An Interview with actor Billy Mayo

Billy Mayo has led one interesting life. Born in Washington, D.C. to parents who work for the U.S. government, from a young age Billy realized he wanted more out of life; a cold climate and “boring” government job weren’t for him. While on his way to a film set in L.A., Billy was gracious enough to allow me to conduct a short interview with him – that began with the question of how he got where he is now … Knowing a 9 to 5 life wasn’t for him, a young Billy Mayo spent some time (as most teenagers do) trying to “find” himself. He’d acted in plays in the 2nd and 3rd grade, but never seriously considered such a career; in fact, his main concern was escaping the cold northeast for a better climate.Such a move came in the form of a football scholarship to Morris Brown College in Atlanta, where Billy majored in Mechanical Engineering, mainly for the money such a career promised. He earned his Bachelor’s, but his heart wasn’t in the work … and, always a sucker for a good sales pitch, it was in college that a recruiter from the United States Marine Corps approached Billy about joining the military. Billy served three and a half years with the Marines (achieving the rank of lieutenant) before taking a job in California – again, seeking out a warm climate. California was a new world, and led to a romance with a woman who was heavily into fashion. Billy helped her with a fashion show, eventually hosting it, and became addicted to the spotlight and being in front of an audience. He pursued classes, auditioned for plays, and has been acting since 1994. When asked who he is a fan of, Billy’s answer comes without hesitation – the young Marlon Brando inspired him, from the beginning. Whenever winning a role, Billy would rent some Brando films and study the legendary actor, who was renowned for his method acting. Though a bit disappointed in his later work, Billy remains addicted to Brando-in-his-prime as a mentor today. Also a writer, Billy is currently finishing up a play (which he hopes to produce), as well as two film scripts. Acting remains his first love for now, though he realizes “you’re at the whim of the business, as an actor, whether you work or not … so to tilt things in my favor I started to write.” He’s a big fan of caper films, citing two of his favorites – House of Cards and Glengarry Glen Ross – as examples of the kind of work he’d like to write; Billy does plan to pursue writing more as he gets older, as well. Meanwhile, Billy’s resume of TV appearances alone reads like a who’s-who of the medium’s best. Just a few of his credits include The Practice, ER, 24, Nip/Tuck, Joan of Arcadia, Everybody Loves Raymond, and (most recently) Billy played a very bad guy on the hit ABC series Lost. Usually cast as a cop or other authority figure, when asked what kind of role he’d MOST like to play … again, Billy responds without skipping a beat: “I would love to play the anti-hero … like Al Pacino or Robert DeNiro. Scarface is one of my favorite movies, by the way. On TV, I like playing a cop.” He goes on to say that a show like “NYPD Blue” is what he’d most like to do on television, maybe playing a cop who uses his intelligence to solve crimes (a la Sherlock Holmes). And regarding his experience with “Lost”? When he went to audition for the role of the evil “Kilo,” Billy was sure he didn’t have a chance; didn’t think he looked mean or tough enough compared to the other actors. But when his agent called back with a big “Aloha!” -- within 24 hours Billy found himself on a plane to Hawaii … and (once he got used to the humidity) the island was indeed a paradise, with everyone on the set very easy and pleasant to work with. His advice to young actors? Study! Study, and build yourself a reputation as a professional in the business: show up on time, be a professional from beginning to end, and build a strong work ethic (and reputation). Maybe due to his military training, Billy puts a great emphasis on self-discipline, and stresses that an actor must spend a lot of solitary time studying and preparing his character/role: “It takes a lot of work on your own to make it. Talent takes you only so far.” Lastly, Billy also stresses that the actor must be ready to market himself – create a website, get the word out, let those in a position to cast you be able to see you. “Like any business, let people know you are IN business,” is one of his stronger pieces of advice. He is always “tickled pink” when approached by a fan, and thought he’d never get to the day when he actually would get fan mail! Billy’s fans are # 1 with him, and to this day when he’s asked for an autograph, he still remembers a quote he’d once read while going through his father’s scrapbooks as a kid (his father was a semi-pro ballplayer, as well): “Makes me laugh that you want my autograph!” He’s still shy at requests, but values them; his fans are what make him "stay in the game". Right now Billy is on the auditioning circuit, constantly being called in to read for film and television roles. But his other real love happens to be kids; when Billy has short stretches of time off, you can find him in a classroom, teaching algebra or science to middle-schoolers. Education is a big thing to this man of many talents, who hopes one day to use his influence in entertainment to raise funds for inner city schools, making sure kids have the kind of future that so many of us today take for granted. And lastly, when asked about his plans “down the line,” Billy’s goals are simple: to pursue acting for maybe another five years or so ... then switch to a more permanent position behind the scenes, as both a director and producer of films. “You get a little more longevity behind the scenes,” he says. But never fear; he also plans to put himself in cameo appearances within his own movies, a la Hitchcock. After all, though he’s led a varied life of several careers ... the guy who fell in love with performing, by hosting a fashion show, will never completely go away. You can reach Billy at his awesome website: www.billymayo.com. And my many thanks to this great guy for his time, talent, and generosity with this interview.