A Girl Wrote It: Andrew Harriss, Actor

Andrew Harriss is an actor and writer who has been a member of Wide Eyed Productions since its inception in 2007. Company credits include The Medea, Much Ado About Nothing, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, A Devil Inside, The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, Henry VI (Part III), and Plight Of The Apothocary in 2011’s A Girl Wrote It. Other credits include Gorilla Rep's Hamlet, The Jack Johnson Project, and All For Love with Boomerang Theatre Company. Andrew is also the writer, producer, and star of the webseries White Liars. He is originally from Irvine, California and holds a BFA from Hofstra University.   

• When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started? 

I have wanted to be actor since I was 9 years old. I played a dog named Bowser who ran a dog store. I don’t remember what the play was called but as an adult, looking back, I’m concerned about some of the themes from that show. I’m typing this during a rather dry episode of The Daily Show so I’m going to try to count the number of plays I’ve been in since then. Hold On. So through elementary school, junior high, high school, college, and professionally I can remember being in 44* plays over the last 20 years. But I drink a lot so I’ve probably forgotten a few. Each one was either a life affirming experience or made me wish I had never bothered with this stupid craft and gone to law school. Is 29 too old to go to law school?

The short answer is I got my start after getting my degree and started working professionally in New York.

*I remembered one more. 

• Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why? 

I’d like to name drop somebody like my mom or the late John Ritter but I have to say my biggest creative influences are the people I come into contact with everyday. Some of these people I’ve known for years others I’m just observing in line at Starbucks or Chipotle. I’m particularly interested in idiots, as in people who lack common sense and would rather blame somebody else for their problems rather than try to solve it themselves. What was it that made you check out of reality? Do you do this all the time or did something just get fucked up with your morning and maybe I shouldn’t be judging you. Who knows, but I find that behavior fascinating. I’m guilty of it too, I think we all are from time to time (that doesn’t excuse it) which is good because I’m basically playing myself in this play. 

• What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us?

My favorite part of the process before an audience sees it is the week before an audience sees it and you're pretty sure the show is going to be a disaster. The anxiety is awful, but it usually makes opening night cathartic. If it doesn’t, then I start looking up law school applications again. I don’t necessarily have a pres-how ritual aside from warming up, but I do have habits. For instance, I’d rather not talk to anybody on my way to the theatre. That’s mostly because I’m nervous and on edge. I love being able to sit on the subway with my ipod and just be alone and quiet and small. On my way from the subway to the theatre I likes to get me coffee, listen to my musics, and chill out before psyching myself up for a performance. 

• In addition to being an actor, you are also serving on the company’s Board of Directors.  Can you tell us a little bit about what’s going on behind the curtain right now that you’re excited about? 

My job on the board is member relations and dues so I’m not personally as involved with the day to day behind the scenes stuff, but I am getting really excited about the Dark Nights. I’ll be doing my one-man Show Filibustero under those auspices and I’m really looking forward to the other acts and projects that will be performing as part of the Dark Night series as well. 

• Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us? 

I’m currently in production on the second season of my webseries White Liars. The first season saw my character (Timothy Michael Forbes) unwittingly go from a down on his luck actor to haphazard con artist. The second season follows Tim as he is put to the test in his conning ways. We’re also working on a new show called ‘Laid Up’ about a guy who some manages to screw up getting laid right before it’s about to happen. Information on all this can be found on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/TheConIsOn), Twitter (@WhiteLiars), and our website (http://www.white-liars.com/).