Industry Interview #18 – Michele Ammon

Michele Ammon has kindly taken some time to answer a few questions about working within the industry.

Michele is a very talented actress, working on television shows with some of her best known roles being Female Host from Orange is the New Black and Jean Anne Whorton from The Onion News Network.
As well as this, Michele has appeared on various live television broadcasts and a vast variety of different commercials for brands such as; Volvo, Mastercard, Honey Nut Cheerios, Verizon Fios and many more.

Interview

Can you please share some background about how you became interested in working within the industry?

I was a kid who always liked to be on stage. I got my first “taste” performing in dance concerts and local theatre productions. When it came time to apply for college…I knew I wanted to major in Theatre and Performance. I got accepted to be a part of the Theatre program at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.

How did you break into the industry?

A few months After moving to New York City… I auditioned for a film and TV showcase and received a scholarship to attend. The casting director there set up an appointment for me to audition for a TV commercial. I ended up booking it! It was a big national commercial for deodorant. That commercial got me my first big agent.

What advice would you give to performers trying to break into the acting industry?

You need to study acting. And know how to audition. Take classes. Surround yourself with other actors and teachers who are actually working in the industry. Apprentice at Theatre companies. Unless you have an amazing look and are the lucky 2% that land an acting job without any experience…very, very rare, though. And those people typically have no longevity in the business.

What traits/skills would you say were most important in performing for film and TV?

Subtlety is key. You are not on stage. The camera is very close to your face, so less is more.

What tips would you give to actors to follow while working on a production?

You ALWAYS need to be prepared. Have your lines completely memorized. Know your character and be able to improvise, if necessary. Be patient and realize that your role is only a tiny part of the entire production. You never know when the director will be calling you and you need to be ready at a moments notice. Always be humble and kind. To everyone.

You have lots of experience on live television such as your appearance on Kansas City Live, can you speak about the preparation process you go through before going live?

When you are on live TV, ANYTHING can happen. And it usually does. Be yourself and know your character. And above all else, really listen. If you do all of these things, you will be able to react in a real and organic way that will allow you to improvise at any moment. Some of the best takes happen this way. When something unexpected happens. Also, know how to use an ear piece and teleprompter. Often times, you will use these on set.

For your role on Orange is the New Black you were featured within Season 1 Episode 2 as the host of an info-video of Litchfield, serving as an introduction to the prison for new-coming inmates and the audience. Can you talk about how you came to work on the show?

My agent called me with an appointment to audition for this new show, OITNB. This was a year before it started airing. I knew nothing about the production. I went to the audition, knew my lines and character, and did the scenes to the best of my ability.

Can you talk about shooting your scenes for the episode?

Here is the perfect example of “always be prepared” and “be kind and humble”. I was in my dressing room on the set at Silvercup Studios in NY. As I was walking to hair and make up…someone greeted me in the hallway and said, hello. I had no idea who it was. I found out later that it was the director, Jodie Foster. (She looked very different in person). “Be kind and humble” Then, I was told that I would not be shooting my scenes until after lunch. I made sure that I was in my wardrobe and ready anyway. Good thing. The PA ran into my dressing room saying that they had bumped me up and needed to shoot my scenes now! On set I waited about 5 minutes for lights, etc. and the director said, let’s do this! They wanted to break for lunch. I did about 5 takes and was done. She appreciated my preparedness and thanked me for it. Boom, boom, boom. In and out. “Always be prepared”.

You also were the host of several promotional pieces created for the Orange is the New Black Season 4, can you speak a little about coming to reprise the role? And would you do so again if asked?

You know the saying, “No role is too small”? I shot my episode in season 1. They liked my character and remembered me. So…3 seasons later, one of the creatives had the idea to bring my video character back to do all of the Promos for season 4. I was thrilled and agreed! I would definitely do it again.

Another show you worked on frequently was The Onion News Network, what was the atmosphere like on-set?

I was cast as one of the Anchors for ONN when they were just online episodes. A few years later, the IFC Channel partnered with the Onion to create the show, The Onion News Network, a 1/2 hour TV show. I got the phone call that they decided to use my character, Jean Anne Whorton, on the show! The set was always a lot of fun because the directors would welcome improvised lines after we shot the scripted ones. So much fun. And the writing was hilarious!

You were involved in many of the shows comedic reports, do you have a personal favorite?

The writing was so good. Some standouts are: Man With A Stupid Looking Face, First Gay Racehorse, Patriotic Teen Fails Spanish. These episodes were just perfect parodies and edited in such a funny way.

Do you have any interesting or funny stories from your time on the productions you’ve worked on?

When we were shooting the promos for OITNB…I kept coming up with different entrances and funny expressions. The director, producers and I were laughing so hard…that they ended up creating a blooper reel. Awesome.

Have you got any projects or convention appearances coming up you can share?

Don’t want to jinx it…I am waiting to hear about a show on one of the networks…fingers crossed!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!

Thank you, it was a pleasure!