Red Stone: Sharing a Scene with Neal McDonough and Remembering Why I Act

The Life of a Modern Renaissance Man: A Video Journal, entry 18

One of the first films I worked on during the quarantine era was Red Stone. This video shares a scene from that project with Neal McDonough and Dash Melrose, and it's a reminder of how surreal an acting career can feel when you're actually doing the work you've spent years imagining.

What I've always loved about acting is the exchange. You prepare, you build a character, you listen, and then another actor gives you something you couldn't have scripted in your head. A scene becomes alive because of the people in it.

Working opposite established performers is also a reminder that the craft never stops asking you to grow. Credits are exciting, of course. But I want to keep developing the instincts and discipline to show up prepared, take direction, and bring something honest to whatever role I'm trusted with.

When I look at this clip, I think about the long path that led there: a kid placed in drama class, years of training, the theater work in Dallas, auditions, callbacks, and all the times I had to believe in the next opportunity before it arrived.

Getting to participate in a film like Red Stone mattered. So did the quieter realization that I belonged in the room, doing the work, ready for whatever scene came next.