#63 Fuller House’s Michael Campion is Magical

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Looking to sound like you know what's going on in the world, pop culture, social strategy, comedy and other funny stuff. Well join the club and settle in for the Jeff Dwoskin show. It's not the podcast we deserve. But the podcast we all need with your host, Jeff Dwoskin.

Jeff Dwoskin 0:15

All right, Max, thank you so much for that amazing introduction. You get this show going each and every week, and this week was no exception. And welcome to all of you to Episode 63 of live from Detroit, the Jeff Dwoskin show. As always, I am your host, Jeff Dwoskin. Great to have you back for another amazing week. And we do have an amazing interview for you today after Michael Campion is in the house or should I say fuller house? That's right. And Michael Campion you loved him as Jackson fuller on Fuller House and he's here to talk about his amazing career. We're gonna go deep into his movies and TV shows red Ruby, Christmas trade, Robo Dog, and of course, Fuller House. So you guessed it. This episode is chock full of great stuff. So hang on to your seats because that interview is coming up in just a few minutes.

But if you're like Jeff, I need more Fuller House in my life. Can't get enough Fuller House. Then you need to check out Episode 45 of live from Detroit the Jeff Dwoskin show where I talked to Bryan Behar the executive producer of Fuller House. We talked about Fuller House a bunch in that episode, so definitely check that one out.

Hopefully everyone caught last week's episode, Episode 62 with Catherine Mary Stewart, star of the Last Starfighter, Weekend at Bernie's, and Night of the Comet. It's a great interview. If you need to catch up go ahead and do that after I promise you won't regret it. You'll love it.

Do you want to take a minute to thank all my fans in India we're shooting up the apple podcast charts in India so shout out to everyone listening there. And the rest of the countries step it up people. Come on Where are my France at? my Australia? where my America at where my Canada at? come on? Alright, well thank you India. I much appreciate it.

So I get letters and emails and texts and sky writings almost daily saying Jeff, where can we hear you other than your podcast? And it's a fair question because why wouldn't I be a million other places as well? Right? I know I hear you and so I here I am. Do you know that I was just on the Jimmy Star Show with Ron Russell? That's right. I was just on funny science fiction live. I know I was also just on the bhhcast crazy right? I'm everywhere and here with you our special place. So check those out. Those are all on my YouTube channel. So go to YouTube search the Jeff Dwoskin show subscribe to my YouTube channel. I also do a live show every Wednesday on YouTube called crossing the streams with a bunch of friends Wednesdays 9:30pm Eastern time we talk about shows and movies that you should be streaming on all the various streaming platforms. So check that out. You'll love it. There's 32 hours of amazing streaming suggestions awaiting you.

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And now it's time for the social media tip!. All right, this is the part of the episode, Some say the most exciting part I don't know people are saying regardless This is the part of this show where I bestow upon you some of the social media knowledge that I have gathered through my years so that we can all be social media mavens. A couple things today/// fleets on Twitter, RIP they're going away. Ah, just as we started to love Yeah, they take it from us. Twitter is great at introducing new features, not knowing what to do with them and then removing them instead of figuring out how they might be useful. So fleets, which is the same as stories On Facebook and Snapchat and Instagram, they couldn't figure out how to make work. So it's going away. So say goodbye to your fleets, but shifting focus for a second to Instagram. I do want to share one quick thing on Instagram that I actually learned recently, I wasn't even aware maybe on the last one that no, but I'm going to share with you in case you're this second to last person not to know on Instagram, when you get comments on your posts. You can pin your favorite comments up to three of your favorite comments to the top of the comments of that post. And this is a way so when people come to your posts, they see the best comments right up front. And hopefully that encourages them to also dig deep into their souls and leave you a comment as well of this same quality. And that's the social media tip.

I do want to take a quick second to thank all my fans and listeners who support the sponsors week after week. I can't thank you enough when you support the sponsor, you're supporting live from Detroit, the Jeff Dwoskin show. And that's how we keep the lights on this week's sponsor, EPIC industries, that was unexpected, industries. What who keeps doing that epic. Our sponsor has brought you such amazing things as those solar power scissors, cell flipping spatula, dehydrated water, that you won't believe it's not a to pay to pay this sock Cloner the goldfish resuscitation kit. That's right, epic, epic, epic, epic industry. Our sponsor is really inventing the future today. grab an amazing product from Epic. grab an amazing product from our sponsor, you won't regret it. It'll change your life. All right. Those products all sound amazing when I had to figure out where that weird echo was coming from.

But I do think that's a perfect segue to my interview with Michael Campion. We had an amazing conversation and I'm excited to share it with you right now. Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I'm excited to introduce you to my next guest. You love them is Jackson fuller on Fuller House. actor Michael Campion is here. Welcome to the show. Hello. Hello. Yeah. Thank you for having me.

Yeah, it's good to have you here. So you are fresh off Fuller House for such a burgeoning career. You've had a lot of cool stuff. Do you feel kind of blessed in that way?

