subjects, drama was one of them and I was like, you know, okay, I'll give drama a shot. And then I realized I was liking it a lot and you recommended it again. I was like, okay, I'll give classes a shot and stuff. I'll try it. But I think the thing that made me know for sure that acting and like,

some theatre but mainly film acting is what I wanted to do was when I first watched this brand new series on the brand new Disney Plus called High School Musical The Musical The Series when

David John Clark (09:35)
Which we laugh, I still laugh because you come out. I'm watching. Yeah, let me try it. High school, the musical. No, you're going to have to replay it for me. High school musical, the musical, the series. Yes, that's right.

Connor Clark (09:44)
High school musical?

The musical, the series. When it first debuted, season one, I was still in year eight and I'd watched, I was always a fan of the original trilogy, obviously. And so I was like, okay, I'll watch this. And then it's just about teenagers in their high school drama class and just the vibes of that, the characters and how relatable they were and how I could relate to the main one, Ricky. He was just...

me in a lot of ways minus the I obviously don't have the musical talent as he does but um don't know that but um yeah the the show is what made me think this is what I want to get into.

David John Clark (10:23)
Yeah. Oh, you don't know that yet, do you?

And is that what, I've got a question here, but what inspired you to pursue acting at such a young age? Is that what you would call your, like in 10 years time, if someone asks you the question, what inspired you to get into acting at such a young age? Is that what you lean on then?

Connor Clark (10:45)
That's my main one, yeah.

David John Clark (10:46)
Hmm. And so when you made that decision, I'm trying to remember that was when did you start? Because you started courses with Buckling and Gunn, which was our agent at the time. Was that grade 10?

Connor Clark (11:03)
Um, I started maybe early in nine or end of year 10. Yeah. Nearly four.

David John Clark (11:09)
So three years, three years ago. And how were those classes? Cause that was your first foray into like real formal acting classes as opposed to the initial drama that you school. How did you find them and what were your big takeaways from that?

Connor Clark (11:17)
Mm.

I found them a bit nerve wracking to start with. I'd never done something like it before, but you know, I got to know the people in the class. They were always moving in and out, changing who was there, but I just learned that once you find like a cast, a group of people that you're familiar with and you work with a lot, acting alongside them just sort of happens naturally. And you know, it just became a really comfortable place.

David John Clark (11:33)
Mm.

Connor Clark (11:57)
I wanted to go there every week. I was always looking forward to the class because I enjoyed being with the people there and I enjoyed just being able to step away from maths and science and school and instead just stand on a stage for an hour and a half and read a script and different characters.

David John Clark (12:13)
Awesome. And that's all those little things that start to build up and develop you as an actor, isn't it? So, and I like what you're saying there. You've got your core little group and you've expanded that now with Future Vision Productions and the director who runs it, Chase Bradshaw. So we'll talk about that shortly as well. But I wanted to quickly go back to our trip in New York and we all got to go to our first Broadway show.

Connor Clark (12:41)
Yeah.

David John Clark (12:43)
And for everyone watching on YouTube, I'm just going to stand up a little bit.

Connor Clark (12:49)
Save the clock tower.

David John Clark (12:52)
Yes, I've got the Back to the Future, the musical t -shirt. Not as hard to say as your musical. So we went to Broadway and we had obviously a couple of choices with the classics, but Back to the Future was on and we as a family loved the series of Back to the Future and Michael J. Fox was fantastic. And we just thought we got to do it. And I initially went into it thinking this is going to be either really good or really, really cheesy. And...

Connor Clark (12:57)
Hmm

David John Clark (13:21)
I think you have the same opinion as me. It was absolutely fantastic. Anyone listening, if you get a chance to see Back to the Future, the musical, it's on in at the moment and obviously in New York. And I don't know what the future plans are for anywhere else in the world, but it is absolutely brilliant. It's just mind blowing. Isn't it Connor? So what did you take away from that? Both someone just watching it as a fan of the TV series, as well as an actor.

Connor Clark (13:37)
Yes, it was amazing.

David John Clark (13:50)
Did it change you in any way or cement anything for your future acting aspirations?

