When he was just a young boy, he’d stand on tree stumps, entertaining squirrels and saying, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen…?
Now Clarkston native Daniel Travis is starring in his first feature length film which is playing at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, which runs Jan. 15-25 in Park City, Utah.
‘He’s been acting forever,? mom Betsy Travis said.
Daniel, 35, started acting in junior high school productions, continued at Clarkston High School under the tutelage of Barb Gibson, was a theatre major at Miami University of Ohio, and received a master’s in theatre performance at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
‘My first production was Treasure Island at Depot Theatre,? Travis said. ‘However it was not until my junior year of college that I decided I wanted to make a living in television and movies.?
From there, he moved to New York City and has been performing ever since. He has been seen on stage all across the country in productions like ‘Richard III,? ‘The Glass Menagerie,? and much more as well as been seen in television shows, ‘Sex in the City,? ‘Law & Order SVU,? ‘The Education of Max Bickford,? ‘As the World Turns,? ‘Guiding Light,? and ‘All My Children.?
His new movie, ‘Open Water,? is being well-received by critics.
It was shown at the Hampton Film Festival in New York, which is where it was seen by Sundance representatives who wanted it for their festival.
‘Open Water,? is based on a real life incident of a couple accidentally left behind on a vacation diving excursion in the Great Barrier Reef. The dive master on the resort boat crew made a faulty headcount and overlooked the last two divers to surface, not realizing for more than 24 hours, the couple had been abandoned.
The film, which is a Plunge Pictures production, directed and written by Chris Kentis, has been reviewed in Variety and featured in Hollywood Reporter.
‘It was my first film and it was a pretty amazing experience,? Travis said. ‘It has a lot of action in it?
Betsy, who has almost never missed a performance from her son, is anxious to see the movie when she flies out to the festival next month.
‘He’s a joy to watch. It’s wonderful to watch the growth from the junior high productions and missed lines to the perfectionalism in his adulthood,? she said. ‘It’s exciting for him to feel the acclamation after as much hard work and study. He really has worked very hard and it’s wonderful to be recognized at this point.?
Betsy said she and husband Dan, an Independence Township Trustee, have always supported their son’s dream of acting.
‘We’ve never tried to dissuade him. We’ve never been anything but supportive because he’s always been passionate about it,? Betsy said. ‘And I’m an artist and I would never try to snuff that out. I would never try to break the spirit of a passion. We’re very proud of him. We always have been. He’s worked very hard at this and he’s very good at it.?
Travis is enjoying his journey.
‘I am not going to lie there were a lot of awful bumps in the roller coaster ride. Hopefull this film will help open up some more doors. I have learned a lot,? Travis said.
(Kyle Gargaro contributed to this story.)