Michael Campion 7:26

Oh, yeah, yeah. 100%. The fact that I've gotten to do even half of what I've done is so crazy. Like, I feel like legitimately pinching myself all the time, just knowing that I'm living the life that I'm living right now. And, you know, the fact that I got to do Fuller House and I had all those projects before Fuller House got me to where I was as an actor at that point. It's such a blessing. I mean, I've been doing this since I was five. Pretty much. So you've been doing this since you were five? What kind of sparked the interest for you're watching something on TV and you're like, I can do that bit of a weird story. But my mom was taking Christmas card pictures with me and my sister with one of our good friends who's a photographer and she was like, oh, wow, your son is very photogenic. Do you mind if I sent pictures of him to this like modeling agency? Like my friend, it was like, okay, turns out that they were wilhemina which is like a really big modeling agency in Miami. I didn't know what it was. My mom knew what it was. And I was five at the time. And we went down there and they're like, wow, he's really photogenic. very extroverted, but we wanted to get some stuff on his resume. I mean, he's only five so I think you should get him in like theater. Maybe he'd like it. And so the second I did like one community theater project, I absolutely fell in love and I knew that's what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. But even before then, I was super extroverted. I loved performing like I remember I was three My mom told me this story where I was in this like Halloween costume competition and I was dressed up as Elvis and apparently I like had one like the entire competition because I was like working the judges that like three just always had something in me but really due to my family. I mean, my mom's side are very magical people. They're all performers like my mom. She's Fairy Godmother at Disney World. My aunt and uncle their Santa and Mrs. Claus at Disney World. They used to be clowns before then I just got a very magical family and that said, Alright, wait, let's

Jeff Dwoskin 9:17

let's back up for saying it. So Fairy Godmother it's a lot to unpack right there. So the alright so your mom is Fairy Godmother? Yes. In full disclosure, so we can talk about your from Florida, right? Yeah, Orlando area. So I'm obsessed with Disney World. Like that's my favorite place in the world. So we could talk about that the whole time. If you want my family jokes with me. If I'm driving around, I'm in Michigan. If I'm driving around, they're like, Let's go home. I'm like, and they're like Jeff turn here. They're always the only place I know how to get around is in Disney World. Like I can be anywhere and someone goes let's go to the Haunted Mansion. And I'd be like, oh, follow me. Oh, yeah. And I'm off. You know, and here's the best way to go is like but I can't even get home like normal. I came in at home.

Michael Campion 10:01

That is so funny. That's I that's funny because I also know Disney like the back of my hand. I mean, I've been there so many times. That's great. Okay, so I tell people who like just in a past conversation Yeah, she's the fairy godmother, but since you know more about Disney and all that she's not like don't Fairy Godmother like character. I just say that because it's too much to explain that she's a fairy godmother at the bibbidi bobbidi boutique in the castle who does like the transformations for the little girls with like little princesses. So that's actually what she does, but she by her title is a fairy godmother. So I usually just say that but it evokes images of her like being the fairy godmother doesn't matter. But my aunt and uncle they are Santa and Mrs. Claus like professionally at Epcot during November December season at the American like pavilion, I'm sure that you're familiar with her funny story, right? Yeah. Okay, so

Jeff Dwoskin 10:46

we go to the American place. We came over to Scott but I know you're talking about just the outer edge of Epcot we go there we always used to go during December during Christmas. So we're waiting in line. Santa and Mrs. Claus aren't there. I am a hound when it comes to the photopass person. Like when we leave Disney World, they have to probably change the rules after I leave because they're like, there's no way one person got this many photos with our photo. So I'm guessing your family wasn't there at the moment. So the two chairs are open. Okay. This is how crazy I am. photopass person is there. I say we take a picture of us in the chairs. I'm Jewish. I don't need a Christmas. I've got the best Christmas picture in the world. And we're Jewish. It's I still put it up. It's great because I can make all my non Jewish friends jealous of how Christmas the picture I have. That's hilarious. But that's where it is. We're sitting in Santa Mrs. Santa seats because they were on break. Right?

Michael Campion 11:41

Wow, that's so funny. I'm sure. Wait, so is this like in the past couple years? Or like, like a long time ago?

Jeff Dwoskin 11:46

It could have been 10 years ago, but like, you know within Mambo timeframes it could have been yesterday.

Michael Campion 11:51

That's great. That's, that's really funny. You get to show people this picture. Now. I'm very curious.

Jeff Dwoskin 11:56

I'll get it. figured you probably know more about this than I do. But at Disney World, they have all these secrets like these magical moments that they call them right and and so like we were walking in in the morning, once and we're walking to the teacup ride. And as we're walking to the teacup ride, Alice and the rabbit are also walking towards the teacup ride. And in my head. I'm kind of picturing the trajectory of my kids in them and they're going to meet right at the teacup ride. And sure enough, first thing they do every morning is ride the teacup ride one time with couple guests and like in metal in there was an old commercial where they did it. And sure enough, my kids get in there with them. Well, my wife and I are in another cup videoing it so they come in and out every five seconds because we're spinning. Yeah. That's great. Okay,

Michael Campion 12:45

yeah, yeah, no, very magical. They just got lots of stuff even more so now. I mean, they've they've really jacked up the production value for all like the street performers. So

Jeff Dwoskin 12:53

what's your favorite thing to do at Disney World?

Michael Campion 12:55

My favorite thing to do disney world? That's a great question. There's so much stuff. I have two main things that that we do traditionally go to the Disney campgrounds we have like an RV that will pull up there. That's really fun. Bring my friend sometimes we'll bike around the place. And then like when I'm actually at Disney I love more than anything. Gosh, I used to love the old Hollywood Studios where they had like the stunt show and where it felt more like Hollywood that's always been my scene I love like sets and shows that's by far like Same thing with universal to like these to have like the disaster ride and like all these studio tour type deals, always in that direction. I don't really care for the rides, but I love like the production value of all this stuff and the performances. That's my favorite.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:34

Okay, yes or no? holla presidents,

Michael Campion 13:36

Aye. Aye. Haven't been on there in like, so long. I don't even remember. I'm gonna go Yes, because it's cool. But besides that, I

Jeff Dwoskin 13:44

literally have no idea my kids refer to it as the place where you can get some air and take a break. That's exactly what it is. Okay, all right. So that's cool theater. Let's get back to theater for a second Is this the time you were in like the Wizard of Oz? Annie The Little Mermaid or did that come?