Connor Clark (13:58)
Well, that's just a person watching it, obviously. I was amazed. The music and the songs were just amazing. The set and everything. It was crazy. Yeah.

David John Clark (14:08)
How they did some of those sets, I just, a real DeLorean and without giving too much away the whole show to think that it was flying on stage was just amazing how they did half of things. No.

Connor Clark (14:19)
Yeah. Still don't know how they did it. Yeah. Most I've done in theater wise is like school productions, you know, it's like a couple, a couple of stage blocks as a couch, get some costumes from some op shop to look like some detective from the 1940s.

But just seeing Back to the Future, seeing the set, the moving things in the floors to move props around, all the costumes, the lighting and special effects and everything, it's a really good way of seeing where you can get to if you continue down with theatre. But as an actor, it was, I understood it was a lot.

David John Clark (14:57)
Mm. Mm. Cause, uh, gone.

Connor Clark (15:07)
I mean, like the first intermission for the show was like over half an hour in maybe. And you realize that's a lot of lines, a lot of lines, lots of things to remember, plus the singing and all the dancing. Acting is, if you're going into a theater, if you're going into Broadway, especially acting is not an easy job. There is a lot that you have to physically do mentally, sometimes even emotionally for scenes. So.

It really just showed me what I can get to if I really wanted to work for it.

David John Clark (15:42)
That's really interesting that you see so much in that. Now, you know, with me as well, I've done a little bit of stage work, but because of my shift work, I just can't commit to any stage productions because of the rehearsals. And obviously that's where the differences are with stage stuff is there's lots and lots of rehearsals. But you

the complexities of the acting in the theatre space. So that was obviously musical theatre. And I think you've seen a few shows that aren't musical theatre. So where are you leaning now, even though you're at the start of your three years of your uni degree, so a lot's going to happen the next three years and you're going to do acting training on both theatre and film and television. Have you changed your approach to the thoughts of doing theatre?

because you've talked about it before with more of a leaning like me, I just want to do film and TV, but has that made you think differently on both aspects of the enjoyment of it as well as the experience and the learnings from it?

Connor Clark (16:43)
Yeah, no, definitely. I said before, I don't currently have the musical talents, but that might change maybe. But it's definitely seeing all the different shows like Back to the Future and I saw Euphoria when it was showing in Adelaide during my final year of high school. definitely changed how I look at it. I was always, I want to do film or...

theater is too challenging, theater is not as fun, but doing the classes with Birkeland and Gunn, theater is a bit different in its own special way because you're on stage, you feel more connected to, I guess, your character and the rest of the cast because you're in the moment, you're doing that scene.

on film, if you're doing a scene and you mess up a little bit, you just start again and sometimes you can just lose that connection to the script, I guess. But theatre, you're that character for that amount of time. So I'm very open to doing either theatre or film, whatever opportunity I get really.

David John Clark (17:57)
Awesome. to see how, how that changes you as an actor. I think the, the teaching aspects of it now is that you used to be one or the other, you became a theatre actor or you became a film and TV actor. But I think that universities teach a balance of both now, because now you can, you can take those toolboxes and, and switch them over. So what you know, what you learn from stage, you can bring to film and TV and vice versa, which is a good thing. So.

question that's a bit early to ask you, but you have had some experience so far and you've been fortunate to have a couple of auditions with major casting directors out of Melbourne and Sydney and I'll let you mention the shows if you want to, but how do you approach your roles and prepare for your auditions with the limited learnings and knowledge that you've got so far?

Connor Clark (18:53)
That's um, yeah, it's a bit tricky to answer with the very limited experience of it. Um, I've had a few auditions. I remember I auditioned for ABC's first day, um, which I didn't get, but I was able to come back in the, that's an extra on the background. So it was still good to see that one of them. It was like one of the lead sides. Um, I sort of,

David John Clark (19:13)
And that was for the lead role, wasn't it, that you auditioned for, the young lad? Yeah.

