Meet Owen Conway | Actor, Writer, and Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Owen Conway and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Owen, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve been writing my own material for a while, really since high school. There’s something so vulnerable about sharing one’s writing with the world. So it’s something I tucked away. It became a simple creative outlet for the long stretches between acting gigs. Eventually, my one act play “Good Radio” was picked up by “A Light In Dark Places (A semi annual LA based festival).’ The reaction kind of shocked me. Not only was the response overwhelmingly positive, but even the negative responses seemed to elicit some fierce emotions. I was fascinated by the idea of challenging material that would speak debate and ask tough questions.
Having spent the past 15 years performing various roles on a film set. Really everything from fetching coffee to acting to directing. Kind of by osmosis, I learned the ins and outs of the process, and eventually things fell into place, and I was able to produce my first feature film.
Really, it was about developing and performing material that I otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to do. It became about developing and protecting my voice as a writer. And ultimately it was about creating art that pushes boundaries, breaks rules and asks tough questions,

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m an actor, writer and director. I work in Film. TV. Commercial and Theater. I’m generally write pretty dark material. But dark material that has a ray of hope. The idea is to bring an audience to the darkest, coldest corner of the world, and then light a match. Hope and courage in the face of astonishing loss moves me. And I don’t have the discipline to write something that doesn’t move me.
I don’t believe in fetishizing violence. Action needs to be character driven and acts of violence need to reverberate through the story, the way they do in real life. That said, I don’t really write overly grim, self serious stuff. Humor is important in any story, and like horror, comedy allows you to communicate uncomfortable truths in a way that entertains.
I’m interested in the lost, the broken, the monstrous. I’m interested in people who make bad decisions and have to live with them. I’m interested in talking about race, gender, politics, religion, and any subject under the sun in a way that doesn’t preach or patronize.
I come back to Rod Serling a lot when I think about my work. Using ghosts, aliens, androids, even the devil to make relevant points about the world around him. He never felt antagonistic with his “messages.” But he didn’t coddle the audience either. He trusted them to meet him halfway. I want to explore big themes with my work, but do it in a way that helps build cultural bridges instead of cultural walls.
This work is not for everyone. My first feature pushed me passed my limits in almost every conceivable way. You really have to fight for your voice, even on an indie level. Not that you’re necessarily arguing with producers or anything. Sometimes you’re simply fighting the limitations of low budget movie making. If you have a good cast and crew, they will bring things to it you don’t expect. I lean into that stuff. That’s sort of the point of a collaborative art form. That said, there will be times when you are the only one who gets it. And you can’t communicate what it is you’re trying to accomplish with words, because there aren’t words for it. You need images to communicate the idea. that’s why the art form exists.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m kind of a homebody, but Tempe Town Lake is nice. Downtown in general is usually pretty hopping if you’re into the bar scene. The Improv hosts big time comedians and up and comers alike. Outside of Tempe, obviously Scottsdale has great restaurants, clubs, etc. Downtown Phoenix has really come alive over the past ten years or so. There’s Shops, Theater, Opera, the ballpark, really something for everyone. Downtown Mesa as well.
Personally, I’d probably prefer a hike out by the Superstitions or South Mountain. Or a day at Canyon Lake. A drive up to Payson or Prescott showcases the diverse beauty of this state.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Robert M. Conway Sr. I love you, Dad.

Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1761600/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Instagram: @owentconway

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-conway-969aa121

Twitter: @owenconway

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owenconwayactor

Youtube: @owenconway123

Image Credits
Jim Collette Robert Conway