HELLO AMERICA!—His name is Bobby Wright. He is not only an actor and writer, he is a guy who has a passion for finding financing of motion pictures. Home for Bobby is watching the results in a theater on the screen.

MSJ: Since you are a California native, how did this affect the image you had of the rest of the world as a youngster?

BW: Of course during that period the world was going through all sorts of changes in every way. American was becoming the center of the world; everybody seemed to be on a boat, plane or raft trying to get here to be free enough to be who they are. And that’s exciting!

MSJ:  What kind of cultural and political issues were you faced with as a college student?  Would you be considered an activist during that period of your life?

BW: No, not really. I knew what I liked and enjoyed watching on the screen. And if I wanted to be a part of that world of people I had to prepare myself and that’s what I did.  My life was centered on achieving knowledge, information in order to make my dreams come true.  My greatest references were the old films of wonderful actors and producers who emotionally moved the world. And I wanted to do the same.

MSJ: Who were some of your literary idols and why?

BW: Edgar Allen Poe, Samuel Clemens, F. Scott Fitzgerald to name few. These were writers who took you to the edge, made you think and forced you to open up to new and exciting paths of ideas and thought. When reading a novel or any kind of book I want to feel as if I’ve been on an unknown journey. And when it’s done, I’m loaded down with new images of life as well as if I learned something about myself.

MSJ: What kind of films did you enjoy watching the most and did they influence your decision in becoming an actor?

BW: I have always been drawn to great dramatic films and television series involving great acting. Barbara Stanwyck in my view was at the top of her game. Films such as “This Is My Affair” released by RKO in 1937 and “Christmas in Connecticut”, “Night Gallery and the “Twilight Zone” series as well as “Law and Order” were all exciting and worth watching. I want to see films which make you forget where you are but make you believe that you are right in the midst of the plot you’re watching. And when the screen reads “THE END” you feel as if you have been on an exciting rollercoaster!

MSJ: What kind of roles do you enjoy the most playing or creating and why?

BW: Of course I enjoy many types of roles, but the type of role that inspired me the most was the one that Denzel Washington played In “Crimson Tide.” It’s a character that has a certain kind of strength and power which demands control and disciplined. It’s important for an actor to take on creative challenges which might force him to grow artistically. All the great actors such as Cagney, Bogart, Brando, Dean, I could go on and on and they all had one thing in common. They all insisted on roles which forced them to become better actors and not simply rest on their past successes. I also think of Gregory Peck, Sidney Greenstreet, Paul Newman, and tons of others who made you love sitting in a darken theater watching images being flashed on the screen.

I will be appearing in a TNT Cable TV Series titled “ Mob City;” it’s a featured role and will begin shooting next month (December). I portray a body guard for an African American Club Owner in 1947. I really enjoy playing characters who are the opposite of who I am, as I noted previously.  Of course when I’m offered a role as a detective or lawyer I go with it because it keep that certain creative energy flow that is necessary for any actor.

MSJ: Do you feel that the motion picture and television companies are producing shows and features that enhance a positive view of the future or is it one of darkness and fear?

BW: The industry is constantly in a flux of change. Young filmmakers are coming along with new ways of presenting or telling a story and it’s always been like that. And some of these guys are incredibly artistic and inventive when producing a film. With 3D and all the other special effects, anything is possible when being a part of an audience.

MSJ: After being a part of the artistic and business facet of entertainment, how has it changed you as a human being?

BW: Well, it has forced me to look at a film as a business venture which Demands a level of reality; the question or concern always is “will it sell?” And what market are you shooting for? That is the business face of it all. I guess I’ve been forced in becoming more practical and not a pure dreamer as most actors are.

MSJ: When you are alone and looking in a mirror, who and what do you see?

BW: The most exciting part of my life has been my association with the motion picture and TV industry. I can genuinely say that it has not changed me as a human being and I doubt it will in the future. I know who I am and what I can do in order to feel complete. I’ve made my entrance as Bobby Wright and I have no doubts that this will change on my exit one Day.