ED– We are interviewing Russ Cootey, a renowned Hollywood actor, writer, director, and producer who has appeared in and worked with many of the popular television shows being aired today.
ED– Russ, it is an honor to introduce you to our readers. Your work with such shows as CSI, and West Wing is well known. Tell us something about yourself and how you came to be in this business.
RC– Thank YOU, I am honored. Well, the story is somewhat of a full circle kind of story. When I was a kid I was hook into wanting to be an actor and to make films. My mom worked at Universal Studios, and I was hooked when I had the opportunity to visit different t.v. show and movie sets. I knew that cinema was what I wanted to do.
At the same time, I was taking guitar lessons, and as I started to progress in my skill as a guitar player, I started to see some immediate gratification. I realized that “Chicks Dig Guitar Players”(laughs), and decided to pursue music as a career. I actually spent several years in the music industry on a professional level before I decided to enter the coporate world. This career took me to the Nothwest, and after a few years I realized that I was not a corporate guy and I had to get back to being an artist. I had been wanting to persue acting again for awhile at that point and jumped at the chance to audition for projects that were shooting in and around the Portland Oregon area.
After a couple years working as an actor in Portland and in Seattle I decided to come back to Los Angeles, and the rest is, as they say, history. (more…)