Joel Michaely is an actor and producer who has played a role in many films and television projects.
Michaely is currently featured in ‘LANSKY’, ‘VANQUISH’, and the upcoming film titled ‘The Comeback Trail’. The film was postponed due to Covid-19 and will now be released in 2021, sometime during the early Fall season. The Covid-19 pandemic affected everyone and limited the opportunity for people to participate in activities and projects. Michaely was able to take that time to create and release six projects in 2020. Continuing with his momentum, he is set to release six more projects in 2021 and has two more projects in post-production for 2022. Michaely has been featured in films alongside well know actors such as Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and many more.
Michaely spoke with our correspondent Rebecca Eugene, discussing maintaining a life balance between personal and professional. As well as accepting roles that others are possible against, his character in the film ‘But I’m A Cheerleader’ put him at odds with his then agent. But Michaely felt like proper representation mattered, especially for those within the LGBTQ+ community.
Michaely’s work can be on Instagram at @JoelMichaely4Real.
The Knockturnal: As a producer and actor, you find yourself being a part of multiple films and television projects at a time. How do you maintain a work and life balance? What advice would you give to others who may struggle with their time management?
Joel Michaely: You mean you can actually balance this stuff??? I feel like my balance goes askew more times than it levels out, but I have learned the hard way that I just have to make boundaries and really give the correct attention and time to my personal life, my acting life, and to producing, And try to separate the three of those to find space for a happier, healthier private and professional life.
The Knockturnal: Most people struggle to develop continuous content and projects. How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired through each project?
Joel Michaely: I keep myself motivated primarily by ambition — not in a negative way, just in the fact that I really, truly want to put out stories that are everlasting, make a difference and affect the world, pop-culturally. I really want to leave some sort of legacy behind and a mark, and that’s what drives me. I hope that someday I can reach those goals and finally relax, but until then I’ll just keep spinning my wheels and hope that that day comes around. I want to keep striving to be the best in every facet of my life and I feel like I haven’t reached that yet, but hopefully, someday I will feel content enough to think I did.
The Knockturnal: For each genre that you’ve played a different role in, how do you prepare as an actor for each character and story plot?
Joel Michaely: Preparing for a character is so dependent on the text that I receive and the map within the script. Some things are very natural and fall perfectly into place for me and other things take more work. I enjoy personally creating my own roadmap to differentiating this person from myself and from my other characters and really morphing into something different — each of them a weird variation of different aspects of my personality.
The Knockturnal: Your role in the film “But I’m A Cheerleader” allowed you to further accept who you are as a person. What made you accept the role while others told you not to? What thoughts went into making your decision?
Joel Michaely: I went against the advice of my agents and everyone in my work stratosphere to accept the role in But I’m A Cheerleader because I feel like I had the foresight to see that it was a smart, hilarious movie filled with heart and that it could affect real change and make people feel better about themselves. I could not have been happier the other day when Elliot Page referenced this film as the moment that he felt comfortable with himself. it just proves that representation matters and so awesome that we helped shape a trailblazer like Elliot to feel more comfortable and confident. I love when people have their own personal story with how the film-shaped their lives. At the time, somewhere inside I felt like I knew this would be the case and I cannot believe, and I can’t be more thankful, that this continues to be the case in regards to But I’m a Cheerleader.
The Knockturnal: With each project, you’ve created and have been a part of over the years. What are the goal(s) you would like to reach in your career as both an actor and producer?
Joel Michaely: I’m just so thankful that I’m allowed to tell stories as an actor and to creatively shape stories and narratives as a producer. It’s the most fortunate job in the entire world and it doesn’t get lost on me that I’m very lucky every day. I strive to help the people I love and the storytellers I’m fortunate enough to collaborate with to tell stories that will hopefully impact people, bring some joy, shed some light, or just be a great diversion from the bleakness of this pandemic.
