This week we’re hearing from Xavior Love in Anchorage. Love is an aspiring actor from Bartlett High school. He also works part time at a movie theater.
LOVE: “Love”. L-O-V-E. And my birthday is on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2000.
Usually when I wake up at 5ish in the morning to drop my mom off, she works two jobs at both Providence and Regional Hospital, and when I go to school I just have my six-period schedule where it’s comprised of AP classes like AP Lang, AP U.S. History, AP Psychology. At the end of the day, I’ll either be on my way to work, or if it’s one of those days where I’m in a production, then I go straight to rehearsal and then work.
I loved watching movies as a little kid. I’d watch them repeatedly, and to a certain extent where I could recite an entire two-hour movie by myself. And people would think that’s weird, but I thought this was pretty cool.
Acting was the only thing that actually made me happy, I had true passion and guidance. I told my friends and co-workers and even my boss sometimes, I’m like, “One day, that’s gonna be me on the screen.”
I think the one that really gets to me, the actor that I really enjoy and love and have always admired is Kenneth Branagh. The way he brings forth the most tragic Shakespearean characters to even the most modern people, I find really fascinating. And that just gives me some inspiration to challenge myself and to do complex pieces or monologues like Shakespeare or contemporary work.
I’d love to win an Oscar or a Golden Globe or an Emmy or something like that, but I don’t need it. My true goal as an actor is to continue to learn. And the more knowledge I learn as an actor, the more I want to share it among other people. And if that means fame and money and stuff, well that’s fine by me too. Just give me the check. (laughs) That’s great. But I’m not here for the money. I’m not here for the awards. I’m here for the craft. I’m here for the love and appreciation for art.
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
