Spencer Macpherson on capturing something real

Growing up, Macpherson started out like most young actors — expressing a heavy interest in the arts. His early beginnings in live performance gave him the passion to perform on a much greater scale, and he found some overlap in the skills needed to crossover to film and television acting. “The more plays, musicals, movies, and content that you consume, the more it informs [and influences] your acting. I really admire a lot of the musicals and performers that I watched as a kid, and they cross my mind from time to time when I am preparing for anything on screen.”

While there is a contrast between the two mediums, Macpherson is grateful that the lessons in local theater built the foreground for his career on screen. “When I started acting, I did a lot of community theater and school plays, where the goal is to express [emotions] big enough to reach the back of the auditorium. As I move towards film and television, it’s more about minimalism and capturing something really real. Theater feels like more of a performance, and film and TV feels more like you’re trying to capture something real, but I love both of them.” 

Along with the early exposure comes a lot of admirable performers along the way and Macpherson has taken a liking to versatile actors like Jack Nicholson —  distinguished by their ability to ground themselves in even most grandiose performances. “I love authenticity, no matter who it’s from. That’s an ingredient that my favorite actors always bring to the table. They’re always making it authentic, and making it something that no one else could really do because it’s from them.”