Connor Clark (19:22)
I don't remember where I heard it, but it was really good advice to just go into an audition like you have the part already and you're just going in to read your lines. So you want to go in you, you want to just obviously stand out to the casting director, but in a way that shows that you could be this character. And it's just, it changes it so much from, Oh my God, I have an audition. Are they going to like me? Am I going to do this? What if I mess up to just.

just reading my lines for my scene and I've used that in my auditions. I've had a couple just self tapes gone in once or twice but it really just helps you find your ground and not get too worked about the fact that this could be a career thing or not.

David John Clark (20:12)
It's interesting because it will take, it takes some actors years and years and years, or sometimes they may never get it to learn and understand that, that the audition room is essentially they've to make it that far. And I've talked about this a lot on the show is to actually be in the room or to be able to submit a self tape. It means that the casting directors found something that they like about you and they want you to get the role. So to walk in with that kind of attitude is a brilliant way to start your acting career.

Now we were talking before about having your niche, your cohort, your friends, so to speak. So can you tell us a little bit about working with a future Vision Productions headed up by the director and a good mate of yours, I believe, Chase Bradshaw.

Connor Clark (20:58)
Yes, it's amazing. I mean, like Chase, I'm gonna gloat about Chase for a second here. He's brilliant. He's younger than me by like nearly three years, I think. And his knowledge and his abilities with creating film and just using the camera and his editing, it's crazy. I thought I was good at editing. I thought I was good at filming, but now when I've...

David John Clark (21:04)
I will too.

Mmm.

Connor Clark (21:26)
been on set and I've been acting in his productions. It's... I haven't seen it before from such an indie solo filmmaker. It's... it's...

David John Clark (21:36)
And it is solo, isn't it? He's done it off his back. He worked his butt off doing, to get money to buy or to hire equipment for that first film that you filmed up at Mount Barker, the tire place one of Larseny, which I had a nice cameo in, which was fun. And you guys had a ball on that, wasn't it? That was your first full production value thing you put.

Connor Clark (21:44)
Yeah.

Yeah, larceny.

Yeah.

It was... Yeah, that was... Well, it wasn't Chase's. I think Chase had done a previous thing, a film just in his house with a couple of his school friends, but that was the first out of home on an actual, I guess you could say actual set where it was just like everything was at his hands. He could move things if he wanted, he could do what he wanted there. And that was, I think that was technically my first...

David John Clark (22:16)
Definitely.

Connor Clark (22:27)
proper on -screen role and it was a blast. I had so much fun.

David John Clark (22:29)
I so.

You did and for and purposes, it was a great little film and it wasn't just a film, it had complexities in it. You had fight scenes and like that. And it was filmed on location in an actual physical tire shop. So he had the complexities of managing that for insurance and everything like that. So for a lad of his age to put something together so much, it really showcases where...

Connor Clark (22:38)
Yeah.

David John Clark (23:01)
I think he'll be in the future. What's your visions that you think he'll do in the future? He's certainly going somewhere, isn't he?

Connor Clark (23:03)
Yeah.

I think he's definitely going somewhere. He's one of those starting out directors that he doesn't just create a film because he wants to. He creates a film because that's what he's doing. It's different in a way. When you're working on set with him, watching him go about what he does, you can see he has proper care for it.

He really enjoys what he's doing and he wants to bring these ideas of his to life. And yeah, I think he's gonna go a lot further in the filmmaking and I hope he doesn't forget about me and lets me keep starring in what I can while I wait for other opportunities, I guess.

David John Clark (23:48)
Hahaha.

Yeah, it'd be interesting to see him as he, as he progresses. Um, you know, not everything's a hundred percent perfect and he's got lots of things to learn, of course, but to be where he is now, um, with the limited equipment knowledge that he has to, to see where he's going to take that once he's got training behind him and, and, um, heaven forbid a budget, uh, when he has a budget and, and equipment and people to do the jobs that he has to do himself. Cause sometimes it's really hard.

Connor Clark (24:03)
Mm.

Yeah.

David John Clark (24:23)
as an independent filmmaker because you're wearing six hats or 10 hats and it'd be nice to see him focus on the things that he really, really wants to do. And that's the being the director and making the film, so to speak. So that's very exciting for sure. Now kind of coming back quickly to university, what is...

Connor Clark (24:27)
Yeah.