Michael Campion 14:00

Yeah, yeah. So that's like, That was way early on. That's when I just started the all that stuff. And he was advised Aladdin, I was in so many like community theater productions from like five to 11. And then like, I did a few things here and there. And I just recently did a theater production. The Lythgoe family. The thing out here, they call them pan toes. It's like where the audience interacts with the stage performers and it's like a family thing. It happens during Christmas holiday season as called the Snow White Christmas. I got to be the prince in there. That was really cool because I haven't done the theater production in a long time. And that was like that was really nice to get back to my roots. It was great.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:35

That's awesome. So what role did you play in The Wizard of Oz? I was the Scarecrow you would just say oh my Yeah, what that's my favorite character. Oh, really? Well, you mentioned earlier being like a big big shot with the dressing up was Elvis, right? Like so. When I was in college. I was obsessed with the Wizard of Oz. I was obsessed with the Scarecrow. So we had this huge dress up party and it was gonna be at the bar at the college. I went as the Scarecrow. I watched the movie. I went to all these how places I put together a thing and I won first place a contest for it. But here's the best part. I'm walking down the street dressed in full costume. somebody pulls over and ask me directions, right? I mean, how crazy is that? Right? So I did the whole scene from the movie. Oh my gosh, when I'm doing the arms You know, I'm like God sent this person to me. This is how this is how the universe how I get my big break. This is it right here. This is the big deal right here. So that's cool. So I we have so much in common now. Is we love dressing up. We love Disneyworld. When I come to Orlando, we're gonna we're gonna hang out. Let's talk about some of your acting roles. I don't I don't want to just focus on Fuller House because you've done more. There's more that to you that led up to that I watched Robo Dog. Oh, yeah, I take these interviews. Seriously. I don't like I'm not just gonna be like, tell me about Robo Dog. I saw it on your eyes. Yeah. Be I watched Robo Dog. Alright, so first, nice job.

Michael Campion 15:58

Oh my gosh, that was the very first feature film I ever did. I was so little. I can't let you watch it. That's great. Here's the very first person has ever like prepared this much for an interview. I am down for this.

Jeff Dwoskin 16:07

I gotta say, all right, for your first big acting thing. It's a heavy thing. The dog dies. Sorry to give it a spoiler, but it's really honestly the whole setup to the movie. spoilers for those who are gonna watch robot. But but it's a big deal to me. Like I was watching that I'm like, that's it that's heavy for a kid because you're still young. So there has to be some processing between real and this and that you have the dog dies that you're in love with. I mean, granted the whole plot point he needed to happen. But how did you deal with that? How do you prepare for like that kind of that's some deep emotion they're acting asking for

Michael Campion 16:38

oh my gosh, this is so funny. No one's ever tried to dissect it. I love it. This is so funny. I okay, so so Robo Dog, which is let me let me preface this a little bit for my my very first like feature film really great. But at the time I like I didn't really know anything about acting like truthfully, or whatnot. I remember I was remembering that specific day that I had to like cry and be like all sad for that that scene. I was like watching all these videos of like the ads for like the dogs in the like pound and in the kennel and I was getting all sad and I was like I was thinking my own dogs and we did a few takes that that worked in it. I was very proud of myself. You know, I didn't have any like formal I don't know acting training and like a method do stuff for really prepare me now again, that was like the first time I'm learning I was learning so much about set and how it operated and how to like to my lines and things that that was probably like one of the bigger learning curves. It was really good though. It was a really great experience. And honestly as much as my like friends will make fun of me for it because like as you know, thing that he did when you were little which is hilarious because they also never done like a feature film. So they can't say anything. It was great. And it was just a stepping stone for me to you know, be you know where I am now and getting Fuller House and moving on in my career.

Jeff Dwoskin 17:50

It was great. I loved it. So in full disclosure, I've not seen the sequel Robo Dog airborne and then just so everyone knows, Miko plays a character named Tyler and he has a dog and the dog's name is dog but don't confuse that with the title robot dog because this dog dies and then another dog then the father, who by the way is Patrick Muldoon who I watched religiously in Melrose Place. It was something we did. Wow. But I tell you, I am jealous. You got to work with Wallace, Shawn. Oh,

Michael Campion 18:17

I love that guy. Yeah, he's great.

Jeff Dwoskin 18:19

Have you seen the Princess Bride? Yes. I love the Princess Bride. I mean, to be able to work with that guy from The Princess Bride. inconceivable. I mean, it's like it's craziness. Pretty legendary. He's legendary. He's legendary. Now they did make a sequel to this. And I didn't watch the sequel. But I did watch the preview to the sequel. And it looks like they almost kind of as I'm watching the preview is almost like, well, maybe we'll forget about the first movie because it was good. And we'll kind of reintroduced the same concept. And we'll go even further with. Yeah, that's exactly what happened. So we got a good idea of and now we have a chance to actually do it even better. So that's cool. So it's wrong. It was always funny as me father is dragging over this battery, and then he makes the dog for you. And then suddenly, it's like, he goes from worrying about the battery to creating a fully functional dog is basically is super super computer super Android. It was it was quite a jump. But I mean, I suspended my disbelief because I'm like, I'm hanging with Michael Campion. I got to suspend my disability for Robo Dog and get through it. So I'm gonna do that. I'm gonna do that.

