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portrait | by Brett Stone Fame is not on his agenda, movie of the week Behind Company Michael David Simms: integrity The Making is. Most recently this north shore resident was seen as a lead in the the Camera: of Three's and starring in the Universal pilot All Saints. Outer Limits, He guest stars Tom Stone and X-Files, regularly on series such as Jeremiah, and Dallas. Twilight Zone and has been a recurring regular on Cold Squad, Millennium the films Masterminds, Alien Nation. He has also appeared in memorable roles in Final Cut, What's Love Got to do With It and Originally from Ohio, Michael began his acting career in Los Angeles at the age 38 after spending many unsatisfying yet successful years in sales and marketing. He made the trek up to Canada close to a decade ago after an actor friend enlightened him on "the industry b o o m " here and mentioned he was going to Vancouver for the summer to find work. Michael decided to follow suit. Though work hit heavily upon his arrival, it was the beauty of the place that won him over. He hired an immigration lawyer and six months later was happy to call Canada home. He moved to Deep Cove six years ago when after a jaunt to check out the Deep Cove Theater he fell in love with the community. Since then he's directed three plays for the First Impressions Theater Company, Speed the Plow, Arsenic and Old Lace and On Golden Pond. His productions at the theater have been so successful that he's grown used to accusations from the Deep Cove Stage Company who shares the theater space that his shows are just "too good" for a community theater. Yet "too good" isn't close to good enough for Michael who states his greatest mission is to "raise the bar on the work ethic in this town." Four nights a week Michael teaches classes to other professionals helping them to master a solid process that will serve them in any situation and inspiring them to work for excellence. It's a formula that has won his students countless roles in films and television shows, and earned him the reputation among casting directors and agents as the teacher to study with. Industry professionals regularly sit in on his classes searching for new talent, and his praises are sung by many well-known professionals such as Harry Hamlin and three time Emmy award winning director/producer Terry Hughes. He began teaching in Los Angeles in the two years before he immigrated and continued to teach in Canada at the urgings of his agent. What he discovered in his students stunned him. "I saw that there was an enormous amount of talent in the actors here," Simms says, "but their training was horrendous." Michael became determined In a w o r l d w h e r e c e l e b r i t y is w o r s h i p p e d and craft undervalued, a c t o r/t ea ch e r/d i r e c t o r Michael David Simms is one of those rare models of i n t e g r i t y who is a c t u a l l y s e r i o u s when he t e l l s y o u , " F a m e is not on my a g e n d a , I'm about the w o r k . " D e s p i t e these p r o t e s t a t i o n s , his s t r o n g d e d i c a t i o n to the art of a c t i n g , a p a s s i o n he imparts to the s t u d e n t s he t e a c h e s and the a c t o r s he d i r e c t s , c o m b i n e d w i t h a well of raw talent and an edgy, witty personality have t u r n e d him into one of the most s o u g h t after a c t o r s in C a n a d a . July | August to change all that. "In Canada an actor is not only competing with the other actors in the 3000 member local union, but they are also competing with the over 100,000 members of the screen actor's guild," he says, "I want to develop the talent pool here to become so strong that even though it's mostly American product being shot here, the producers will have no need to hire anyone from down south." Michael David Simms manages the Michael Simms Actors' Studio from his home in North Vancouver. For more information about him and his classes call 604. 929.8069 or check out the website at www.mdsactors.com.