Miguel A. Velazquez
ACTOR | NEW YORK | BOSTON
Miguel A. Velazquez
ACTOR | NEW YORK | BOSTON
Recent News
About Me
It was the early 90’s (cue the Friends theme song) , I was fresh off the… airplane, and this Puerto Rican kid with his picked out afro lands in Boston, brrrrr its cold! Oh, but look there’s snow, it’s so pretty! I think I’ll stay a while! That kid was me, and boy was I in for a ride.
Speaking very little English, rockin’ my hand me down clothes, and my love for dressing up in costumes didn’t exactly help me with the cool kids per say, and I quickly became the last kid to be picked at dodgeball, so I picked myself up by my neon shoe laces (yes neon), dusted myself off , picked my hair and turned on the TV, thank you cable! That sped up the process in the English learning department!
TV was my loyal friend and teacher, but my first true love happened when I got my first library card. It was my first time at the Salem Public Library and as I walked to the nearest exit after checking out “To Kill a Mocking Bird” (I was an ambitious reader, even at the age of 6), I kept looking over my shoulder, thinking someone would tap me and accuse me of shoplifting and discover my dirty little secret of stealing books, “this has to be a setup” I said to myself . Free books? I thought to myself, I am definitely staying a while… I love Salem!
Salem was the perfect place for a quirky kid like me who lived inside imaginary worlds. Known for its witch history and magical past. Halloween felt like a national holiday, and my love for stories and costumes (I was obsessed with clowns, I know weird, hello old clown suit!) made me feel right at home while growing up in the witch city. I remember vividly, watching a scene of Hocus Pocus being filmed a few minutes from my house and thinking I had landed in Hollywood, and this was surely a sign from the universe telling me I am destined to be in movies!!
And so, I started by convincing my older cousin to lend me her VHS camcorder (that she may or may not have gotten back) and got to work! I began by creating scenarios and comedy skits and would cast my family, poking fun of my mom and brothers, provoking laughs and genuine reactions! I was addicted to telling stories and making people laugh, and it all began in my very own living room!
P.S I’d like to think I beat the Kardashians at this whole unscripted, reality tv thing… Sorry, I digress!
I continue to hone my craft in and out of the classroom. I have trained in classical theater at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, most recently at the Stella Adler Art of Acting Studios In Los Angeles in Scene Study class, and am currently training with Actor and Acting Coach Rodney Rowland, as well as Voice Over acting with Actorsite under teacher and voice over actor Valerie Rose Lohman.
This past spring I was able to revisit a beloved character, a hopeless romantic with an edge in “Unconditional Love” a YouTube web series, as well as in the spinoff show “Love Undone”, which landed me a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Capital City Web Awards.
When I’m not busy doing what I love, I’m busy loving my sweet Yorkie dog named Jack. We spend a lot of time at the beach, and we love hanging out with my nutty family (while still mocking and poking at them of course… except now it's with a smartphone… although I still prefer my 90’s camcorder). You can always find me working on my photography and taking weekend trips with my favorite toy, the camera - - - (and no, I have not put the camcorder away…. because you can take the boy out of the 90’s but you can’t take the 90’s out of the boy!)
*cue rolling credits with Friends Theme Song