David John Clark (24:44)
now or what was your expectation, what's your expectation now as you go into it? You're in the early stages at the moment, just I think you're at uni at the moment, whereas no one else has started, but it's not the formal part of the course yet. What's your expectations?

Connor Clark (25:00)
Um, don't think I'm going to have a comfort zone well and truly into this year. Everything about this university course, it's, it's about putting yourself out there, shaking off the embarrassment and the self doubt and yeah, like get out of that comfort zone. I've noticed it already, um, the summer intensive we've been doing, which isn't even drama, it's just for general schoolwork, but.

We've joined in on the morning warmups and the activities we do, the warmups, it's definitely just getting out there and realizing you're working together and it's not just focused on you. Like we do this, you have to stretch our muscles obviously. So everyone's on their hands and knees, they're rotating their spine, we're releasing sounds. It's just an auditorium of just groaning. And you can, I know it, you can feel.

very stupid. You can, you'll do your groaning but very quietly. You think everyone's watching and judging, but everyone's doing the same thing as you. Everyone is doing the same silly, stupid things. And when you're doing it all together, it doesn't really matter how dumb you look because it looks like it's the norm.

David John Clark (26:19)
everyone looks dumb together.

Connor Clark (26:21)
Yeah, so I'm expecting to hopefully in the first year at least be able to shake off that self -doubt and the I look stupid and just really like conform myself to theatre I guess because that's what it is.

David John Clark (26:37)
Hmm. Isn't it funny with actors and we were talking before about how, um, saying, oh, you should be an actor. You're great at this. Um, but you always came out with this, um, no, I to. And you've given the reasons why, and as a good parent, as I am, we never really pushed you, did we? We, um, we sort about it more, but I never ever forced you into it and said, um, good at this. You're going to do it. And.

it worked out in the best way. You came to us when you were ready to do it. So, but as I was leaning towards there, it's interesting your comparisons to being feeling scared and worried about coming out of your shell, so to speak, when everyone thinks, oh my God, no way, you've got this in the bag. So do you think that's a common thing for actors that they've all got that really?

Connor Clark (27:31)
100%. You even see it with the top stars nowadays. Some of them don't even watch their own movies because they just can't watch themselves act. And I think that stems from just starting out, not being able to believe in yourself because you think you're doing it wrong. You're doing it in a way that's not right. And it definitely, I think if you're acting and you don't...

David John Clark (27:41)
Mmm.

Connor Clark (28:00)
go through that period at least once of where you think you're doing it stupidly or doing it wrong then you might have messed up somewhere because you're supposed to doubt yourself at some point.

David John Clark (28:08)
Mm.

That's interesting. It's really insightful and quite mature, your answers to some of these questions. And we've never had a formal discussion about acting with you like this. So this is great for me as your father to see this. And I think your mother's gonna get a bit of a... You're done for now, it's recorded. No, it's interesting. And I've seen a lot of actors...

Connor Clark (28:15)
Definitely.

Hey, no inside knowledge here. You're not allowed to use this against me.

Oh no.

David John Clark (28:42)
in my area, in the independent area, because I do a lot of the student films, so a lot of young actors as well. And a lot of them don't have that maturity or that understanding. It's all about, I just want to be a star and not have that concept of how much is involved. And it's good to see that you're going into three years of university knowing what's involved. And now with all that stuff that comes with acting, and you've already touched on it a bit with the silly animal.

and all the movement and stuff like that. Do you see the benefits of the toolbox that you're going to slowly build? I mean, you've had a bit of an insight to Jeff Seymour, the real -life actor that I consider a friend or a mentor, and I draw so much on what he teaches as an actor. And he does, doesn't knock a lot of that stuff, but the benefits of it, especially at your age in a three -year degree, and he has...

discussed, it's the saying the best thing about a three year degree is that you're doing the do. You're doing the job for three years straight every day in and out. It's giving you that grounding. So is that what you say you'll get from it?

