Resume: Actor and Founder of Gigbone Productions
Sport at USC: Football
Aubrey Kragen (AK) How did you first get into acting?
Matt Willig: "Well the longer I played in the NFL, I was looking for something that wasn't a behind-the-desk sort of job. I was thinking about going into the broadcast booth and doing some sideline reporting, and then I got introduced to a commercial agent who dealt with a lot of ex-athletes. Throughout my career, I was hosting radio and television shows, with the 49ers and with the Jets, my first team. I just sort of got comfortable being on camera. So this agent said, 'Hey, let's try some commercial auditions in the offseason and see how it goes.' And I ended up booking my first commercial audition and had a couple of big campaigns, and that led to the decision of when I retired to give it a shot and see how it goes."
AK: Why do you think you clicked with acting?
MW: Literally, I'm the fifth of six boys, so I've always wanted to be on and noticed. It's kind of my personality --- I was always a prankster with several teams. You never know if that's going to translate into being a decent actor, but at least I had the ability to want to be on camera and be comfortable doing that, comfortable being someone else. As an actor, that's challenging, to try to see if you can put yourself in someone else's shoes. And it just came natural. So when I finally retired, I got into acting lessons and quickly learned that I had more than just being the big bruiser or the big bad guy, even though that's what I play a lot of times. I've also done some roles that required some serious acting. And I'm decent at it, so that obviously helped.
AK: Based on your size, I'm sure that you get a lot of calls asking you to play a certain type of role. Does that get frustrating to you, or do you embrace that?
MW: You'll hear a lot of people say that you go where the money is and your bread and butter, so to speak. I can't hide how big I am, you know, 6-foot-7, 285 or 290 pounds --- it looks even bigger on camera. So I embrace it, but it's always nice to do something where despite my size, I play someone who has some flaws or someone who has a little bit inside that you can get to know, and I've done a few films like that. I've been known as a guy who can come in and play different nationalities --- I play a Russian guy, I play a Hispanic guy, things like that. Playing different nationalities broadens the horizons a little bit.
AK: That leads me into asking about your role in "Concussion," which was a more serious role. I'm sure you could bring a lot of your own experiences to that, having played football, so what was that like for you?
MW: It was something I really wanted when I found out about it and saw that they were looking for a few athletes to come in and audition. You talk about roles that are kind of right in your alley and sort of made for you --- this was. Looking back on it, I wish it was a bigger role, but it was great. And I was able to use my experiences --- not only mine but people that I knew --- guys that were struggling that had gone through some things. I played with Junior Seau. Junior was my roommate as a freshman, so I knew Junior really well. Scott Ross was a linebacker that I played with at SC and he ended up taking his life. So it was all around me. And it was really cool as an actor to really get into that and feel that. You want to feel the emotions, and it was real. And I was able to use that and was really proud to be a part of the movie.
AK: Would you say that that's one of your favorite projects you've worked on? What are some of your other favorites?
MW: That would definitely be up there. Being in We're the Millers was fun because it's garnered me some additional notoriety. Doing a series like NCIS was a lot of fun --- I played a Mensa character with really high intelligence. Playing on the show Dexter was a lot of fun. At the time, that show was just coming into its own, and to play a bad character on that was fun as well. I always use the analogy that it's such a long ladder to success in acting. Just when I feel like I've climbed a few steps on the ladder, you look up and see how much further there is to go. It's a grind, like any other business. But I love it and I'm comfortable saying that I get more out of it than I ever did playing football. I was so lucky to play 14 years in the NFL ... then to turn around and have a second career like this has been a godsend.
AK: It is pretty remarkable to have two separate successful careers. Do you think you just got lucky or do you think that's something everyone can do?
MW: It is very unique. I think I picked two careers that are very hard to attain and very hard to have success at. So I consider myself lucky. One of my mottos is, 'Why not me?' If I work hard and continue to believe in myself --- it sounds corny, but it's true. I just thought it was possible, I just went for it. I had people along the way, even in my family, that thought, 'You're crazy. That's ridiculous. Go out and get a job where you can make some consistent money and have a nice back end of your life.' It was the hard route. But it's been absolutely fulfilling and pretty unique.
AK: Lastly, what's next for you?
MW: You know, it's hard. You try to climb the ladder but I'm getting older, I'm reaching 50 in a couple years and you never know how long this will go on. My goal is to work for a good five more years to maintain the success, have some good roles, and then kind of ride off into the sunset and use my retirement. I'm hoping that there's one more leap up the ladder --- maybe a television series where I can work consistently. I just came off doing the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and that was a lot of fun as well. I want to be like a Brad Garrett in Everybody Loves Raymond. He was the next door neighbor. And I think that would be a great role to have, as a second lead in a television series. I have a production company, so maybe I'll write it myself. I've been trying to pitch a few ideas. I think acting's hard --- producing is twice as hard. But who knows. I'm still enjoying it like nothing else. And until the enjoyment goes away, I'm gonna keep doing it.
