Pop-Culturalist.com

Michael Saquella has done it all in his three-plus decade career. From working behind the scenes as a producer, writer, and director to starring in projects like Second Chance, Mars, We Have a Problem, and El Coyote, Michael has proven he knows what it takes to build longevity in this industry. He’ll next be seen in the golf comedy Dream Round, and we caught up with Michael to learn more about it!

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Michael: I was a young boy playing baseball in Upstate New York. I used to ride a unicycle home from a practice and the drama coach grabbed me. He said, “I need you in my play,” and I told him that I didn’t do plays. They finally got me to come inside and when I saw everybody stretching and the girls in leotards, I said, “Well, maybe.” [laughs] I read the audition for it—I didn’t even know what it was. Three days later, they gave me the lead in the high school play. We rehearsed for months and when the curtain opened up, I was hooked—everybody was cheering. That’s how I found my love for the arts.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Michael: Burt Reynolds, the icon. I was on a family vacation in the early seventies in La Jolla, California, and they were filming a huge movie called Lucky Lady with Burt Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, and Gene Hackman. Security wasn’t tight like it is today, so I was able to get in and talk to Burt for a couple of seconds when they were trying to kick me off the set. [laughs] I asked him how to get started, and he told me, “Reach for the stars.” I said, “Huh? What? How do you get there?” He told me to never give up. I told him that someday that I would work with him. He really inspired me to be an actor.

PC: Tell us about Dream Round, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Michael: Dream Round opens worldwide November 10th. It’s a golf comedy. My character is a rundown old gentleman living in a trailer park in eastern part of Mesa, Arizona. He could have been a pro golfer, but he raised his family instead. On Christmas Eve, the wife says, “We got enough money saved, go out and be a pro golfer, follow your dreams.” Then, they’re killed in a car crash.

Fifteen years later, the movie starts. His ten-year-old neighbor keeps bugging him and they finally go out to do something and he plays some golf. There he meets a waitress. With a waitress, a ghost, and a little girl, he puts his game and life back together, and he’s going to win the Open. It’s a real cute tear-jerker of a family movie.

PC: With the movie coming out in November, what do you hope audiences take away?
Michael: I want them to realize there’s more to life than just making money. Family is really important. Also, love what you do and really enjoy life. That’s what I want them to feel: really happy and inspired after watching it.

PC: You’re also the founder of Cactus Blue Entertainment. How did that come to fruition?
Michael: I’ve had several companies and never had a really good name. I live in Arizona now; I lived in LA for twenty-two years, but I’m back in the desert. I love the desert. I love cactus. So, I kept coming up with some different names, and I finally figured it out: Cactus Blue Entertainment. We’ve already distributed three movies and we’re on our way to bigger films.

PC: Having been a part of this industry for a couple of decades now, what’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started your career?
Michael: How hard it is to raise money for films. [laughs] The most important part is not the money, it’s the script. It’s not the actors. It’s not the camera people. It’s the script. If you don’t have a good script, if you don’t believe in it, if it doesn’t work, don’t waste your time. If you have a great script, it tells a story. It’ll automatically melt for you on screen.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Michael: I really like Roswell, New Mexico. It’s a show on Netflix. I am also hooked on The Flash. I binged it and banged out six or seven seasons in three weeks. It was amazing.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Michael: I’ve watched Gladiator so many times. I get into it and nothing else exists around me.

PC: Favorite book?
Michael: I love James Patterson. I love Stuart Woods. I love Gone, but Not Forgotten by Phillip Margolin. I couldn’t put it down.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Michael: The Music Man.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Michael: I’m a Blues guy. The Blues Brothers.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Michael: Michael Chiklis.

To keep up with Michael, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Photo Credit: Jay Curtis