Connor Clark (29:54)
Yeah, like everyone you like you, you, you don't see the, um, at least I don't think you don't like the, you don't really agree with the, um, the like warmups and the like, all those like spiritually, I guess you could say, um, trainings to get used to it. Um,

David John Clark (30:14)
because I'm old and I'm insecure. When it comes to that, I get embarrassed and it's hard to get over that. So when you're in a, when I've done some classes with casting directors or acting teachers and they do the, what I call the silly lessons, I do know what they're there for, but I just can't do them. And whether I could change it, if I did it every day for three years, maybe it would, and I can see the benefits of it. But I try to draw on something else to get my back, my acting. But I've got, I'm 50 years old.

I've got life experiences and everything. I've seen things in my job and things that I do that I can draw on as an actor, but you're 18 years of age. So when you come to that big pivotal role, you need to find a toolbox to make it work, I suppose.

Connor Clark (30:58)
Yeah, and I think that toolbox of the silly theater warm -ups, I didn't like it at first. And even now I probably, you know, I don't agree with some of it because it's weird. That's what it is. But I think it definitely helps. If I walked in, if I walked on stage and they said, prance around like a reindeer, I would get self -conscious. I wouldn't like how to do it. I'd feel stupid.

David John Clark (31:11)
Mm -hmm.

Connor Clark (31:27)
but those hour warmups where it's just a big group of people all walking, filling space, doing spins, walking backwards, sideways, all releasing animal noises and twisting their bodies in ways it warms you up to being able to just do group exercises without caring about how you look because you've just done it for an hour. So I think having those toolboxes, even as an actor on your own,

just before going into an audition, if you just find a corner and you just do some vocal warm -ups while you like move your fingers and find the energy and space around you, it can definitely help.

David John Clark (32:06)
Awesome. It'd be interesting to ask you the same question three years time when you're finished. And that being said, I've talked a lot about the best experience you can get is on set experience, which you've already had as well. So are you mindful of the fact that their three years has probably put you out of the acting game for a little while? Do you see the benefits of being out of the game for three years or are you still open to saying if home and away ring you tomorrow, you're...

Connor Clark (32:11)
Yeah.

I... If Home and Away Wrong or if Marvel contacted me, Uni's in the past, it's nothing against you Tiff, I swear. But no, it's...

David John Clark (32:41)
Hahaha!

Tiffany Lindelight, there is nothing against a year or two or anything. It's about the money. And that makes perfect sense. And that's happened a lot to people. I've spoken to people who started at WAPA and stuff like that. And they've got an audition for Home and Away or a movie and they've had to go and do it and they've never looked back. So, but then there's others who've done their three years and walked out and on day two after the graduation, bang, they're on Home and Away as well. So pros and cons.

Connor Clark (33:08)
Hmm.

And you know, like, I could go, if I didn't do the uni course, I could go two and a half years before Home and Away contact me. So it's the same thing, I'd be on it anyway. But I'd have two and a half years of more experience, more diverse teachings of acting. I could find a different way to present characters, I could find a different way to learn my lines. If I don't do the course in those 2 .5 years,

David John Clark (33:22)
Exactly.

Connor Clark (33:44)
I might not do as well as I would.

David John Clark (33:47)
Exactly, exactly. And I'm looking forward to seeing what you bring home from it and what you learn from it, because I reckon I'm going to get something out of it because you're going to come home and say, dad, you're not going to believe this. We did this and I'm going to take something away from it. So that's what I'm sort of looking forward to that. Hey, as a young actor,

perceived the acting industry any differently to me or do you think we're all on the same playing field?

Connor Clark (34:16)
You know, it depends. I think we're all mostly on the same playing field. I mean, there are some people that view acting and the career of acting as just pretend for a little bit, earn some money. Some people just say, oh my God, I want to act. Sign me up for Netflix. They don't, a lot of people in my generation at least don't understand that acting is more than just prancing around on a stage.

There's a lot to it. There's a lot of physical demanding work, mental reading all your lines, preparing for everything. I think my generation and the generation below me even are slowly losing touch with what acting is. Because we can see that the arts are dying, unfortunately, it's true. My year 12 drama class, we had five year 12s doing acting.

David John Clark (35:15)
Wow.

