Believe. Surround yourself with people you admire and create. Dream during the day and let the night tidy your thoughts. Find out what works best for you. Are you a morning person or an evening person? Do you prefer breakfast or dinner? When does your anxiety kick in during the day? What can you do to help yourself? Schedule your work around it, around you. And before anything else, write.
As a part of our series about stars who are making an important social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Koch.
Tom is a stage and screen actor based in New York City. Originally from France, the actor made his Off-broadway debut in ‘Science’ by Tom Attea. Most recently, he was seen in a Shakespeare’s Richard III production under SoHo Shakespeare Company. Tom will be shooting Andre Bato’s next film ‘Petit Louis’ in Los Angeles starting February 6th. More about the actor here.
Thank you so much for joining us on this interview series. Can you share with us the backstory that led you to this career path?
Hi, thank you for having me. I grew up in the South of France, in a city called Montpellier. I started with improv classes there. I briefly moved to Paris to study Philosophy at Sorbonne before packing my bags and moving to London to pursue acting, which was all I wanted to do. I was taking workshops and classes. I tried to learn as much as possible from actors, directors, teachers, I ended up in a Shakespeare production of The Tempest and my first and only musical: Grease. I discovered a true love for stage acting, set design, sounds, movement pieces, everything aspect of the performing arts. I moved to New York to enroll at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts where I trained and learned intricacies of the craft. After graduating, I worked on shows in New York and shot a film in LA called ‘The Out Man’.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I think the biggest mistake I was making was not allowing the mistakes into the work. Art is messy. Perfection doesn’t exist and isn’t really interesting to watch. I’m trying to learn how to love mistakes. I’ve realized the most captivating storytelling I’ve seen on stage was often made by mistakes. The whole room suddenly stops breathing and we all wonder, what is going to happen?! I’ve done a countless amount of them believe me, I think they should be encouraged.
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
Believe. Surround yourself with people you admire and create. Dream during the day and let the night tidy your thoughts. Find out what works best for you. Are you a morning person or an evening person? Do you prefer breakfast or dinner? When does your anxiety kick in during the day? What can you do to help yourself? Schedule your work around it, around you. And before anything else, write.
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?
Many people did. When I was 14, my best friend invited me to his home for a sleepover. Later I found out that Jean Dujardin (French Actor, Academy Award Winner for The Artist) was there, having dinner with us. He was my biggest inspiration at the time. I knew I wanted to be an actor but I had no idea how, or what to do. It was like meeting my hero. After dinner I asked if I could ask him questions about the work. I remember saying: ‘Jean, how did you do it?’ and we spoke for a long time. I was scared to bother him and immensely grateful that he spent this time with me. That night was a great inspiration.
How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you’re working on right now?
Storytelling! Comedy! Comedy for me is one the greatest tools to convey joy and goodness into the World. It doesn’t have to be funny; it can also be dramatic, or heartbreaking. But a wise woman once said, ‘heartbreak feels good in a place like this’ (movie theater) and I agree. Nothing brings me more comfort than going to see a play, a show or watching a movie at home.
At the moment I’m working on ‘A Doomed Village’, it is a multimedia immersive experience in New York. It is a short installation that’s part of a series ‘Night Time Stories’. I’m the only live actor in it. I’ve never done anything like that before, we’re mixing film, original score, live performance and even holograms into a short play. The goal is to immerse the audience into something completely unique and new. It’s a tricky medium to create, we’re always looking to solve new problems, but it is very exciting to see what this new medium could be.
Can you share with us a story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
I’ve always wondered how we could mix film and theater. I watched Simon McBurney’s play ‘The Encounter’ when I was 16 with my grandmother. Which was a different experience because there was no use of film, but the audience was wearing headphones and McBurney was making sounds on stage directly transmitted into the headphones. It was the most immersed I felt watching a play. I always wanted to be part of something like that!
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
We open today, Saturday January the 14th, so I haven’t had a chance to meet with an audience member yet. I hope it inspires people to create, to explore new mediums, to go watch more theater or simply to get transported for a short period of time into a new World.
Are there three things or are there things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?
Yes, I’d like to find out what people are interested in seeing, what do the theater goers want to see next? How can we serve the audience? It would be nice to create more infrastructures adapted to support this medium; where live actors can interact with films and we can immerse the public at a new level. Even playing the classics and bringing live performances to it. A lot can be done.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”
- That it isn’t just allowed to make mistakes but strongly encouraged.
- There’s always a new bigger mountain to climb, it never stops.
- Enjoy the present! It’s the most important.
- Every human being is different and at the end of the day we’re just interacting with humans. Kindness is Key.
- Make sure to write/journal every day, it helps.
You’re a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I would also love it if Theater was more accessible to younger crowds, or if there was financial support of any kind in order to see art. Money was always what blocked me from seeing shows. I’ve missed so many performances I would have loved to watch. It’s inspiring and healing for everyone, but not everyone should be paying the same price to experience it.
The other thing is going to sound a little cliché… I try to stay away from social media as much as I can and I encourage people to do the same. It reduces stress and increases the attention span. I use it, don’t get me wrong. Mostly to promote things about art and the projects I’m working on. Because it’s easy to open social media, start scrolling and it just never ends.
Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? And can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
I think it was Picasso who said something like: ‘every child is born an artist, the hardest thing is to stay an artist growing up’. I think that’s super important because I have the tendency to take things seriously, especially the work, acting and the craft! But the inner child is often the most interesting artist in a person. When you take the work seriously but let that inner child be, things start to make sense and they speak louder. I try to apply it to a lot of things.
We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Well, Helena Bonham Carter if you read this, I promise I will work around your schedule to set up a brunch. Haha. Yes, I think Helena Bonham Carter is one of the most vibrant actors. I’m amazed by her artistry, her scales, her talent from ‘A Room with a View’ with Daniel Day Lewis, to ‘The King’s Speech’, ‘Fight Club’ and of course ‘Harry Potter’. She can do anything, it’s unbelievable.
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!
Thank you so much for having me and have an amazing day.
Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How Tom Koch Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.