I gotta say: 2017 was a rough year, one marked by increased personal, political, and everyday struggles. At least for me and most members of my creative community here in NYC. And while the news cycle was persistently littered with (grossly) normalized tragedies and polarizing politics, most us soldiered on with our lives, one way or another.

Art, hard work, and self-care were just a few practices that helped me through, and I'm pleased to say that by the year's close, I had a lot to be grateful for it. My heart and head were full, and verging on peace for the first time in a long time.

So here are some criminally late updates that make up my year in review – nothing like waiting to the last day in January to get started on the right foot!

 

I recently wrote a personal article about my return to therapy for my long-time collaborator Michelle Hammer, the curator behind Schizophrenic. NYC. I explain how a very difficult period in my life prompted my seeki...

Workplace Woes had an amazing few weeks in the NYC film festival circuit this month. Our office comedy was thrilled to be featured in the inaugural Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema, which kicked off at Kew Gardens Cinemas (the last art house theater in Queens). The cast and crew had an incredible time meeting up-and-coming filmmakers and artists, and we couldn't be happier to be a small part what's sure to become a new tradition. Wishing nothing but good stories, good friends, and good times to everyone working to bring this festival to the forefront of the independent film scene here in NYC!

Most recently, we had the honor of being featured in the 5th installment of the Chain NYC Film Festival, which was held at the Wythe Hotel in Willamsburg. Not only was it an absolute pleasure to see our film screened in a swanky hotel, but we also won Best Ensemble in a Short during the festival's closing! It makes me so insanely happy to see our hard work growing more and more every day it's out...

This weekend, I had the insane pleasure of working with Emmy winner Erik Bloomquist (actor/writer/director behind Cobblestone Corridor) and his incredible team on She Came From the Woods -- my first horror short! We had two intense overnights at a sleep-away camp in deep Connecticut, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around all the magic we conjured up during that time. From the inspired costuming and makeup, to the gorgeous photography, to the fresh, clever story and the talented cast that brought it to life, the passion driving this project is something to behold.
 

Truly, I couldn't be more grateful to call these amazing artists friends and collaborators, and I really hope we get the chance to work together again.

So while we wait for this gem to get edited and hit the festival circuit, I'm gonna go fix my sleep schedule and gear up for several other projects that are in the works.

Details coming soon!

Workplace Woes: Alex Covington (Danny), Myself (Connor), Michael Pizzano (Writer/Director)

I'm way, WAY behind on updates, but running a crowdfunding campaign on top of the usual NYC actor grind (and one's own existential woes) will do that. So I apologize. I hope you still love me.

That said, I PROMISE there are amazing You Look Great and career/website updates on the horizon, so stay with me! In the meantime, let me tell you about the pretty mofos up top!

Say hello to Alex Covington and Michael Pizzano,  just some of the amazing collaborators behind the office comedy short Workplace Woes: Scavengers Among Us. I had the pleasure of working with these two killer artists last summer -- and all of our hard work paid off big time this past Wednesday.

We had the privilege of screening this 15-minute beauty as a part of the NY Shorts International Film Festival at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema, alongside dozens of incredible films from all around the world. Not onl...

If you follow me on social media, this may be old news, but Myth recently dropped a promo still of yours truly as Alex! Whoo! What's on the tape, you might ask? Keep up with me and Myth to find out!

And if you find yourself itching for more, I recently added a photo gallery under my brand spanking new Media tab with a backlog of production photos from various stage and screen endeavors. Check them out here!

In other news, I've got a big BIG project in the pipeline, so check back at the end of the week for more details.

That's all for now!

 Myself and McKenna DuBose in Blizzard, written by Kasey Lee Huizinga. Photo by Kyle LeMaire.
 

I recently had the sad pleasure of closing the Now Collective's inaugural production, Apartment Complex -- but I'm happy to announce that PRODUCTION PHOTOS ARE NOW LIVE! Check them out if you couldn't make it to one of our shows!
 

Comprised of artists I originally met and worked with during my time in the Barrow Group's 2015-16 Apprentice Company, the Now Collective has been and continues to be a beacon of hope for creatives who refuse to wait by the phone for their next opportunity. There are too many stories to tell, and holding out for permission to participate is not an option -- especially not now.
 

Mark Duplass said "The cavalry's not coming," and this has been particularly poignant to me over the past few months. After wrapping Myth, I dipped back into the usual slew of auditions, classes, and writing bouts, but that next big job continued eluding me. The high from my first feature was...

Sorry for the huge delay! A landslide of holidays, projects, and a long, unexpected cold kept me away. But enough excuses.
 

What a year! I am forever grateful for the friends, family, and artists who continue to support my personal and creative growth. You make my work, ideas, and heart SO much better. Yes, the grind can be exhausting, but you have kept me going all along the way, and as a result, 2016 has been infinitely rewarding. My hunger to create is at an all-time high, and I'm happy to say that 2017 is looking like it's gonna be bonkers -- in a good way.
 

Here are some quick recent career updates that make this goof smile from ear to ear:
 

- I was recently interviewed by Backstage about getting cast in my first feature film, Myth. The piece is featured both online AND in their print magazine! So crazy!
 

- I will be be performing in the NOW Collective's inaugural show, Apartment Complex, this week. It's a night of original short plays that follows a decade of changing tenants in...

I've lived with Myth, my first feature film, in one way or another since May, when I had my first audition at Shetler Studios for the lead role of Alex. Following a fairly casual callback in McCarren Park, almost three weeks of waiting, and the phone call from writer/director Brian DiLorenzo telling me I booked it, Myth quickly became my everything -- and with good reason: I had 14 days of shooting and roughly 70 out of 80+ pages of script ahead of me. An awesome yet tremendous responsibility. Calling this my first big shot in the industry was putting it lightly, and I knew well enough not to squander it.
 

Other than shooting a quick teaser for our Indiegogo in June, I had a good deal of downtime between the good news and our big week in August. So I did what any actor does: work on other projects, submit to breakdowns, audition, study the script, and just grind, grind, grind. That's the job. That's the life. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about Myth; the scop...

I am surrounded by incredibly talented, incredibly generous people. I am surrounded by their passion, their energy, their quirks. Most of all, I am surrounded by their love. The building block of everything – in particular, this long overdue hello.

So. Hello.

I want to take a second to thank everyone who has helped shape the vibrant life, career, and art I hope to explore here. Whether it’s been a simple smile or a well-timed “nice work” or the patience and tech-savvy to help this layman finally launch his website, please know that you have made me better in the end. You have made me whole.

So this is me. This is home. Welcome.