I often considered acting, always marveling at the work that my brother Thom and sisters Tracy and Bev did, and thinking it would be rewarding to explore the depths of emotion and other aspects of humanity as an actor. Over the years people told me they thought I might have a good look and personality for it, so in my late 40's, I began to actually consider it.

In April of 2006, my brother Thom suggested I was still pretty marketable as a film actor. He has been an actor all his life, back to Jr. High School. He studied at Carnegie Mellon, where they take 20 of 2000 in each class and not all make it through. His classmates included name actors like Holly Hunter and Laura Sangiacomo. He was considered one of the best in his class. He went on to get a masters and now directs and teaches acting, voice and movement at Central CT State University. His wife Tracy Ginder Delventhal was also in the same class and she has her Masters too, and teaches and directs theatre at Choate. Thom is also accomplished in combat technique, fight choreography and Shakespeare. So when he encouraged me, I had to take him seriously! Tracy was supportive as well. Thom assured me that despite the importance of hard work and luck, which I had to also plan on, that a good look, personality and ability to relax with a role for film could go a long way toward success.

Along with some other good coaching from he and Tracy, he suggested I speak with Suzanne Sheridan for head shots, whom he knew through Rozanne Gates who had worked with his classes before. He also suggested I consult and get coaching with Rozanne who had a successful 20 year career as an acting agent. So I did both.

Less than a year later my first opportunity came along to interview for a role, and I got an audition and was chosen for a small part in a baseball movie, The Bronx is Burning, as LA Dodger knuckleball pitcher Charlie Hough, famous for serving up a record-breaking home run in '77 to Yankee Reggie Jackson in the world series. And months later due to the tax legislation in CT favoring the film industry, big films came to town and I began to apply myself further.


"Doc" Pollard (Willie Randolf), Daniel Sungata (Reggie Jackson), Dan Delventhal (Charlie Hough) - The Bronx is Burning