Teen actor relishes roles
Luke C. Sullivan is an actor and model. Photo by Christina Naturino
By Tom Victoria
Since Luke C. Sullivan was a child, he was entranced by the silver screen and the boob tube. Now, the aspiring actor is working on opportunities to be in movies and television shows.
Luke, 18, of New York City, savors the inventiveness of performing.
“Acting, in a sense, brings out my creative side, which is a side of myself I love,” he said. “I have also always wanted to be a part of a plot. Acting also gives me a chance to step outside myself and be someone else. Being myself all the time gets boring. While this is true, acting also allows me to put my own personality and self into a character or plot, which is another aspect of acting I enjoy.”
Luke travels the country seeking new roles.
"I've gotten a lot of big auditions," he said.
Luke received a callback audition for a character representing a young Steven Spielberg. He did not get that semi-autobiographical part, which is the character Sammy in the movie “The Fablemans.”
The young actor said teen actors often lose roles supposed to be in their age bracket to older performers who look younger than they are.
But the Spielberg role is just one of many possible opportunities for the young thespian.
One thing Luke doesn't worry about acting is remembering lines.
"I kind of have a photographic memory," he said. "It's not difficult."
However, Luke’s misconception of acting was dispelled.
"I used to think it was fun and games," he said. "It's a lot of time and work."
Luke enjoys the creativity of his work. Photo by Christina Naturino
Actors often have to do things they don't relish, such as letting snakes be wrapped around them for a scene. Luke said he would judge those scenarios on a case-by-case basis.
"It really depends on what the discomfort is," he said. "If it's not too crazy, I'll have to make that compromise."
Luke is prepared to deal with the drawbacks if he becomes famous.
"There are some downsides," he said. "I know I'll deal with haters."
Luke is fulfilling a childhood dream.
“I have always appreciated movies and TV shows,” he said. “The idea of being part of a movie or TV show has always appealed to me. When I was younger, I used to invent imaginary stories with my stuffed animals.”
Luke also models.
“I get to wear some amazing clothes,” he said.
Among Luke's modeling is portraying students in ads promoting schools.
Luke waits outside behind the scenes of a photo shoot for the Bergdorf Goodman department store catalog. Photo submitted
“I have a lot of fun modeling,” he said.
But it wasn’t that way at first.
“At first, putting me into, at times, uncomfortable clothes and getting me to pose for a model or head shot was a struggle,” Luke said. “Naturally, I did not know how to pose in a way that would be considered flattering for photos. Luckily, my mom helped me and told me what to do when I am in front of a camera. The more I do it and the more practice I have, the better I get.”
Luke also is a singer. As a member of the Young People's Chorus of New York City, he performs at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.
The teen isn't the only thespian in the family. Younger brother Johnny has actually done it longer. Their mother encouraged both sons to try acting.
"She just thinks we have talent," Luke said.
Johnny relented sooner.
"He caved first," Luke said.
Big brother took the plunge when he observed students his age in Johnny's acting class.
Luke dines with his younger brother and fellow thespian Johnny. Photo submitted
"I actually enjoyed it," Luke said.
He credited their mother for facilitating her sons’ pursuits.
"She's been very supportive," he said. "She does a lot."
Talent extends further in the family. Luke's grandfather is an artist who paints and sculpts. One of Luke’s Instagram posts shows him helping his grandfather sculpt marble.
Luke also is an athlete, participating in soccer, tennis and track at York Prepartory School.
"I'm pretty competitive," he said. "I don't let anyone win."
However, Luke would let the stuntmen handle snowmobile riding after a nasty accident involving both him and his father, throwing them from their respective vehicles.
"I could've easily died," he said. “I was going snowmobiling in Vermont with my dad. The conditions were extremely icy, so it was not the best day to be out doing this. We rode the snowmobile for 30 minutes to a restaurant. The ride there was all well and good, but 15 minutes in on the way back we lost control and fell down a mountain.”
Father and son both sustained serious injuries.
“My father and I were very banged up,” Luke said. “I had a brain bruise/concussion; my femur leg bone was completely broken and dislocated; and my patella knee bone was completely smashed. After endless physical therapy, going from wheelchair to walker to crutches to cane to normal, I have made an almost complete recovery years later.”
Luke offered some guidance to others wishing to pursue acting.
“If you want to go into this industry, you need to have solid self-esteem,” he said. “The downside of this business is that you will likely get rejected over and over again. You can not just decide to be an actor and expect to walk down the red carpet. That takes time. It is a very long process that requires work.”
Luke stressed actors need representation.
“You need to find an agent,” he said. “Then, you need to get auditions. Then, you need to get callbacks and eventually you may land a role. None of these things are easy. It will take a lot of patience.”
The link to Luke's website: https://www.lukecsullivan.com/
The link to Luke's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukecsullivan/