Don Mike is an up-and-coming actor from Montreal, Quebec. He grew up in Toronto and currently lives in Vancouver. His journey in the entertainment industry began in his teens, starting with music before shifting to film and television. His love for performing started during his college years at George Brown College in Toronto, where he studied Business Administration and took elective filmmaking courses. We caught up with Don to discuss his career and current projects.
Thank you for agreeing to catch up with Occhi Magazine. You ventured into music before transitioning to film and television. What drew you to a career in front of the screen
The idea always seemed appealing to me, but I didn’t decide to jump in the pool, until the resurgence of films/series led by/featuring prominent black actors in the mid-2010s.
Who were your early influences and how did they shape your approach to acting?
John Boyega, Trevor Jackson, Jason Mitchell, and Jacob Latimore. They didn’t really shape my approach to the craft, but those were actors that were around the same age as me, and/or were cast in roles that I saw myself in. I therefore studied their career trajectories closely, when I was first starting out.
Which three traits define you as an artist? Unorthodox, instinctual, and pragmatic
You landed your first professional role in the highly acclaimed series American Gods. Please tell us more about your experience on set.
It was a very long day and there was a lot going on, but I apparently handled it all pretty well, as the make-up artists and other crew members were surprised to hear it was my first time on a professional film set. The highlight was how insightful it was, to witness the making of a critically acclaimed scene, from a seasoned thespian like Orlando Jones!
Every role and experience shapes an actor’s career but are there any particular experiences you mark as milestones in your development as an artist?
I haven’t had any, yet. Hopefully, I’ll have some to talk about, the next time you have me on your platform!
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Our readers can see you as Omar in the MGM+ series Hotel Cocaine. For those yet to watch the series, please tell us more about your role and what audiences can expect.
Omar is the Maître’D at the Mutiny, reporting directly to Roman Compte (the general manager of the hotel/lead character in the series). You may see Omar dealing with inebriated and coked up patrons, breaking up fights between cartel members, handling complaints about x-rated noises at night, and more. Miami in the 70s… what a time to be alive!
What other projects are in the pipeline?
I don’t have any other projects down the pipeline yet, but you can keep up with me on Instagram @xdonMike, to stay in the loop!
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