Connor Clark (35:16)
So there are not many kids going into drama anymore. And I think that shows that people are just losing sight of what acting could be. So I think your generation, not that old, don't worry. You guys definitely had a great, had a better grasp on the whole career, the whole aspect of it. You understood it more and like what it entails, but.

David John Clark (35:27)
Mm.

Ha!

Connor Clark (35:44)
Maybe we can just like bring it back and keep the arts alive, you know? Yeah.

David John Clark (35:48)
pushing it forward. Yeah. Do you think that the world of technology where we're at now makes it easier for you or harder? Because you would have heard me talking a lot about the input of AI and it's been big in America at the moment over all their discussions. Do you think that technology is making your journey easier or better or harder or just different?

Connor Clark (36:13)
It's definitely making it different. Just as an actor, I guess it makes it a little bit easier because we just have to film the scene. If people are using the new technology and even AI to do the special effects and stuff and editing, so for it, I still did the acting. I was still on set. It's still me in the video. But my drama teacher even today, he said,

He said, with all the AI coming out and all the jobs being replaced, drama will be safe because no AI could ever capture or copy the pure expressionism that we bring out in acting and drama.

David John Clark (36:54)
A human is always going to be a human, I feel. Yeah. And I agree with you there.

Connor Clark (36:56)
Yeah. So I think it definitely makes it different, but it's I don't think it's going to affect too much where I could be going.

David John Clark (37:04)
And now following my journey as you have, if someone said to you, what have you learned from your dad that you want to ignore or do completely opposite? Or what have you learned from your dad that you want to take on board and use yourself? Do you have anything that stands out there? Excuse the fridge in the background, I forgot to turn the ice maker off.

Connor Clark (37:29)
I'm not sure. I've watched you do your acting, I've helped you do your self tapes. And obviously your acting is miles different to me. We may do the same things, we may self tape the same, read scripts the same, but we always perform the characters in a different way. So I think...

David John Clark (37:38)
Thank you for that too.

That's expected, of course. So that's got nothing to do with father or son. That's an age thing. It's an experience thing, isn't it? And that's what every actor brings to it. They bring something different based on who they are as a person.

Connor Clark (38:00)
Yeah.

Yeah.

I think what I have learned from you is your determination with the accent trainings and stuff because the more the more vocal things you can do the more the way you can bring out different types of characters I mean I was thinking about it today not to not to self promote here but

my film Remember That Fight out now on YouTube under Future Vision Pictures and the 48 -hour film Bromance also out on YouTube from Future Vision Pictures. I... Those... characters I play in there aren't too different. I didn't change much up between them to the point if I put a clip of Bromance into Remember That Fight you might not realize. So I think it's... One thing I've learned from you is to... is to...

David John Clark (38:56)
stories here.

Connor Clark (39:02)
be able to to be able to bring out different abilities to come across as different characters, like the different accents, the different inflections and tones.

David John Clark (39:14)
Awesome. Awesome. And, and obviously I'm, I'm big on the business side of acting, which I bring up in the podcast a lot and I have plenty of plans to talk about that. So that's something, and I don't bring this out in a negative way to you, but something that you don't do yet. Um, I mean, I've, we've set up your, um, casting networks profile and your IMDB. Do you see a need for that now to be on top of it at your age sort of thing, or are you happy or can see that? No, we could just.

Connor Clark (39:15)
Yeah.

David John Clark (39:44)
Coast is not the right word, but we just need to focus on the acting at my age and worry about that later on.

Connor Clark (39:51)
No, I definitely think that the whole business and even advertisement, sorry, advertisement side is important. I keep bringing in real life situations here. I was at work the other day and one of my coworkers came up and he was like, hey, I found your IMDB. It's brilliant. You've done a lot. And I hadn't shown him anything. I hadn't talked about anything. He found it on his own.

David John Clark (40:05)
That's good.

Awesome.

Connor Clark (40:20)
So I think being able to keep your profile updated on either IMDB or casting networks or just putting out little things saying, oh, here's a new trailer for a thing I was in or here's some photos from when I was on set. Being able to show that you're still going through the journey of acting definitely helps on the business side of stuff.

