Michael's AOL Chat '96

OnlineHost: Michael DeLorenzo is an actor of exceptional range and talent
and continues to prove himself in film, theater and television. Michael is now
going into his third season in the Fox Television's drama "New York Undercover."
A contemporary police drama from executive producer Dick Wolf
("Law & Order"), the show focuses on two young cops who are also best friends,
both working undercover on the streets of New York City.

AOLiveMC13: Welcome to AOL Live Michael! If you are ready,
we will jump right into our questions!

DeLorenzoM: (laughs) Well, I read the script and I really wanted to be a part
of it and originally the roles were for two African Americans so I had to beg
to be seen!

DeLorenzoM: That's a good question...as long as we're doing quality work
and people are watching, we'll be there.

DeLorenzoM: Umm...I had a lot of fun working on "Head of the Class"
and that was probably the easiest gig for the most money, I don't necessarily
miss it, I miss the hours.

Question: I am an aspiring screenwriter and can think of a lot of roles you
could play. Do you have any plans for the big screen?

DeLorenzoM: Absolutely. Please! Write me a screenplay! There are not enough
movies out there that feature Latino talent. Or actors that just look like me!(laughs)

Question: Since there are not many Hispanics on TV, do you feel you have
to portray a certain image?

DeLorenzoM: I do and I don't. First and foremost, I'm an actor, not
a politician. But I have to watch very carefully how we portray ourselves.

Question: Many actors try their hand at directing, is this something you see
yourself pursuing in the future?

DeLorenzoM: Absolutely. Hopefully when all things are done, I'll be directing
a couple of episodes of "NYU" this year and then next year, I hope to direct
a feature film that I'm writing! Please come watch, Honeydipp, I need the support.

Question: Michael,-I have watched almost every episode of "NY Undercover" --
One question: are you originally from Puerto Rico?

DeLorenzoM: Originally, I'm Puerto Rican and Italian. My mother is from PR,
my father is from Italy I'm actually from the Bronx.

DeLorenzoM: A lot of things. We've got a great two-parter coming up in the
first episode and second. And a couple of surprises which I can't talk about
right now. I'd have to kill all of you. :-).

DeLorenzoM: Um...not yet. But we're thinking about starting one,
do you want to be the president?

Question: Michael, since you have done it all, dancing, film, television
and Broadway, which have you enjoyed the most and do you have advice
for those trying to break into the business?

DeLorenzoM: I think I enjoyed performing live the best. But each medium
has its strengths and has my heart in a different way. My advice would
be to really know your craft and don't give up if that is your dream, then go for it.

DeLorenzoM: It's an amazing business because unlike they would never let
a normal human being go into open heart surgery without training, but they'll
let a normal human being come off the street and star in a movie! That's why
I say, always know your craft, because it's not as glamorous as it looks.
Well, I was a dancer first and I guess my first big gig was "Fame." I did the movie
and then I did the TV series. I guess there is where it began.

Question: Hi Michael! We all really enjoy you in "NY Undercover!" I have
a nephew here who lives in Atlanta. He is interested in acting and would like
to know the best school for acting that you would recommend.

DeLorenzoM: Oh god...whew. There is Actors' Studio in NYC, or Neighborhood
Playhouse in NYC, and they have places all over, actually, in Los Angeles
and I'm sure there are a bunch of acting schools regionally that are good too.
My advice is just to be like a sponge and go to a lot of different places
and find the one that works for you.

DeLorenzoM: What inspired me? Hmm...I saw a movie and my father actually
really inspired me, because he was a really big movie buff. It was more
of a transition from dancing to acting and...my love of the stage I just get
inspired when I meet so many talented people. It just makes you want
to be that good.

a little taller, but outside of that, there are a few but mostly there are
more differences than there are similarities: Eddie comes from a broken
family; my parents are still together and very much in love. Eddie's father
isdrug-addicted jazz musician; Eddie grew up hard on the streets in the Bronx.
Michael was in ballet school. (laughs) And there you have it. Question: What's the hardest thing about acting

DeLorenzoM: Damn...it depends. [stammering here] The hardest part about
acting is sometimes the waiting around. I guess that's why some people get
paid so much (I'm not that person yet), but it's the waiting around that's
probably the hardest.