Michael Campion 19:24

Yeah, it was like, like discount arc reactor and like bowl movie was just, I mean, you know, it's something like the exam hallmark, but I'm proud of it from what it was worth. It was fun.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:34

No, I enjoyed it. I'm like, I'm like it was you know, I mean, it was fun. It was fun. It's always fun to watch the person you're going to be talking to in something to read. It's a whole different kind of perspective when you're watching it for that reason. Right. And so for that, I thoroughly enjoyed it for your first big motion picture. It was good and it must have maybe a I'm predicting more because I mean, look, the second one was just made a couple years ago, so there could be another one Robo Dog more airborne units. Sometimes

Michael Campion 20:00

three the Christmas or no, no, no, it goes to space or some right some Robo Dog curry he's back or something.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:09

Something Yeah, it's alright, so let's talk about Christmas trade. Kevin Bacon degrees of connection with Christmas trade as you worked with Denise Richards who worked with Patrick Muldoon and Starship Troopers. That's right. There's a whole connection there. I really when I was watching the preview for Christmas trade, where you switch bodies with William Baldwin, and then you William Baldwin's love interest was Denise Richards. Were you old enough when you were making this movie to appreciate this?

Michael Campion 20:39

It was not an I was a was a problem. I really wish I was old enough, because that would have been super cool. But looking back on it now I'm like, Whoa, now I have like a deeper appreciation for actually working with them. But yeah, at the moment. No, I was totally ignorant. Alright, very cool.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:54

You did a series on brat called Red Ruby. I watched a couple episodes of that. Your classic kids disappear and come back as vampire tale. That was only one season though, right? Yeah. Yep. was what season it was right. Tell me tell me about making that kids go missing from a cave vampires. And this is all new genre for you.

Michael Campion 21:16

Right? Let me Okay, so zero bad mouthing here. Let me just give you like my honest, this is the hottest tech, that's really not a hot tech, but it's just my experience. So brat, like the network itself never really had, like actors on their shows. It was they were trying to like create, like influencer shows. So kids would watch their favorite influencers do shows, which is like, okay, I was like the first like actor, they had really gotten on there. I was working with a lot of non actors. And also the show itself was written very fast. And they aren't trying to make it be like the highest quality content, but it's just for like, kids and, you know, youtuber or whatnot, which, and also, this was like in between seasons of Fuller House. And man, first of all, it was really fun just to shoot just to be on location and to just do some wacky stuff, because it's a pretty like wacky storyline. I mean, you got, you know, the kids missing, they come back. I gotta take care of this, like vampire girl, Ruby and Ruby. Yes, exactly. Ruby, red Ruby. And yeah, it went for one season, I really thought that they were gonna do a second one I uttered, it turns out that they didn't. But it was fun doing it certainly not like challenging for me as an actor or growing as an actor at all. But it was, it's always a fun experience to be on set and all that and to make work that's super different than Fuller House. But next time I get another show or a movie or something I really want like real dramatic role. I want to be able to show my range. That's what I want next, because a lot of people see me on Fuller House next time something like, what type of role would you want to do to really kind of show off your acting chops? Well, I've always had this one role in mind. I have two versions of it. There's like the hyper specific one. And then there's more generalized one. The more generalized one is I want to play a villain in a movie, I doesn't matter what but the more hyper specific is like a Hannibal Lecter, and like a psychological thriller, or like just a super charismatic villain, who is like, I'm like, Oh, my gosh, I had this audition for this one movie this one time, and I'm so sad. I didn't get it, because it was the exact role that I'm talking about. And it was like a kid. That was my age. And I could have done it right now. And it was awesome. I was so mad. But yes, I want to be a villain in the movie somehow. But in a more realistic approach. I just want to do a more dramatic feature film at some point, you know, in the near future, because I've been a fuller house for so long and people only know me as that. But I certainly have a lot more range than that. Sure.

Jeff Dwoskin 23:40

Yeah. And I'm looking forward to it. Yeah, from roadog to Fuller House, it's a job so how many auditions Do you generally go on? Like a year? Well, let me ask it a different way. Yes, a year or how are what's normal or what do you hope to do? Like when you do something like Fuller House which has a wide visibility does it open more doors if people start calling you or is there always a hustle is are you always just trying to get in the door and be seen?

Michael Campion 24:08

Oh, yeah, I mean, Fuller House is certainly opened up more doors and I'm being considered for more stuff, but it's not like something crazy big. Didn't like blow up mainstream culture. So it's not it's not like people are handing me roles. Like please come do this. I still I mean, I obviously have to audition I'm still on a hustle definitely on a hustle. I mean, I don't know many actors unless you're like super top elite that are getting handed roles like on the regular You know, there's always some type of hustle even if it is in the in the upper echelon like oh, well now it's you against Emma Stone, like, who has more chemistry with you know, whatever, whatever. So, always hustle probably more hustle for me in the lower I mean, I say lower, it's not really lower. Obviously. There isn't really like a scale. It's just it's it's all made up but certainly easier since I've gotten Fuller House and I have some things under my belt for sure.

Jeff Dwoskin 24:58

So let me ask you this question. passes of a lot of people so when you're doing auditions are there and I say this jokingly arch nemesis and what I mean by that is other Michael Campion types. So when you walk into a room, you're like, oh, he's here again. And like you're always going up against the same kind of people you went on they went up. Yeah. Like are you know, that kind of thing? Is there? Is there certain people where you like have that kind of relationship with or that relationship exists in the universe? That is

Michael Campion 25:25

so funny. I am so glad that you asked this because I get well first of all, yes, there there are. I mean, it well, a more generalized thing. There are a lot of kids with blue eyes, brown hair, straight, white male in my category, there's so many in so many agencies, and honestly, things are getting way more diverse. So those jobs are getting few and far between not few and far between. Like it's completely dwindling, but it was a lot more competition for that. So a it's it's already increased, but be the people that I've actually close with and friends with who go out for a lot of the same roles. I live with two roommates. We're also trying to be actors. And we get a lot of the same auditions all the time. We're very cooperative, because we know that the chances of any of us getting these roles is pretty slim. I've always wondered that question. And I've always like this is on my mind all the time. Like I want to get like a roster of all the kids who are going through the same stuff in my agency, I just really want to know like, are they getting more than I am? Like, I gotta do some like corporate espionage and like find out what's going on here. I guess they answer the question is yes, there certainly is. There's not one specific person I intend to find out aptly, as soon as possible.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:31

How much preparation do you do for like a roll? Like when you get it? Like, do you just read it? And you kind of get an idea how you want to take the character? Or do you go in dress a certain way when I don't mean like nice or not nice if it would fit the character? Like how much are you trying to paint the picture visually? And auditorily? Is that the right word in the people's eyes and ears that are watching you audition that you're right for the role that you're going to click in? Because a lot of it is kind of matching what's in their head for a role, isn't it? It's kind of there's some preconceived notions that they're going to have. And you kind of walk in if they were picturing some tall blonde, you got a strike against you, right? When you walk in, for example. Yeah, if you're not at all Yeah, right. But you're not Yeah, those at home, we can't see because it's audio.