David John Clark (40:41)
I love it because you just don't, you never know when the right person's going to see it. So that's good that you're, you're on top of it. Cause I don't think it's something that will be taught at university. I know the business side is coming in a little bit. A lot of uni degrees are bringing it in, in the last couple of months about casting and casting networks and profiles and that. So I certainly can see that, that that's something that actors need to, to be taught because I had to learn it the hard way. I had to find out myself or seek it. So that.

Connor Clark (40:45)
Hmm.

David John Clark (41:10)
That's great. So a little bit about us as a father -son duo in the acting world. Do you find do you find that your experiences and advice differ due to our generational gap? Have you seen any issues when we've been on set together that you wouldn't have done that or I I've learned from that.

Connor Clark (41:35)
Little bit, yeah.

eager to discuss, I think. When I joined you for just a little student film the other day, you were very open to just talking to the director saying, should I do this instead? I feel like I'd rather do this. Should I move over there instead of going over here? I don't think, at least right now, I wouldn't be able to do that. I just...

I've always just been able to listen to what the director wants me to do and if they think it should be different then they'll tell me. But

David John Clark (42:12)
Chase in a collaborative way? Do you work in a way where you talk together or do you just the same thing? So you can openly say to Chase, what are we doing here? I think we should do this. And you have a discussion.

Connor Clark (42:17)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, to Chase I talk to and I bring up different possibilities, but that's because he's so on the directing and camera operating side. He doesn't see, he doesn't feel what it's like to walk through that scene. So I feel like it could be, it's good to collaborate with him. It's easy because we're friends, obviously. I don't feel like if I say the wrong thing, I'm going to get kicked off the set.

David John Clark (42:48)
Mmm.

No, that's good. And it sets you up for the future when you have that experience and that ability to not tell the director what's happening on, but to ask questions when you have questions. That's the biggest thing, I think. So, look, I'm gonna wind it up kinda cause I know it's late for you and you do have to be back at university tomorrow. I just wanted to quickly get your...

Connor Clark (42:54)
That wouldn't be right. Yeah.

Hmm.

David John Clark (43:20)
your insight into what has been the process so far to get into university for anyone out there that's thinking of applying in the future, because you were very fortunate, and I think well -deserved too, to get in on the first round and to get in straight away, whereas a lot of people, and you may discuss this in a minute, how many people are knocked out, don't get in straight away. So what did you learn and what advice would you give other...

young actors or old actors if they want to go for university in applying in the future.

Connor Clark (43:54)
Yeah, not many people get in. When I went in for my round of auditions, the first day there was, I think like 17 of us, nearly 20, and by the end of that day, four of us were left. I watched a bunch of really well -deserving actors walk out the door, felt very grateful that I was still...

David John Clark (44:10)
Wow.

Connor Clark (44:19)
in that last thing and then we came back the next day and there was an even bigger group again and some people didn't make it as well. It's challenging because once even if you get if you manage to get past the auditions and past making it the whole usual enrolling in the actual course applying for your topics getting a timetable it can be stressful.

There are so many things you need to remember, so many dates that even I can't think of right now. So I think if this advice works best for younger actors going into the uni, find a reason as to why you're doing it. If you're sitting in that uni room and you watch other actors who did the best scene you've watched, if you watch them walk out the door,

If you don't, I think if you don't have a reason for why you're sitting in that room, why you're still in that room.

I don't want to be harsh. Maybe you shouldn't be there because you need to find a reason for why you're doing all of this. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

David John Clark (45:35)
Have the right reasons, is that what you mean? Awesome. Awesome. And so to finish up, what do you see the future being for Connor Clarke, the actor?

Connor Clark (45:51)
Like short term, long term? Hmm. Well.

David John Clark (45:52)
Both.

Short term, obviously, is three years of university degree. So pending the phone call from Marvel, of course, but.

Connor Clark (46:01)
Yeah, short term, I'm expect, I'm hoping for a much larger variety of skills when it comes to acting both on camera and on stage. A much bigger understanding of what acting actually is and how I can be better and be different in it to what I am now. And long term.

You Spiderman. It's a go.