DeLorenzoM: Actually, I hate everyone on our show just kidding. Yeah,
absolutely. We have to be friends. When I first started the show, I had a big
conversation with Malik, saying if we ever ever have any problems, we have
to get it out in the open immediately Because it's like we're married. We're
with each other more than we sleep. So we have to have a mutual respect
and luckily we genuinely like each other. At least that's what he tells me.

Question: Do you feel that your role has opened up the doors for other Latino
actors to portray realistic characters on TV?

DeLorenzoM: I certainly hope so. I think there is a lack of representation
on TV, in film , on radio, in all our mediums. It's a real subtle racism
that pervades. It's more in terms of I think they don't believe that people want
to see us on television or in movies. You know. They don't think they can make
money off of us. And bottom line, that's all they care about.

DeLorenzoM: I pray I haven't had it yet! (laugh) I have many highlights.
I did a play at the Mark Taper, which was a great learning experience. I've done
really bad movies where I've learned and really great movies. I mean,
it's...you know it's all in the journey You can not just pick one moment
in your life and let that be the defining moment.

DeLorenzoM: Whew. No. I've been very fortunate in that the parts thatare offered
I really want to do. The only thing is that sometimes, especially with "New York
Undercover" my schedule is so tight that I was supposed to do two movies this
summer, but they got pushed back and now I'm unable to do either one.

Question: Delo, I hear that you are a musician, if so, where can we get some
of your music?

DeLorenzoM: Hah hahaha...that's my boy! As of yet, there is no place where
you can get my music! I am a musician, though. I am certainly hoping to put
out an album by the end of the year. Would you buy it? Please? :-)

DeLorenzoM: The show's going to be on Thursdays, but watch out because
we will be pre-empted by baseball...blah blah blah blah blah.

Question: Have you received any other acting opportunities as a result
of your work on "NYUndercover?"

DeLorenzoM: Yes. I haven't been able to capitalize on those opportunities
because my schedule on "NYU" has been so hectic; but, next year I have two
projects that are lined up to go.

Question: When is "NYU" going to have an Asian in the cast? Maybe do some
episodes in Chinatown which deal with the gangs that bring people to the USA
from Mainland China and use them as slave labor? I think that could be
a really good episode, especially since NYC has a high concentration of Chinese
as well as Latinos and African-Americans.
DeLorenzoM: I'm telling you, I would love it. I think that's a wonderful
idea. As a matter of fact, I read an article in Time about Asian gangs which
I pitched to the producers and they're still mulling over the idea. But you
know...I'm at a loss for words. :-)

DeLorenzoM: Usually we get up around 5:45. I take a shower because I like
to be clean! If it's a good day, I'll brush my teeth. And then they'll pick me up
and then we'll usually go into makeup the minute we get there. Do a rehearsal
of the first scene and repeat that about 30 times and probably go home around
eight...nine o'clock unless we're in a blizzard because we shoot entirely
on location. Then they have to fill me with coffee, so that my teeth stop
chattering and I could say, "Freeze!", instead of "Frdfudjfimumble."

Question: Do you enjoy talking online a lot? What do you like to do in your
spare (rare) time?

DeLorenzoM: I love working on computers. And I do music with computers.
I go online occasionally. I'm lovin' this chat. I'm an electronic junkie.

Question: Many actors from other minority groups complain how difficult
it is for members of a particular group to "make it" in the business, did you
encounter the same?

DeLorenzoM: Yes and no. It's very difficult, yes, being a minority. In this
business, especially. But I refuse to let my ethnicity hold me back or let
anyone close the door on me because of that. And there are ways you can fight
it and that's in being the best you be so they can not refuse you entrance
into anything. Because I refuse to let anyone tell me I can't.

DeLorenzoM: My favorite actress...I love Jessica Lange. I mean, there are so
many I've worked with people who have amazed me. Women-wise, if we're talking
about women. Actor-wise, there are people that I have been amazed by that
aren't even famous yet. There are actresses of course, that I find extremely
attractive, but that's another story.

