Anza Film Star, Musician, Producer & Cowboy, and Actor Steve Silkotch Was Made For The Big Screen!

Interview By: Gina Sedman

Steve Silkotch is a talented actor who has been performing at the Ramona Bowl/Ramona outdoor play for 17 years, playing various cowboy roles. He has also participated in other promotional events for the Ramona Bowl. Steve is a cowboy, actor, and musician who has lived in Anza, CA, a small town located in the San Jacinto Mountains of southern California, all his life.

In addition to his outstanding performances at the Ramona Bowl, Steve has won several awards for his acting. He won the Coachella Valley Indie Film Awards in Rancho Mirage on Monday, Oct. 7, 2019, and also won the CV Indie Film Award for Best Male Actor Award in 2017.

I had the pleasure of working with Steve, and I can attest to his incredible talent and kind personality. He was always well-prepared and easy to work with, bringing joy and positivity to the set. I couldn't think of a better person to feature in this month's interview. Here's what Steve shared with me.

What inspired you to be an actor? Love watching movies and watching some of the "behind the scenes " stuff just seemed like a lot of fun.

How do you prepare for a role? How do I prepare for a role, well usually involves a lot of fasting, meditation, and prayer no I'm just kidding I read the script as well as talked with the director /writer about the character and tried to get some insight as to what kind of person I'm supposed to be.

What role would you like to play? A tough detective in a crime series or a rugged sheriff in a western.

What films have you appeared in? Features Cataract Gold, One Year Pact, Rose England, Acts of Kindness, Star Connection (coming soon) shorts, American Moonlight, Rhonda and Holiday, and TV series Tucker's War.

What was your misconception of acting? The process of actually making a film lol.

How was your first experience ever being in a film? My first experience was great, and I had a lot of fun on the set, seeing the comradery and such with actors, the director/s crew was really neat.

Do you see yourself acting for the rest of your life? Hard to say, I mean when I'm on set I'm usually having a great time but there are down periods that are somewhat discouraging as well as times you kinda feel like there isn't much for you when it comes to your specific body type or looks. I think I answered that one like a politician not directly answered but kinda around it hahaha :)

Were there any other family members also interested in the arts? Sort of. My parents were both involved with the Ramona Outdoor Play for a few years with me and I conned my dad into being an extra in Tucker's War lol.

Has your love for acting increased or decreased through the years? Why? Another question I may have to give the politician-style answer hahaha actors/actresses enjoy acting so the rewarding aspects lie within the opportunity given, the most challenging aspect a lot of times I hate to say as far as indie filmmaking goes is sometimes the means to make the project happen. I plan to enjoy the journey as long as I can.

Do you plan to become a SAG/AFTRA actor/actress or are you just fine with being a free independent actor? Would be nice to get SAG status but I'm ok either way.

What aspect of being an independent actor is the most rewarding and what part would you find the most challenging? What do you feel are the positive and negative aspects of becoming a union actor? The positive aspects better chances to get into bigger projects, the negative side is you gotta deal with the union politics, please rules and regulations.

What’s next for Steve? What's next for me a couple of projects in the works in the meantime take care of my youngins lol

If you could advise someone just starting in the movie industry, what would it be? My advice would be to learn as much as you can, never let anyone tell you that you can't always keep trying but also don't quit your day job either.

https://www.facebook.com/steve.silkotch

END OF INTERVIEW