St Mary’s Acting alum and actor Montel Douglas recently visited campus, so we sat down with him to talk about his time at St Mary’s (SMU) and his career since graduating in 2018.
Montel is a stage and screen actor, as well as an award-winning writer, director and facilitator based in London. He’s worked alongside famous household names for shows on the BBC, CBS, and Sky, including Daniel Mays and Stephen Graham.
We wanted to find out how SMU has helped Montel with his career over the years, as well as what life is like on the stage and screen.
What made you choose St Mary’s?
I was really drawn to the BA Acting course because of the contact time it provided, as well as the focus on professional practice. They also attached a showcase at the end of your third year, which I really liked as it allowed me to execute all the skill sets that I'd learnt during my degree. And with the showcase it would allow me to meet agents and industry professionals, perhaps giving me a kickstart for an acting career after the three years.
How did you find your time at St Mary’s?
I really enjoyed my time at St Mary's. I particularly loved performing, and not necessarily just the showcases, but performing small scenes within our classes because there was a beauty in training and trying out ideas without the pressure of failure. There were so many modules and classes that allowed me to feel confident, but also explore different skillsets and try out new ideas. And for me, that was one of the best things.
All our teachers were very knowledgeable and had industry experience, whether in writing, directing, acting, or producing. That was so helpful because a lot of people at other universities graduate without actually knowing what it takes to be in this business, but St Mary's made sure we were prepared. The teachers have a good one-to-one personal connection with their students too, which was very beneficial.
Heads of department come and see your shows, they communicate with you directly, and there is a cohesiveness within the organisation. I really liked how it all felt quite linear and horizontal; everyone connects across and there isn't necessarily a hierarchy. I think that's the best way because if your actors and trainees feel comfortable in their development, then that's the best environment for them to grow and succeed.
What has your career looked like since leaving university?
Since leaving St Mary's I've done some great things in acting, writing and directing. I did my debut stage show in 2018 and was signed after that by an agency that St Mary's brought in through the professional practice module. So again, St Mary's was actually the bridge for me getting signed as that's when I first got to meet them. I’ve also done TV shows including BBC’s Casualty, Ransom on CBS and Code 404 on Sky alongside staple names in the industry.
I started writing again in lockdown after originally starting to write in St Mary's. I ended up writing a full-length play called One Way Out which won the Untapped Award and £10,000 to perform it at Edinburgh Fringe 2023.
And now I'm not just an actor, I'm a public writer. St Mary's gave me the tools to start up my career. Of course, you have to do a lot of work for yourself, but it gave me the foundation to believe that I could do it, as well as the skillsets needed to achieve the things I wanted to achieve. I have massive rewards and thanks to St Mary's.
How different is it working on the stage versus the screen?
I think the difference on a day-to-day basis is the importance of time. I think that time is of the essence when you're on the screen because you have to execute your scenes quickly, but with the stage you have the flexibility of rehearsals. So with stage acting you get to try, try, try again. You really get the opportunity to try out new ideas, and find your style for your character.
Then there's nothing like the one-to one-audience contact you get with stage performances - that initial reaction when you first perform. Whereas with the screen you have to wait a couple of months for everyone to see the end-product. And you've probably finished that production a year ago but everyone's only seeing it now.
But for screen, it's the intimacy and being able to connect with the masses that I really like. The networks can spread your story on a wider scale and you're able to reach more people. I think most actors would love to do more screen, maybe because of the glamorisation and the status level behind it, but I think as long as you tell true stories with whatever medium then you're doing great as an actor.
Style-wise and performance-wise, stage and screen acting still have the same essence. I think if you start your performance based on truth, then that's a great place to be when it comes to storytelling.
What has it been like shifting from acting to directing and writing?
Honestly, I think I already had that skillset because even in our first year we had the experience of directing. We had a directing module where we would find a duologue and direct our peers in a two hander. We'd have to direct the scenes as well as sort out all the lighting and tech on set.
That really started my ideas and my feel for being a director myself. So when I got to my own play I had the choice to be in it or direct it - and I chose the bigger challenge. I chose directing because I wanted to learn more about the process and what it takes, but also I wanted to share my full vision of the story.
And now I can say I’ve not just written a full play, but I've directed a full play that’s even had four star reviews in national newspapers. So I'm really, really pleased about that work.
What’s next for you career-wise?
Going forward, I see myself as a fully fledged artist. And the reason why I say artist rather than actor is because currently I act, write and direct, but I also facilitate teaching other young actors in their journey. I want to continue telling compelling stories and expressing myself artistically through my work, but I also want to pass the baton on to future generations of actors.
I want to ensure that others out there can experience all the things I'm experiencing. That's kind of what I'm focusing on. It's to challenge myself as a creative artist and also to be able to share that knowledge with others.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about pursuing a career in acting?
I would say be unapologetically you, because no one else can be you. That's your talent. The thing about this industry is that sometimes you want to be like someone else, but there's beauty in individuality. Truly believe in your craft and yourself, but also put in the work so you can execute what you really want to execute. Dreams are not just dreams; they're visions of the future. So, aspire to them.