Most people hate the sound of their own voice. Piotr Michael was no exception. ADVERTISING Most people hate the sound of their own voice. Piotr Michael was no exception. He determined that about 10 years ago, when his older brother
Most people hate the sound of their own voice. Piotr Michael was no exception.
He determined that about 10 years ago, when his older brother Miko gave him a microphone for his 18th birthday.
“We were so exited to plug it in,” recalls Michael, who had just started a YouTube channel at the time. “But then I listened to myself. I remember thinking, ‘Wow that’s so boring.’ And then I’d watch videos of myself and think, ‘Oh my gosh — that’s how I look?’”
So Michael began instead performing voice impressions. He’d record them at home — living in Mountain View at the time with his parents — and upload them as videos on YouTube. In those videos, he’d mimic celebrities, movie characters — just about anyone with a unique and memorable vocal quality.
The 28-year-old is now an acclaimed voice actor and comedian who can impersonate Donald Trump, Charlie Sheen and countless other Hollywood actors and politicians with uncanny expertise. His talents have landed him a spot on the TODAY show, voice-over gigs for multiple movies, Disney shows and TV networks. He’s also a regular on “The Howard Stern Show.”
This summer, the former Big Island resident joined the cast of the new season of the CW’s MADtv, a revival of the longtime, Emmy-winning sketch comedy series which last aired years ago on Fox.
But Michael, also known by his family name “Walczuk” — an acclaimed family of artists and performers — hasn’t forgotten his time on the Big Island. Years ago, he was a student at the University of Hawaii at Hilo with a growing YouTube presence. He also began honing different characters and impressions back then on a UH-Hilo campus radio show called “The Mixed Nut Show.”
“Hawaii is so beautiful and distracting with all its landscapes, and it’s so multicultural,” Michael told the Tribune-Herald in a phone interview on Tuesday. ” … And definitely going to UH-Hilo, they have such a great program there. Their department has access to everything other universities have, but what’s great about UH is it’s small — I had a whole radio station to myself and I got to learn and make mistakes by myself.”
Michael also began acting at UH-Hilo. In 2007, he was cast as lead in the campus comedy production “I Hate Hamlet.”
A natural comedian with a wry sense of humor, Michael fit the lead role of Andrew Rally — a Hollywood actor who moves to New York to take on the role of Hamlet — to a tee, recalls Jackie Johnson, a longtime UH-Hilo faculty member who directed the production.
“He auditioned for the play and there was no doubt in my mind he’d be the ideal lead character,” Johnson said. “The person had to be a combination of that Hollywood gloss and sophistication and also vulnerability. He was able to do both those things with no trouble.”
Michael said acting helped him build confidence. Ultimately, it led him to switch from studies in animation to pursue an interest in performing. He didn’t finish his studies at UH-Hilo — he instead moved to Los Angeles at age 21 and enrolled at the Groundlings, an acclaimed L.A.-based improv school.
He’s been in Hollywood ever since. But he visits the Big Island at least once per year for the holidays, because most all of his immediate family still resides here.
He encourages folks — especially fans of the previous MADtv show — to check out the new season which, he describes as “really honoring the initial series.” In the future, he said wants to pursue more opportunities in stand-up comedy, animation and acting. But he says impressions and voice acting remain his “first love.”
“Impressions are sort of like a magic trick,” Michael said. “When I embody a character, I’m able to channel that person or personality and create content I never would have thought of on my own. Somehow when you channel a character you get this ability to just say what you want, because it’s not who you are and that’s so fun.”
The new season of MADtv airs on the CW on Tuesday nights. Visit www.cwtv.com for more information.
