MICHAEL MEALOR [THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS]
Georgia native Michael Mealor currently stars as Kyle Abbott in the soap opera, The Young and the Restless. The show, whose first episode aired in March 26, 1973 is now on its 47th season.
In this exclusive interview, Mealor opened up about the fast-paced environment of soap operas, his usual routines, his acting journey, his love of Neil Gaiman and Hemmingway, and about being present in the now.
PHOTOGRAPHY: PHIL LIMPRASERTWONG
Walk us through a typical day of Michael Mealor.
Typical days for me are usually very typical. I function the best when I am in a well-groomed routine so Tuesday to Friday look very similar. Tuesday to Friday I am filming so my alarm goes off usually somewhere around 5am. I wake up and the first thing on my mind is coffee and how long until it will be in my system. It’s me against the world until I have my coffee. From there, I usually head to the studio. I like to get there 30-minutes earlier than my call time and enjoy waking up slowly. Once in my dressing room, I meditate until I go to rehearsals and hair/makeup. From that point forward, it’s off to the races and drama, drama, drama….we are filming a soap opera after all. Once I have shot my scenes for the day, I head to the gym for a couple of hours, grab dinner on the way home and begin to study. I spend most of my nights studying material for the next day of filming. Then it’s off to bed to do it all over again the next day.
Was modeling and acting always in the cards for you growing up?
There wasn’t even a glimmer of hope this would be my life when I was growing up. I’m from Georgia, my mom is a school teacher and my dad is a business man so the arts and acting wasn’t even a flicker on the radar. Don’t get me wrong, I knew there was something in me that needed to be expressed, but I wasn’t sure how to express it. I didn’t have the tools to let it loose. I never knew what I wanted to do with my life and I didn’t know I could pursue something outside of the box if I wanted to. I was a little lost in that area, but one thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t want to sit behind a desk.
STYLING: ARLEN JEREMY FARMER AT WILHELMINA ARTISTS, GROOMING: GARRET GERVAIS at MCH GLOBAL
What’s your favorite thing about being an actor?
I know what I feel when I film a scene. I know what I feel when art touches me. My favorite thing about being an actor is the idea that MAYBE my art can touch someone in the way that someone else’s art has touched me. Maybe somewhere deep down, my art strikes the right chord.
As an actor, what types of roles or genres do you gravitate towards?
Selfishly, I am in this to express, to be the mirror that someone needs, to touch someone the way that someone else’s art has touched me (see above). That said, I end up being drawn towards big emotion, big questions, high stakes. The grittier and more honest, the better. Honest expression, that’s the goal. BUT, I’m usually seen as the “Frat Bro” at the moment so I’m patiently waiting.
LEFT: Jacket & Pants: HELMUT LANG, RIGHT: Top, Vest & Pants: PHLEMUNS, Thermal shirt: BUCK MASON
“I know what I feel when I film a scene. I know what I feel when art touches me.”
What’s the most challenging thing about being on a soap opera?
Most people would think it’s the amount of memorization and dialog, for me it’s not. For me, the struggle is found in not holding on to the emotion from the previous scene. Sometimes you finish filming a scene where you were happy and laughing and within as little as 30-seconds you have to be focused and ready to let the floodgates open in the opposite direction, if you know what I mean. It’s difficult to move on that quickly sometimes. The speed at which we move is mind-bending sometimes.
How do you manage your time in such a fast paced environment?
Meditation gets my mind primed for the day. Once the train leaves the station, it’s really about staying focused and knowing that the train is going whether you are on it or not. Preparation is key when it comes to staying focused and moving so quickly. If you aren’t prepared, it’s easy to drown and get in over your head. The best advice I got coming on to the show was to take it scene by scene and not try to digest the entire day at once.
Pants: HELMUT LANG
Given your insane filming schedule, how long does it take you to remember your lines?
My answer is either going to excite you or disappoint you….I can be word perfect by reading the scene about two times. It’s anti-climactic. Memorization comes pretty naturally for me. That is strictly memorization though, if I want to explore beyond what is on the page, that definitely takes more time.
Are you and your character, Kyle Abbott, anything alike?
When I first came on the show, we were polar opposites. Kyle wasn’t the easiest to get along with. He could be difficult with his “take no prisoners” view of life. Lately, I identify so much more with Kyle. Maybe I understand Kyle better and maybe Kyle has evolved since I took over the role, but at the end of the day, the most important thing to both of us is simply being decent and kind. Kyle and I just may take two different routes to get there.
LEFT: Jacket & Pants: HELMUT LANG RIGHT: Top: PHLEMUNS, Pants: OREN KASH, Hat: CENTRAL AVENUE
What’s your dream role or project?
I have always wanted to play the main character, Lin, in the on-screen adaptation of Gregory David Roberts’, Shantaram. Another dream would be a remake of Ernest Hemmingway’s, The Sun Also Rises. Lastly, I’d love to do an on-screen adaptation for anything Neil Gaiman has written.
With 2019 coming to an end, what has been your most memorable moment of the year and what is in store for 2020?
I became an uncle for the first time this year. My sister and her husband welcomed a set of twins into our family recently. Memorable to say the least. I think 2020 may be my most focused year yet. I feel like it has already begun and I’m knee deep, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
LEFT: Suit: PAISLEY & GREY, Shoes: CONVERSE RIGHT: Top: PHLEMUNS, Pants: OREN KASH
What advice could you give the aspiring models and actors looking to break into the industry?
Be present, right there, right then, right now. It’s so easy to constantly question the right move or if something is a sign. Keep moving forward and don’t stop!
If you were a book, what kind of book would you be and why?
If I were a book, I would be a book of logic problems because nothing in my life is ever as it seems.
Jacket & Pants: HELMUT LANG, Shoes: ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
See Michael playing the hunky Kyle Abbot on The Young and the Restless weeknights on CBS.