David John Clark (46:31)
And at least I know you can get the accent down because you've pretty much got that on your own. You've had a little bit of training with Sandra Bell, who I'm hopefully having on next month. So whereas I can't get the accent. So, oh, well, that's fantastic. Fantastic kind of. So you are too excited with the university, a little bit daunted. It's long days. It's a bit different to your brothers where they got to.

Connor Clark (46:40)
Yeah, I can. Yeah.

Let's

Next time.

Yeah.

David John Clark (46:59)
a couple lessons here and there each week. You're there nine to five, Monday to Friday, aren't you?

Connor Clark (47:04)
Pretty much, yeah. It's very intensive.

David John Clark (47:09)
Well, I'm certainly looking forward to watching your journey as is your mother and your brothers and everyone else around as well. So it's going to be a great experience to watch. I do wish you all the well and I certainly reckon we'll bring you back on the podcast in three years because I think you'll be a different person and a different actor, but you'll still little baby boy. So I almost gave away your nickname then, but I won't do it.

Connor Clark (47:28)
Yeah.

Yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that's that is not for public viewing

David John Clark (47:39)
All right. So the last word from Connor, is there anything you want to say to, um, the people listening to the show or any pieces of advice or words, words of wisdom, speak

Connor Clark (47:50)
very wise. Just... It's cringy, it's cliche, but... And even I struggle with it, but just believe that what you're doing is what you're meant to be doing. And if it's not, you will know. But just believe in yourself and just keep going. And when you find yourself sitting on a stage with other adults, on your hands and knees, making animal noises, you're there...

for the right reason and that's going to take you somewhere. So just keep pushing through it.

David John Clark (48:25)
Brilliant, one quick question there is you sang with other adults. What's the age range in your group?

Connor Clark (48:31)
Well, I don't know if it's gonna be in the actual course itself, but right now in the warmups, we're working with all years in this course, the first year, second year, third year. And there are people that get into it a bit later in life. So the youngest we have is 17 and the oldest, I think the oldest is...

David John Clark (48:43)
Okay.

Connor Clark (48:54)
Like, like 20, 25, I think, maybe a bit older. It's, it's very diverse.

David John Clark (48:57)
Well, yeah. Andrew Hill mentioned that a lot with his course when he went to WAPA because all universities now have really lowered the age of intake for actors where it used to be older. They used to want you to have that life experience. So it was 25 somethings, but I think 25 is now the max and now it's a lot younger. So, all right. And final question, Connor, if...

Connor Clark (49:13)
Mm.

Yeah.

David John Clark (49:24)
If you had the opportunity tomorrow to work on set with any actor in any role, what would that actor be alongside and what type of role? Not Spider -Man. You've already mentioned that.

Connor Clark (49:38)
Let me think again then. have a lot of role models that I look up to in acting but I think, obviously yeah, I think the main one who's always been like sort of an inspiration even before as I started acting would be the one and only Tom Holland himself. His...

David John Clark (49:46)
the what outside of me.

Connor Clark (50:06)
His, the way he can just perform different characters. I mean, you've seen it from the childish Spider -Man to like something like The Crowded Room, which is a brilliant series. He can just perform amazingly. And if I got the chance to work with him, I wouldn't need anything else in life, I don't think. Yeah.

David John Clark (50:25)
I love it. I love it. All right. Connor, thank you very much. I know it's late and you've got an early start in the morning and then I think you're back at work again after uni, are you? No, just uni tomorrow. Awesome. Thank you very much for coming along. I know you've travelled a long way to the audition room today. So, all right, ladies and gentlemen, that's Connor Clark. Keep an eye on him because this young certainly going somewhere.

Connor Clark (50:32)
It's alright. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

long flight, long flight. Thanks for having me.

David John Clark (50:52)
love the way he does support me when I have my downs as an actor, he's there saying, no, you're bullshit, dad, you're, you've got it. And, but I certainly, I believe in Connor and I'm looking forward to watching his journey. Like plenty of actors that I watch, young actors, it's not just because he's my son, he certainly, he's got what it takes and everyone says that. So good luck for the future, Connor, and we'll see you on set.

Connor Clark (51:00)
Yeah.

Thanks, Father. Bye.