ANDREW ROTHKIN
Actor Bio
I have wanted to be an actor from as far back as I can remember, and have spent the vast majority of my life pursuing the craft, working hard to be the best actor I could possibly be. I began my theatrical education in the suburbs of Maryland – first in Junior High, then in several local and state-run institutions, including the highly–respected Round House Theatre.
While I performed in many plays in high school, the bulk of what I learned and what I gained was through my work with my high school’s “Shakespeare Troupe,” a small band of young actors who performed scenes and monologues of the Bard throughout Maryland, led by the miraculous Dr. Lee Viccellio – who was, in many ways, one of the greatest teachers of my life. Her passion for Shakespeare, and in particular, for Hamlet, was so powerful and life changing to me that I feel its vibrations to this day.
I expanded my training to the D.C.’s Folger Theatre and began to perform in community theatre throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C., ultimately ending up as a Theatre Major at Towson University – a medium-sized and esteemed college in Baltimore. This is where my craft really took form! Looking back, I am very grateful for the amazing experience I had in those years: the phenomenal teachers, exceptional facilities and mostly high-caliber productions, and the amazing peers who both supported and challenged me. While I ultimately had to “unlearn” a few of the habits I acquired there, it was a solid training that readied me for the life as an actor in NYC – at least in the ART of acting. The BUSINESS of acting would take many years to understand – and I still have much to learn.
Upon graduation, I spent one year living the life of an actor in Baltimore -- including my first paid acting jobs at The Maryland Arts Festival and in the troupe Shakespeare’s Skum (working both in and out of The Maryland Renaissance Festival), and toured in some children’s shows. (This is also when I first began to teach acting to children.) My final days as a Maryland actor were spent filing “Permanent Damage,” my first large role and film, and still one of my favorite roles to date.
I began my tenure in New York as an MFA in Acting candidate at Brooklyn College. While the matter-of-fact attitude of the teachers and the apathy of much of the staff was a far cry from the warm nest and devotion of my undergrad experience, I grew and I learned, just the same, and the experience prepared me in many ways for a life in the NYC business. I also took my first Acting for Film classes as part of the Master’s Program, studying with the very inspirational Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham. It was my vocal teacher, Mark Zeller, however, that was my true mentor – and I learned more about acting through his voice classes than through all my other teachers combined.
I played some great roles while in the program, but also began audition in the city – landing some fantastic Off-Off-Broadway roles and becoming members of quite a few theatre companies.
This was the biggest growing experience of all – learning while performing in stages big and small (but mostly small!) throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey. I cherish the amazing people I have worked with and have adored many of the great roles, classic and contemporary, comic and dramatic, realistic and stylized/avant-garde.
I still get excited when I get a juicy role, be it for stage, TV or film – published or brand new. And I look forward to all the roles I get to play as I grow wiser and better with age.
While I have worn many theatrical through the years – director, producer, artistic director and teacher – it is as an actor (and playwright!) that I find my true love and calling.
While I performed in many plays in high school, the bulk of what I learned and what I gained was through my work with my high school’s “Shakespeare Troupe,” a small band of young actors who performed scenes and monologues of the Bard throughout Maryland, led by the miraculous Dr. Lee Viccellio – who was, in many ways, one of the greatest teachers of my life. Her passion for Shakespeare, and in particular, for Hamlet, was so powerful and life changing to me that I feel its vibrations to this day.
I expanded my training to the D.C.’s Folger Theatre and began to perform in community theatre throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C., ultimately ending up as a Theatre Major at Towson University – a medium-sized and esteemed college in Baltimore. This is where my craft really took form! Looking back, I am very grateful for the amazing experience I had in those years: the phenomenal teachers, exceptional facilities and mostly high-caliber productions, and the amazing peers who both supported and challenged me. While I ultimately had to “unlearn” a few of the habits I acquired there, it was a solid training that readied me for the life as an actor in NYC – at least in the ART of acting. The BUSINESS of acting would take many years to understand – and I still have much to learn.
Upon graduation, I spent one year living the life of an actor in Baltimore -- including my first paid acting jobs at The Maryland Arts Festival and in the troupe Shakespeare’s Skum (working both in and out of The Maryland Renaissance Festival), and toured in some children’s shows. (This is also when I first began to teach acting to children.) My final days as a Maryland actor were spent filing “Permanent Damage,” my first large role and film, and still one of my favorite roles to date.
I began my tenure in New York as an MFA in Acting candidate at Brooklyn College. While the matter-of-fact attitude of the teachers and the apathy of much of the staff was a far cry from the warm nest and devotion of my undergrad experience, I grew and I learned, just the same, and the experience prepared me in many ways for a life in the NYC business. I also took my first Acting for Film classes as part of the Master’s Program, studying with the very inspirational Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham. It was my vocal teacher, Mark Zeller, however, that was my true mentor – and I learned more about acting through his voice classes than through all my other teachers combined.
I played some great roles while in the program, but also began audition in the city – landing some fantastic Off-Off-Broadway roles and becoming members of quite a few theatre companies.
This was the biggest growing experience of all – learning while performing in stages big and small (but mostly small!) throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey. I cherish the amazing people I have worked with and have adored many of the great roles, classic and contemporary, comic and dramatic, realistic and stylized/avant-garde.
I still get excited when I get a juicy role, be it for stage, TV or film – published or brand new. And I look forward to all the roles I get to play as I grow wiser and better with age.
While I have worn many theatrical through the years – director, producer, artistic director and teacher – it is as an actor (and playwright!) that I find my true love and calling.
awards & nominations
- Nomination, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Award, 2015 for Dean in When the Party's Over
- Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actor, Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Award, 2011 for Captain Albert Groder in Hummingbirds
- Winner, Best Supporting Actor, Spotlight On Off-Off Broadway Awards, 2006 for Freud, Satan & Doc in Babies with Rabies
- Nomination, Best Supporting Actor, Spotlight On Off-Off Broadway Awards, 2005 for Stephano in The Tempest
- Winner, Best Actor, Spotlight On Off-Off Broadway Awards, 2004 for Arthur in Psychodrama
- Winner, Best Actor, Spotlight On Off-Off Broadway Awards, 2003 for Michael/Micki in Michael Doesn’t Live Here Anymore