My curiosity after working on a low-budget film led me to want to see how a professional big-budget movie was made. One of my biggest influences at the time was a film called Fear, with Mark Wahlberg. I was completely into the world of this film and how perfectly every piece fit into the puzzle and how raw the acting was. It blew my mind how all the pieces could come together to make it. Also, I kind of thought Mark Wahlberg's character was such a badass for not being that big of a dude, and I felt like I related to that and him, (not because of the psycho he played) although if people cross me the wrong way I can definitely stick up for myself, but he was just the kind of actor and person I wanted to model myself after...

After my first year of college, a film called Annapolis, starring James Franco, Tyrese Gibson, and Donnie Wahlberg came to shoot in Philadelphia. During my freshmen year of college, the talent agent I met the previous summer told me to get head shots and she would keep me on file with her company.

It just so happened that this was a Disney film calling for hundreds of Navy "plebes". I was up for a role that I had a callback for, but was eventually cut from the film. Then I was up for a "core" group of about 12 plebes and was going to have to miss about 3 weeks of school. I didn't get that which is probably a good thing, but ended up working as an extra a bunch of days and had to go to "boot camp" I also had to shave my head and be one of the hundreds of "Navy Plebes". I got to meet James Franco, who I was a big fan of and respected as an actor, see how a big budge movie was made, and was able to bring my brother and friend to work in one of the larger scenes they needed lots of extra's for.

My goal then changed to: Well now I'd like to see myself in a professional movie. The following summer a film called Invincible starring Mark Wahlberg came to Philadelphia where I got cast as the Philadelphia Eagles Ballboy. I have a good scene in that film along with Greg Kinnear. I take down Mark Wahlberg's time in the open tryout. It was a great experience to work with such established actors.

The ball was rolling. Invincible changed my perspective. I met one of the people I looked up to and was one of my role models in the business, Mark Wahlberg. We had a beer after that day of filming and got along quite well.