Michael Campion 27:16

Right, right. Right. That is a good question. I'll give you two answers. So the first answer is when we when I do self tapes versus when I go in person, because when I do a self tape, I have a lot more liberty to jack up the production value and really go ham and do and make some crazy bold choices because you're not in the room, they can't ask you to change something. So you got to really make a good first impression. So the first thing I do first and foremost is to just get my lines down to thing that I've learned, you know, in this acting technique of Meisner, specifically is to bury your lines, meaning get it as good as you have like your address, you can just spew it off without having to think about it, bury it verbatim, like for every single word and then wrote meaning without meaning. So you basically take every single line of your text, you put it in a big document, and you just learn that as one giant paragraph every time that I bury it. So I could dispute off like Mr. chaddha, my name is random more, we guess I should have resident expect to be welcome here no hand to him for the coalition like it's so like, that's like, just like one of the random things that I have buried. So that's like 70% of the work already, just burying your lines, the other like 30% is just making a choice on how to do that. And that's honestly the fun and easy part because getting to dress up a particular way. Or instead of being mad here, you just you be excited. And that's what people that people think that that's the 70% of the work. It's really not, it's really just like being present with the other person. It's it's really just not being in your head. And being as as truthful as you possibly can. Being there presently, in the moment being as truthful as possible. That's all the stuff that matters, the distinction I make from going into a self tape is that I can make a larger production value, I can almost literally paint the scene I've done stuff where like it was a driving scene. So I was in a car and I sell and I found myself in a car, I've done wild, wild stuff for self tapes, because 90% of people are gonna have a blue background and a reader and there's just gonna stand there or sit there. If you have a good performance and you have good production value, you're gonna stand out and then they're going to want you more for a callback, and I've gotten pin for more roles that I did crazy stuff for, then I have just normal audition. So yeah, that's it for self tapes. I haven't really been on a man, I can't remember the last time I did an in person audition. I mean, for an in person audition, it is a little bit more stressful because you're there you know, there's everyone there, you're you're a little bit more nervous, and the person who's reading may not be the best actor to play off of your emotions and for you to react off with them. So that you know diminishes performance a little bit. That's always been a problem though, but it's honestly a much more fulfilling experience because they get to tell you what they want, you know, hey, make this choice instead. So they know they can see your range. It's a better experience all around and you're going to get booked way more off of in person than you will tapes. That's how I want to be booked.

Jeff Dwoskin 30:02

It was interesting how you were saying about memorizing lines, it's

Michael Campion 30:05

kind of how when I do stand up comedy, I memorize the words and then that you have to get it to a point where you kind of just saying them, and they have to come out natural as if they're just, you're just saying it for the first time. And you apply all the emotion and inflections, when you're actually saying it now when you're kind of running through it, I can relate to that, right? That's very cool. If you bury it with emotion attached behind it, you're now in your head and you're playing off of yourself, rather than the audience like say someone like heckled you in the audience or whatnot, you wouldn't be able to reply because you've only set it up for yourself and not for the other people like to have that degree of improvisation, which is really important. That's cool. They just did it. I didn't, I didn't know that I

Jeff Dwoskin 30:45

do stand up.

Michael Campion 30:45

I live with a stand up comedian. So I know all about that world. I've been to a lot of shows. I know about crowds I know about you know, like what it takes to do that. I mean, that's, that's pretty cool. Good for you.

Jeff Dwoskin 30:56

I know you mentioned your friends you live with the ones you audition with? How did your friends that you grew up with? You maybe were in theater with you went to school with non acting friends? How did they react to your fame? Well, I should say, How did they react to your fame to your face? And how do they react to behind your back? Now?

Michael Campion 31:17

I don't know the answer the second question, because I have my back. But okay, so it's interesting, because people have asked me this before, and I have non acting friends but they've always been supportive throughout my whole life. And anyone else who's ever had like an adverse reaction or was like jealous in any way, there have always been acquaintances, and below, like, barely knew them. But like my core group of friends have been comprised of actors mostly. And the ones that aren't have been around me so often that they just note, that's what I do. But when I got full their house, they were very supportive of it. They were so ingrained within my life that they were out here and they, I mean, I filled my house when for five years, so they got to experience you know, what it was like on set for me, and what it was like to live that life. And sometimes it's like when you strike it lucky, which I've consider myself very lucky mean, to be able to be on a show like this, and your actual friends are not supportive. There's like a big problem there. Because actors are the first ones to know how difficult it is to get a job. Not only something you know, that is so widely regarded, as you know, a good show like like full house. So super supportive. No, like backstabbing behind the blah, blah, blah, those only times that that had ever happened. Seriously, were very few and far between and with people I didn't even like and people that had no significant part of my life, my family still treated me the same. In fact, they actually started treating me not worse, but playfully more disciplined, because it's like, well, you know, we'll show you and your actor, you know, will humble you. So it actually mostly had the opposite reaction to whatever you're thinking, right? You

Jeff Dwoskin 32:48

walk in, you're like, Oh, yeah, well, I'm gonna go eat dinner with Bob Saget. So. Alright, so that's cool. That's, that's good to hear. You're a magician. You have a love of magic. How did you get into magic?

