Bookpleasures.com welcomes as our guest Actor, Author, and writer, Sam Ingraffia.

Sam has performed in over one-hundred film and television productions. He has worked some of the most acclaimed directors as John Schlesinger, Ron Howard, Mike Newell, Oliver Stone, Delbert Mann and Robert Zemeckis.

Some of his recent roles include Death and Cremation, with Brad Dourif and Jeremy Sumpter, Blue Telescope, with R.D. Call and U.Z.L.A., with Shawn Christian. Numerous television appearances include a just-completed Guest Star lead on the Emmy-winning HBO hit Barry.

Sam studied with Lee Strasberg, Jeff Corey, Milton Katselas, Charles Conrad and Estelle Harmon.

His writing credits include episodic television, network pilots, an HBO special and feature films. His award-winning plays have been produced in New York, Los Angeles and in numerous regional theaters across the country and have been published by Samuel French.

Sam founded his own production company, Little Dog Productions, with partner Doug Burch in 2008.

He has written and produced numerous feature films, including Atlantis Down, starring Michael Rooker and Wages of Sin with Emmy-winning DP Michael Franks.

Sam received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Soon to be released is WHAT WOULD JOHNNY DENT DO? A New Charlie McGinley Mystery

Norm: Good day Sam and thanks for taking part in our interview.

Sam: My pleasure.

What do you consider to be your greatest success (or successes) so far in your various careers?

Sam: There’s career success and personal success. Working with several Academy Award-winning directors was amazing. John Schlesinger was brilliant. As was Oliver Stone.

Working with them was like taking a Master class in acting. Working with Sean Penn was great fun and it certainly kept me on my toes as an actor.

As far as personal success, I still recall the first time I heard a theater audience laugh at something I’d written. It was a tiny theater, and I was making very little money as a writer, but it still qualifies as one of the best days of my life and my career.   

Norm: What has been your greatest challenge (professionally) that you’ve overcome in getting to where you’re at today? 

Sam: You face a lot of rejection when you’re an actor or a writer. The hardest thing is not to take it personally.

I always tell young people I work with, you can only control so many things in your career.  You can show up on time. You can be prepared. You can be a team player. 

Commit to the work – whether it’s an audition, an acting job, a script, or a book. Focus.  Do the best you can, then let it go and move on. Never second guess yourself.

Norm: How did you get involved in acting and what was your most challenging role?

Sam: I kind of backed into acting. I was getting a master’s degree in business. A friend was directing a play in Los Angeles (where I live.)

He was having a difficult time casting a small part. He asked if I would cover it until he could find an actor.

I was on break from school, and thought it might be fun, so I said yes. I showed up at the first rehearsal and loved the process. I quit school that week and have never looked back. 

I’ve been fortunate to have a long, successful career as a TV/film actor.  But for me the most challenging roles have been on stage. 

With film and television, you get multiple takes, and an editor can save your performance.

On stage you have no place to hide. I’ve had numerous roles where I had to break down in tears at the same place in the play every night. That calls for real discipline and commitment.  It’s also terrifying.

Norm: How has the film business changed since you started as an actor?

Sam: When I started in the business everything was shot on film. I can’t remember the last project I worked on that was shot on film.

Everything is now shot on video.  Also, when I started, if you wanted to be involved in film or television in any capacity, you had to live in L.A., or New York.

That has totally changed. Zoom calls and cell phones have revolutionized the industry. People anywhere in the country can now audition, or pitch projects.  There’s as much film and TV production in Georgia as there is in L.A.

Norm: What is the most extreme change to your personality, hair, body weight, etc etc, that you have done to land a role? 

Sam: I played a death-row convict in a feature film a few years ago We shot at a real prison. Getting in touch with the anger, sadness, and angst the character was feeling was tough to maintain every day. 

It was difficult to let it go after the shoot was finished. 

My wife always laughs because I’ve had so many weird haircuts for roles over the years.  Biggest physical change: I once lost almost twenty pounds to play a dying Vietnam vet.   

Norm: In your opinion, what is the most difficult part of the writing process? 

Sam: For me, it’s knowing when you’re finished. I love the writing process and I’m also a bit of a perfectionist, so I have a tendency to keep rewriting.

When you get a paying gig as a writer, there’s generally a timeline for when you have to be finished.

When you write on spec, you determine when you’re done. I’ve learned over the years to create my own timeline, even if it's artificial. It gives me a goal to shoot for. 

Norm: How did you become involved with the subject or theme of WHAT WOULD JOHNNY DENT DO?

Sam: I wanted to poke fun at a writer who takes himself too seriously. Charlie, the central character in the book, wants to be considered a great novelist.

He’s not happy writing detective novels, even though he’s been successful financially. 

Every writer wants to be taken seriously. I’m no exception. Again, what I’ve learned over the years is that there’s nothing wrong with entertaining people.

You can sneak in the “serious messages” while folks are laughing. 

Norm: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

Sam: I wanted to write a comedic mystery that kept people guessing and also made them laugh. So far, the response has been really positive.

I also wanted to deal with some serious themes like adoption, career pressure, life on the Navajo reservation, and how children change a relationship.

Again, my goal was to first entertain, and then sprinkle in my take on real issues.

Norm: Could you tell our readers a little about the novel?

Sam: Charlie McGinley writes detective novels. His latest book is being filmed as a movie on location in New Mexico. Everything is going great until Scott Lassiter, the star of the film, is kidnapped.

Vanessa Tanner, the female lead in the movie, is married to Scott. She quickly becomes the primary suspect in the kidnapping. 

Charlie, who was once engaged to Vanessa, reluctantly agrees to help her.

Then, people start dying.

Norm:  What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

Sam: This is the second book in the Charlie McGinley Mystery Series. The first book, THE RIGHT STIFF, introduced all the main characters and set up why Charlie and his new wife Mickey ended up in New Mexico.

It was a chore trying to figure out how much backstory to put in the new book. It had to be a stand-alone entity, but without some setup, the story wouldn’t make any sense.

Norm: Did your other careers as an actor, playwright, and film writer have any influence on your writing of WHAT WOULD JOHNNY DENT DO?

Sam: From writing for television, I learned discipline. You have to write quickly, and you have to write every day.  Because I’m an actor, I play all the parts in the book.

I often improvise scenes, playing the various characters. From acting and writing I learned to keep asking myself, “What does the central character want, and who is stopping him from getting it?”   

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and WHAT WOULD JOHNNY DENT DO?

Sam: The book will be up on Amazon, Tuesday, November 1st. (eBook and paperback)

They can also go to my WEBSITE SAM INGRAFFIA

AND

SAM INGRAFFIA ACTOR, WRITER, PRODUCER

to learn more about me and WHAT WOULD JOHNNY DENT DO? and the RIGHT STIFF.

Sam: I’m about to start work on a new film as an actor. I have three feature screenplays in development. And I just finished the outline for the next Charlie McGinley Mystery.

Norm: As this interview comes to an end, if someone was going to make your life into a movie, who would play you and why?

Sam: I’d love to have Bill Hader from the HBO show BARRY play me. He could handle the comedy, work the dramatic bits, and write the script.

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your endeavors

Sam: Thank you.