DeLorenzoM: Um...I love ping pong. I don't know if I have a particular
favorite sport. I love to watch basketball and...I love, I love to gamble.

Question: I remember you from a Michael Jackson video. Is that where you got
your start?

Question: Good shows always get canceled -- are people watching the show
in numbers that make execs happy?

DeLorenzoM: Hmm...That is an excellent question. We have the highest rated
show in black and Latino households. But, you know what? That's not good
enough for those execs, we need to capture middle America because they don't
believe that "white people" are tuned into our show.

Question: You were really good in "Alive." Was that actually filmed
in conditions like that? Did that affect you?

DeLorenzoM: Completely. It was probably one of the most depressing moments
in my life, which helped my acting quite a bit. We were on an isolated mountain
in real blizzard conditions. We took a helicopter every day up to 13,000 ft
above sea level and it was *me* and a bunch of guys for four months on a diet,
living in a dorm-like condition. I hope you enjoyed my pain. :-)!

Question: Hi, Michael! I watch "NYU" every Thursday and absolutely love you.
I fell in love with you in "Fame," "Head of the Class," "Alive," and now
"NYU." Anyway, my question is: if you couldn't be an actor or dancer, what
would you want to be?

DeLorenzoM: My dream as a child and actually still today has always been
to be a pilot. I want to fly and I'm considering taking lessons as we speak.

Question: Did you ever go to LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts?
Ifso, when did you graduate because I went there for a few months before I moved
to Florida.

DeLorenzoM: When me and Jimmy Smits traded places and I started doing NYPD
Blue and he's going to be working on my show. (laughs)

DeLorenzoM: Sure...Martin Scorsese, Bernardo Bertolucci, Al Pacino,
Christopher Walken. I could go on for years but I don't want to bore you.

DeLorenzoM: Um, we run into each other and we actually saw each other
at the NAACP awards.

Question: With all the movies you have made, which has been your favorite and why?

DeLorenzoM: Well, two movies actually come to mind: "A Few Good Men"
because Rob Reiner is a genius and commands everyone's respect. And then
another film I did called, "Platoon Leader" with Aaron Norris, who is Chuck Norris'
brother. And I had the most amazing experience shooting that in Africa.

DeLorenzoM: Absolutely. I try to shape things in a good way if I have any no,
they take just all my suggestions. :-).

Question: Did you expect the show to do as well as it has?
As compared to "NYPD Blue?"

DeLorenzoM: I did expect for the show do well. We are a completely different
show than anything on the air on today. We are a completely minority driven
cast, with musical guests, young hip cops, as opposed to an "NYPD Blue" which
is really an adult-oriented theme. And we have a unique way of showing.
It's a like a cop show of another color.

Question: I'm a struggling actor in Philly, and I was wondering if there was
ever a point in your career that you really doubted yourself, because you just
weren't getting any good work?

DeLorenzoM: I think there was point actually two years ago, when I did
a movie which I cannot name and I worked with someone who I will not name
and I almost wanted to quit acting at that point because it was such a horrific
experience. To me, you have to love what you do and when that love, this job
turns into a job, that's when I'm going to quit.

AOLiveMC13: As our time is almost up, we have time for one more question.
Our last question comes from JC Crew13.

Question: Have you spent time with real NYC detectives in preparing for your part?

DeLorenzoM: Yes, I did a night in a car. And a lot of my friends are New York
City cops and I also have Chicago policeman friends too.

AOLiveMC13: On behalf of AOL and our audience, thank you Michael for taking
the time to talk with us tonight! Anything else you'd like to tell our audience?

DeLorenzoM: Thank you so much. Your questions were fun. You all are crazy.
Ciao. Tough Guy.

AOLiveMC13: Again, thank you Michael! And thank you, audience, for all your
great questions!

Michael's TV Guide Chat via AOL '00 - http://www.100megsfree3.com/delo/mtvg.html

To the NYU Cast Chat On AOL '97 - http://www.100megsfree3.com/delo/gmtv.html

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Michael DeLorenzo's Chat on AOL in '96