Michael Campion 33:01

My aunt and uncle who? I said before Santa, Mrs. Claus. They were professional clowns. At the time, when I was eight years old. They gave me my first magic kit. And from there, I was just hooked, like forever. I mean, that would just it was another outlet for me to perform another outlet for me to fool people. And like it's such as like this like powerful tool that I could use in social situations, which I learned later. I mean, that when I was like, eight, I wasn't really doing it for those reasons, but fell in love with magic from eight and then like around 11 it tapered off. But then I got right back into it in like the middle of Fuller House. I was back home in Florida during the offseason. And I went back to the magic shop that was close to me where I had started. I was like, why haven't I been doing this? Like what is going on? And so I started doing it again, just literally out of nowhere. And then I came back to California and I went to a magic shop close to here. And there were these two kids in the magic shop that had like these suits on. And I was like, Where did you guys come from? And like, oh, we're Junior members of the Magic Castle. I had heard about the Magic Castle and I had been there one other time before. Do you know what the Magic Castle is? By the way in California? Does that ring a bell at all? No, tell me. I don't know. So so the Magic Castle is this world renown magic club. This is like where every magician you've ever heard of goes like this is magic hub Central. And it's this place in Los Angeles. It's a you can think of it a little bit like like a standup venue where they have like multiple rooms. But it's like this Victorian mansion in Hollywood. And there are different performers in each room. And if you're a junior member, you're one of the people who are under 21 and can perform on the weekends if you're over 21 you can book any night at the Magic Castle but you have there's like a very specific dress attire you have to wear. It's like suits and ties and dresses and there's like fancy dinners and brunches. You can look it up later. It's very cool. But I was like, Oh my gosh, I didn't know that I had a junior program. I'm getting into this right now. That's when my magic really starts. To take on a serious hobby level where I got into the Magic Castle, I auditioned, and their acceptance rate is very low, like 24 people audition, I think three got in that year, I was one of the three, which was really crazy. And then I started performing weekends ever since. And I just I mean, I pretty much lost the whole year of magic 2020 was just completely gone. But it's it just opened back up pretty much every other weekend. I have a show that I do. And I'll just say, hey, I want to perform this weekend, and then they'll let me do it. So it's really cool. How long of a show can you do? Okay, so there's four, not five rooms, I'm pretty sure there's like the stage shows. And then there's various sizes of close up rooms for that where they do close up magic. I currently only have a close up show, which is 20 minutes. And that's like the average. And I do about five or six shows within a brunch period. But I'm working on a stage show right now. So that would probably be a little longer.

Jeff Dwoskin 35:53

Not sure how long. It's really cool.

Michael Campion 35:55

Yeah, yeah. But we get our own individual rooms. So it's not like we're switching out. Or there's like people before me, they can hop from room to room and get in line. And then you know, see the show. It's really great.

Jeff Dwoskin 36:04

That is awesome. All right. Let's talk about Fuller House. You mentioned it a few times. So how did you land the role of Jackson? Fuller?

Michael Campion 36:15

The process was very interesting. This is a pretty crazy story. But I'll give you the Reader's Digest. So I was 12 when I got an audition. I mean, it was just a normal audition for my agency. I got the breakdown and said like untitled sitcom for I don't know, I went to my self tape place in Orlando, which had my acting coaches there, you know, I've been going there for years. And I did it. I was like, Okay, cool. Didn't think it another thing of it, then I get a callback and still untitled that comes like, okay, you know, anytime you get a callback, it's, it's cool. So I did it again. Then by the third time, they asked me back, I was like, Okay, this is getting pretty serious. And then they reveal that it was Fuller House, like the sequel, The Full House, and I was pretty. I was like, I loved the full house. I mean, I watched on Nick at night and all that. So I was really excited. And they asked me to like dress up a particular way and do my hair particular way. And I was okay, they really like it. And then I think I did one more audition, but out of some like weird translation error or some weird thing between my my agent manager and like people out there, they wanted me to go out and do my final audition to LA but I didn't for some reason. I don't know, I don't I really am unclear about what happened. Their point is they eventually they actually gave it to another kid. I lost the role. But because of that, like, yes, there was another guy who was Jackson, and they cast him. They did two days of rehearsal, and I went, Okay, I mean, you know, whatever. And then I go back to do a completely separate self tape. And my mom is sitting in the lobby and and she gets his email, and she goes day didn't like the kid. Like there's something off with the chemistry. They want you to go on tape right now. And I went, Oh, my god, oh my god. So I went to Walmart, I changed my clothes. I go over, I completely forfeit the audition. I do this one. I sent it in an hour later. They're like, okay, we want you in California right now to do Los Angeles to do your final audition come literally right now. And I went, Oh my god, okay. So that morning, my mom and I got like a 4am five hour flight to LA This is like the third time I've been out to LA like in my entire life to get picked up by a limo, we get dropped off at Warner Brothers casting office. And it's me, my mom, the security guard lets us into the employee break room because we still had our bags with us. So I could like get ready and like do stuff. But we were sitting there for several hours before one of the agents came up and said, Hey, come to the back. And so takes us to the back. It was me and one other kid. One kid goes down and he does this thing I go down. And this was like a very scary looking room because there was like the stage and then there was a lecture hall style like college room where there these rows of people it was much smaller than like an auditorium. It was like literally like 1/16 the size barely. But there was like at least 30 people in this room. All like casting directors and producers and writers. This was like the last thing and I couldn't see their faces because I had like this blinding light in my eyes. But anyways, I go in very nervous, do my thing go out, then they tell the other kid Hey, you can go But Michael, we need to tell you your hotel information. And I went, Okay, they get me into the room and everyone's like in the circle. And there's a camera on me. And I'm like, what's going on? And then they basically were like, congratulations, welcome Netflix, Fuller House here, Jackson. I went Wow. And I started crying. And my mom was there and we were hugging. And also that was the week of my 13th birthday. So that was quite the birthday present. It was crazy. And then literally next day, they cut my hair. I had to learn all these lines. And I was shooting with John's demos and I was like what just happened in my life and so let I we had packed for two days to be out there. We had to be up there for two weeks before we went back to Florida for a hiatus and it was nuts. Dude, it was I mean that just goes to show nothing is certain in this industry even even when you have literally like booked the role and you're there that's not even certain. Like, that's crazy to me. Michael J Fox

