What do you do when you have more great ideas than you know what to do
with? You act. You direct. You perform comedy routines. You write stage
plays, commercials, and TV scripts. Basically, you do what Paul Wagner
does, and that's just about everything.
Wagner is a whirling dervish of creativity in the national and local New
England entertainment scene. When he's not performing on stage or screen,
he's writing for the small screen. When he's not hosting a TV show, he's
performing comic hosting duties for corporate tradeshow. And if that's not
enough, he's also in the process of building a Web entertainment business.
Wagner managed to take a brief break from his myriad activities to tell me
how it all began, and how he manages to do it all.
HM: When and how did you decide to get into the entertainment
business?
WAGNER: I didn't set out to be in the business. I went to Boston
College, where I majored in computer science and mathematics. After
graduating in '86, I took a job at Xerox as a systems analyst. I was the
guy who helped design corporate networks. It was a pretty stale corporate
environment, and I think most of the people there thought I was a lunatic.
I did crazy things like take my pants off in meetings. But for some reason
they kept promoting me, I think because I inspired people to think
creatively. During this time, I went on a sort of spiritual quest. I met
with an Indian guru who encouraged me to "open my mind" and
convinced me that I needed to find another level of expression. So after a
year at Xerox, I quit my job and landed a position in an improv comedy
group. I traveled around the country performing at nightclubs. The
downside: my salary went from $50,000 to about $12,000.
As soon as I got back from the tour, I went on an audition for a WB kids'
show. I beat out 1,000 other actors and won the role as host of the show.
It was a great opportunity; I got to play ten different characters and the
job lasted six years. I also won eight New England Emmys for my work.
HM: How did your corporate experience come into play?
WAGNER: One of the ways I make a living is to host multimedia
corporate and educational tradeshows, primarily for events like
international sales meeting for large corporations. I mix my hosting
duties with a comedy routine. In fact, I'm constantly referred to as the
male Tracey Ullman because of all the different types of characters I
play. It also helps that I'm half-geek, because I relate well to corporate
techno geeks. I speak their language, and I can take just about any dry or
technical content they give me and turn their tradeshows into something
fun.
HM: How does acting fit into your repertoire?
WAGNER: I love working in movies, so I audition as much as I can. I
had a great experience working on "Next Stop Wonderland" in the
role of Bob the wacky security guard. There was a real sense of community
on that set. I was also in "Enough Already" as a sarcastic,
aggressive lawyer/securities manager. I've done over 40 commercials, too,
from spots for the lottery to Papa Gino's.
HM: What types of roles do you typically play?
WAGNER: I tend to play comic, exaggerated characters or the role of
the husband. Right now, I'm in a Cider Jack commercial as the guy going
nuts on the dance floor.
HM: How do you feel about the opportunities for actors in New
England?
WAGNER: I'd like to see more films shot here which rely solely on
Boston talent. Most Hollywood films come here with talent already
attached. I often watch films that were shot locally and think to myself
there are plenty of local actors who could have played that role a lot
better.
The good thing about Boston is there's a lot of support here. The Mass
Media Alliance is
amazing and a great way to network. I've also gotten a lot of support and
encouragement from producer Laura Bernieri.
HM: On top of everything else you're a writer. What kind of
projects have you been involved in?
WAGNER: After working on the WB kids' show, I wrote a college
comedy show called "Careers, Sex and Self-Esteem," which I
performed at college campuses around the country for two years. I also
wrote "The God Show." It's a stage play that played for three
months on the Cape this past summer to great reviews. In the play, I
pretend to "go live" to my different personas and make fun of
traditional religions in the process. Right now, I'm trying to decide
whether to perform it at the Natick Center for the Performing Arts or the
Hasting Pudding Theatre. I also plan to tour with it around the country.
I've also been hired to write for TV, although one potentially big
opportunity didn't quite pan out. I was hired as head writer for "The
Keenen Ivory Wayans Show." Four days after I went out to L.A., the
show was canceled.
HM: What's next for Paul Wagner -- not that you don't have your
hands full already?
WAGNER: I was recently hired to develop a Web entertainment
business, which includes hosting and writing shows on the Web. Avid is
about to come out with the technology to create broadcast quality Web
sites, so the opportunity is ripe. I also hope to keep my hand in
broadcast TV and eventually write and star in my own TV talk show.
HM: How do you juggle so many talents, interests, and projects at
once?
WAGNER: I'm completely obsessed with what I do, and I always have
at least 12 ideas going at once. I see myself as father to several
children. I pay attention to whoever's crying loudest for the bottle at
the time.
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