thePULSEFrom the Assumption College Stage to Los Angeles
December 2005 –
Actor Terrence Haddad, a double-major graduate of Assumption College, will soon be making the move to L.A. to take his acting career to the next level. Not bad for the shy kid from the South Shore who didn’t give acting a second thought for the first 18 years of his life. But when Terrence hit Assumption, all that changed, and, as they say in the business, “he was bitten by the bug.” Fast forward several years and now, after completing work on a Showtime series in Rhode Island, Terrence is busy acting in several independent films around New England before he leaves for the West Coast. Taking a break from his rehearsal and shooting schedule, he answered a few questions about his post-Assumption acting career and his plans for the future.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in East Bridgewater, MA. It’s a small suburb located on the South Shore, your typical small town ~ there’s nothing else really to say about it.
What was your Major at Assumption?
I double majored in Media Communications and English. I had thoughts of being a writer, but those ended quickly.
What classes did you most enjoy?
I would have to say my Media classes like TV Production and yes, eventually my Theatre Experience class.
What made you first choose acting/ theatre arts classes?
I had to take Theatre Experience for my Media Communications requirement.
How did Assumption prepare you for the world of acting?
I’d phrase it that Assumption “nudged me” into the world of acting. I had always wanted to try it but never thought I could remember all of the lines. Then I met Brian Tivnan, who pushed me, slightly, in the direction of the stage. He asked me to try out for the spring play. I did. I got the lead. I had to know something like 80 pages of the 84 page script. So whatever fear I had of not being able to know my lines went out the window when I agreed to do that show, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
Is there a Professor who inspired you, someone you’d consider your favorite?
I would have to say that Professor Tivnan is that person. He is the only teacher I have ever had that I remain in contact with and of whom I ask advice. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have this proverbial acting bug embedded in my skin.
When did you know that you wanted to be an actor?
I always loved movies. Some of my earliest memories are of watching them. I always wanted to try acting…but I was so shy in high school you would have never gotten me on a stage. College changed things and made me face a lot of the fears I had about being in front of people ~ and as I faced those, I started to consider trying acting.
Was there a television show/ movie/ play that inspired you, or maybe an actor whom you try to emulate?
Not really, and as an actor I never try to emulate anyone. I always try to take a character and make it my own. The audience will know if what they’re seeing is you doing a half-assed version of a famous actor’s portrayal of a well-known character. I put off watching Jack Nicholson in “Cuckoo” until about two or three weeks before the play opened. And at rehearsal the day after I watched the film, Brian jumped right in with, “Someone watched Jack’s performance, didn’t he?” I watched it because I was new to acting and because I was missing something in my performance. I didn’t want (and don’t think it was) my performance to be a characterization of Jack’s performance. I hope it came off original in its own right. After all, there is only one Jack!
What was it like the first time you got in front of an audience?
It was sheer terror mixed with the biggest shot of adrenaline I had ever experienced in my life.
Can you share a particularly memorable moment from one of your acting experiences?
This past summer I had my first love scene and rape scene all in one day. That was kind of intense.
What kind of acting do you prefer, stage or screen?
So far, I prefer stage acting. I learned more in 3 or 4 months doing the play at Assumption than I have in almost two years of film acting. Of course, there are skills to be learned from both styles, acting muscles that are unique to each. And unfortunately, the stage takes too much of a time commitment.
And if you had to choose between comedy and drama?
I do a lot of drama and prefer the texture and themes inherent in dramas. I don’t consider myself a comedic actor though I have been told I do alright with it.
What is the hardest thing about acting? And the easiest?
Making a living out of it is the hardest thing. And there isn’t anything easy about it.
Are there any misconceptions about acting?
That’s tough to answer. There is more to acting than just standing in front of a camera or on a stage reciting some lines and moving around. There is a craft to it, a sequence of fluid movements to every scene. Every element is choreographed and the actor has to know his character inside and out. There is a lot of research involved.
Have you met any celebrities yet, or is there anyone you’re just dying to meet?
Not yet. And I don’t really get star struck, but I’d love to work with the same people any actor would love to share screen time with ~ Pacino, DeNiro, Nicholson…
Do you have jobs/auditions lined up in LA already?
Not yet…but “yet” is the operative word. I have a couple of projects lined up here through January ~ a bit part in CT’s State Street Productions’ indie “Inclusions” and a role in a Boston indie titled “Circuit” ~ and then I can turn my full attention to the move to the West Coast, scheduling auditions, getting my headshot around, making connections. It’s a process…and usually a long one. That’s why you have to really love, really commit to, a life as an actor.
What kind of acting would you most like to do eventually?
I’d be happy doing any kind of theatre, film or television work that’s decently written and pays the bills. I just want to make a living doing what I love.
Have you done any TV work, and if you could be on any current show…?
I did just complete five days of background work for the Showtime series “The Brotherhood,” shot in Rhode Island. That was fun, but the days were really long. They have a really good cast with some very talented local actors as leads. I would love to be on “House.” It doesn’t get any better than Hugh Laurie’s work on that show.
What about New England will you miss most?
I would honestly miss the winter. I love the snow.
