By L. Tanner Smith (director/co-writer/producer)
We at MWAC are excited to announce that Jamie Campbell will be playing the role of Joel, the helpful leader of the MS support group that our protagonists are a part of.
Campbell is a comedian, actor, improviser and playwright. He is a member of the professional ensemble The Kansas City Improv Company. His film and television work includes numerous commercial campaigns as well as appearances on NBC’s Chicago Fire and Pop TV’s Hollywood Darlings.
And we’re very excited to get to work with him! Here are his answers to the cast questions I sent him.
1) What drew you to this project (and/or the role of Joel)? In addition to my work as an actor, I teach workshops on improv, stand-up and storytelling. Last year, I toured all over the United States with a workshop called Take the Power Back. It is a storytelling workshop that helps people share moments of trauma in their lives. In many ways, it is part workshop and part therapy session. I found that when people have a safe space to share their stories, a healing process begins and people begin to feel that they’re not alone. I am really proud of the work I was able to do in helping others, and when I read the description of Joel’s character, I identified with his desire to help others, even though he isn’t going through the things that they’re experiencing.
2) Why do you want to participate in this project? This project really intrigued me. I don’t know a lot about MS, and I don’t think that a lot of our population does, either. I am looking forward to being part of something that helps to educate others and gives a voice to an underrepresented group of people.
3) Who do you think Millennial With a Cane will speak to? Why should people be interested in it?
I think that Millennial With a Cane will speak to anyone who has ever felt misunderstood or frustrated with what life has thrown their way. It’s a film about a young person dealing with MS, but it’s more than that. It is a story of hope in the midst of that frustration. It is a story that teaches us to stop assuming we know what someone is going through, and just listen.
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Millennial With a Cane 