Jeff Dwoskin 39:57

wasn't the original Marty McFly. There with somebody else and like they film scenes, everything yeah, you never know. Never give up. Never give up. You're right, because it's all about the chemistry once they start filming. That's awesome. It's crazy, man. What was it like kind of just working with a cast that was so tight knit? Because I mean, they're coming back. I mean, this is like a huge reunion for them. And like, there's all that that synergy and energy that they they've had for decades. I mean, this wasn't a normal situation where like, all these people came together just for this TV show. There was a good percentage of that cast that had done full house together. And so they hadn't worked together in a while. But when they came back, it was like, they knew all their ins and outs. Oh, yeah, I

Michael Campion 40:36

mean, everyone was good friends already made. They've been friends for 30 years talk about chemistry. That's that's like beyond chemistry that's like family at that point where they literally have been so close for all these years. And honestly, it was so easy getting integrated into their group, because they accepted like the newcomers with big open arms. And since they already had all this chemistry from, you know, 30 years ago, I felt very welcomed. I didn't feel out of place. They made sure like, I knew what was what was going on. I knew the ins and outs and just a great experience. I mean, it's really interesting, looking back because that I've grown as a performer, definitely, you know, on that show, but they definitely, like facilitated that growth. And this was like not a normal show. Let me let me just preface that this is not a normal show where you know, you have some of the cast, and then whatever, whatever. No, this was like, we did stuff as a family. We were literally a second family. We went out and did stuff all the time. And we support each other and there was zero drama on the set. I mean, like, when I say zero, okay, obviously there was like some little tiny things here and there. But in comparison to any other show that was going on at that time, we were flawless. And that is such a blessing to have just I literally still can't believe that it went as smooth as it did and everyone not just not just the cast but the crew loves each other too. So big supportive vibes and learned a lot cruise bomber. And now I have this like second family that I can, you know, be with?

Jeff Dwoskin 42:00

Yeah, I imagine you're stuck with them for life because that they never that was one of the things I think with the original cast was in the media, if you're just watching in the media, they always were connected. They were always somehow together, you've kind of always got the feel. So let me ask you this now that if the show's done, how did everyone really feel about the Olsen twins Nacho?

Michael Campion 42:23

Oh my gosh, that's so far. Honestly. It was disappointing. I mean, like, we wanted them to be there. But we understood it was like, all right, you know, they don't they don't really care to go do this here. But in response, we made a lot of very meta jokes about them not being there. It actually turned out to be funny, but no one was like heartbroken over it. We all understood, I just wish that they would have been on for one, just one out of the five years. I was so disappointed that I never got to meet them. But it's whatever. That would have been nice.

Jeff Dwoskin 42:53

So 30 years from now when Michael Campion is your generations Tom Hanks, and your big shot and they're doing the full assist house. Yeah, there you go. You're gonna make a cameo. You're gonna come back. Oh, yeah. 100% I would you ever miss this opportunity?

Michael Campion 43:13

No, no, it's got to be a trilogy next 30 years. And then like, they're like in wheelchairs, like Bob Saget. And like, we got a card around. That's so funny. Oh, yeah. That'd be that'd be fun. 30 years from now fullest house like,

Jeff Dwoskin 43:24

let me ask you a couple questions. As a child star, getting into your non child years pretty much grew up on Fuller House. I mean, oh, yeah. If you're off to college, and all that kind of good stuff. You know what they say about kids stars. And so I wonder like, if your parents were ever worried about you, you seem to be like a most together person. And so it doesn't seem it negatively affected you at all, and you seem to be a very together person. Granted, I have no idea what you're gonna do when this mic and the camera goes off. But you seem good head on your shoulders. What advice do you have for kids stars on how to handle rejection and stress and balancing being the kids still and the disappointment that comes with acting?

