Hard Work And Discipline Pays Off For Actor Mike Archer

Mike Archer continues his incredible work with film and productions!

Mike Archer, The English actor, didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in his mouth or in an acting family that could have smoothed his way into a nice TV, stage and movie career. He came from a working class area in the North East of England. It could sound a bit threatening to a lot of people but it wasn’t necessarily a place that stifled Mike’s artistic impulses. Just because it was definitely blue collar didn’t preclude the offering of art, drawing, painting and sketching classes that Mike found himself thriving in as he grew. He will tell you that he can’t remember having performance aspirations when he was younger, but after witnessing the street theatre and international shows that the region’s yearly festival brought to the stage, he was hooked and from then on, couldn’t get enough or watch enough of those amazing shows.

 

He and his friends would try to recreate the experience of what they saw and they even put on their own little circus in his front garden and charged an entrance fee. They raised something like 23 pence (30 cents) and gave it to a woman who worked in a charity shop. Those were definitely the first seeds of his budding entertainment career and his life’s vocation.

 

                                                                                Mike Archer in "Embers"

He went off to study film production and visualized, wrote and made his own films using friends and then casting himself in his productions. He had fully committed to being an actor at that time and went to London to pursue drama school. He froze up during the school audition and followed the instructor’s advice about getting theatre experience. To his surprise, he then got a part alongside Colin Firth and Jessica Biel, which not only gave him needed experience but also upped his self-esteem by a thousand percent.

 

After that he formed his own production company called The Old Lamp and developed and worked on a great many projects which allowed him to meet some amazing and inspirational people. He played a psychopathic killer in Night Must Fall. He wrote produced and acted in the European debut of 'The Crystal Egg Live' at London's premiere immersive theatre venue, The Vaults Tunnels in Central London, to stand out five-star reviews; sell out shows; and praise from branches of HG Wells society.  His successful first outing as actor/director on the film The Journey of Alfred Small just placed in a finalist position at the 2021 British Short Film Awards as Best short film from the Archives. Mike also feels very fortunate to have been a part of Letters for Lost Lovers, playing the 12^th Century Philosopher and Lover Peter Abelard, which has a very beautiful script.