Michael Campion 44:03

That's a good question. I like that question. Well, let me preface this by saying I know a lot of kid actors who definitely went down that rabbit hole that you're describing. And you know, you hear all those horror stories about child actors being like, you know, just terrible things happening to them. That's very, very sad. But it is true that that happens a lot. It's definitely dwindled off now. It affects a kid growing up like when you're on a show like that and you're pampered I mean, a lot of a lot of your maturity gets lost your mind is now in this weird domain where like you feel the need to be like treated in a particular way and then most kids will go down like you know, they'll go off with their bad friends and Okay, all that aside, the people like who were around my age or you know, younger, who wants to pursue acting as a serious thing. I will say it is not easy. There's nothing about this. That is easy, and anyone who claims to be as scammy all the time, and I I've certainly dealt with people who are trying to scam. There's a lot of that. But when you get into this as craft, rather than just a fantasy or an idea, which is what a lot of kids will go into, they'll see like their favorite stars, like I want to be that. That's exactly I want to be when they don't realize that was probably like one, one off lucky thing that happened to them. And if you want to be like serious about this, it takes years of practice takes years of commitment, but not only just years of practice and commitment, it takes years of refining your craft. That's what a lot of people miss about being an actor. Because if you think about what other performing arts are about, or honestly, any anything that has to do with craftsmanship, like I don't know, carpentry or something like in the more physical art world, that is a skill that is learned and is trained and practiced over time. And a lot of actors don't have that discipline, as opposed to like a dancer who is always dancing, always doing stuff all the time, or a singer who's always training that. So I actors tend to tend to get lazy in that department. But I've seen you know, a few child actors who are very committed to it as a craft, but you just have to be prepared to give everything up. Hey, you want to go hang out the friends? Nope. You have an audition you have to study for Hey, you want to do this? Nope, you're actually shooting those days. Sorry. Oh, your birthday, who gives a crap? Literally, no one cares. You're getting paid this much money to do this job. Oh, school. Yeah, you have to do that too. Like that sucks. And honestly, that I think out of everything if you're if you're on a job, because for me, that was one of the most challenging things I've ever had to do is balancing school with work. That was awful. Because I was basically I basically had two full time jobs. And I'm so lucky to have an onset tutor who helped me and the other kids on the show with the work and get it in on time and whatever. But I had a homeschooling program that was basically built for child actors around their schedules and stuff, which we all went to, it's not easy, but I got out of there as fast as I could I graduated I mean, I got all my work done teaches you this great deal of discipline that you end in this great deal of maturity that you would have never learned otherwise, if you treat it as a craft and such because like I'm looking at it two ways. Either one, you can treat it as a fantasy and like the get rich, quick influencer type deal that a lot of kids are going down these days. Or you can treat it as a craft and you're a storyteller and a person who has to put your emotions on the line and be blatantly honest with yourself and train for years and know that it's hard work but super satisfying and super fulfilling at the end of the day. That's the path that I'm choosing that I just see so many not are not as committed and if you're not that level, it's too competitive a market for you to be in it really if you're not always on your game all the time that but that's like the harsh reality that no one really wants to hear.

Jeff Dwoskin 47:40

That's what we're here to do in life and just write the Jeff Dwoskin show deliver the harsh reality thank now Michael That was amazing. Thank you that was those were great words someone will hear them and they'll make a difference in someone's life so that's that's pretty cool. I can't thank you enough for hanging out with me this was was really great. everyone listening go tweet hashtag Robo Dog three we're gonna make this happen we're gonna make it happen it's got to be a trilogy deserves that it deserves it deserves a third wrap up I want this this is great. This is the story is not complete yet. this story's not he lost his memory got home and now there's more there's more stories to tell. No but thank you so much, I guess Hey, for being in the world of acting as long as you have you in a very impressive resume. I wish you nothing but continued success. I know the greatest things are ahead of you. Thank you very much for sharing these stories with me I really really appreciate it Yeah, thanks man.

Michael: Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it

All right how amazing was that Michael Campion and everyone who dropped everything they're doing and head over to Netflix so rewatch or watch Fuller House I know puts you in the mood doesn't it? Also don't forget to head over to the internet and join in on our Robo Dog three (#RoboDog3) campaign very important need that to happen not only for Michael but for I think the world The world needs Robo Dog three

We're nearing the end of our episode Can you believe it? So you know what that means? That means it's time for another hashtag when the family of hashtags that hashtag around up adds right follow hashtag round up on twitter at hashtag round up download the free hashtag round up app on the Apple or Google stores tweet along with hashtag ground up in one day one of your tweets may show up on a future episode of live from Detroit the Jeff Dwoskin show fame and fortune awaits you. Alright, well this week we picked that awesome hashtag. This one of course in honor of Michael Campion, Robo Dog and our sponsor, epic, epic. And our sponsor, the hashtag is #AnInventionThatINeed tweeters went to Twitter to tell the world an invention that they felt they needed and tweeted with the hashtag #AnInventionThatINeed. And so here are some of those inventions: A Roomba that picks up the dog poop in your yard. That sounds amazing. A winning lottery number picker. Wish I had that before I spent $100 million on lottery tickets. Curry made scrambled eggs seems like a no brainer Who has time to scramble their own eggs. A self zipping zipper. I can't tell you how many times I couldn't use that a robotic cat that actually drives a car. Oh, that sounds epic. Epic. That sounds amazing. These are amazing #AnInventionThatINeed tweets and here's some more robot politicians that are incapable of lying. What would we all talk about then? Or you'd better sit down for this one alarm that would that would really be helpful an air guitar tuner Oh my god. I wish I had thought of that before I threw out my air guitar a lunch that backs itself that sounds great. That would be perfect for the kids. They would love that shoes it untie themselves when you're exhausted after work. Why did someone already invent that a mute button for annoying people? Oh my god, that would be incredible. And finally the last #AnInventionThatINeed glasses that are fog proof Oh my goodness, I could have used this when I was wearing a mask for all those many months. Well, those were some amazing as I'm sure you can agree. If not. Those are some amazing tweets. I'm sure you can agree all those tweet as retweeted at Jeff Dwoskin show on Twitter. Follow me at Jeff Dwoskin jo on Twitter and Instagram at Jeff Dwoskin show go retweet those tweeters. They're also listed in the show notes. show him some love. Grab the hashtag roundup app yourself tweet along so that one day I can read one of your tweets on the show.

Well, that's it folks. We're at the end Episode 63. We made it, we did it. Alright, I want to thank Michael Campion for being an amazing guest. And I want to thank all of you for coming back week after week, and I'll see you next time.

Announcer 51:55

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Jeff Dwoskin show with your host Jeff Dwoskin. No Go repeat everything you've heard and sound like a genius. catch us online at the Jeff Dwoskin show.com or follow us on Twitter at Jeff Dwoskin show and we'll see you next time.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai