UNSUNG HEROES - EPISODE FOUR: SAY HI TO CAPTAIN ARMSTRONG

Over the last couple of months, Devin Peacock, actor, dancer, and all-man around town, has been telling us about his superhero inspired webseries, 'Unsung Heroes'. For this month, however, one of the actors he worked with on this project would like to tell you a bit more about it. Here, Nick, it's now over to you. 





Hello, my name is Nick Searles, and I'm a superhero. No! Not a real superhero. I just play one on TV. When I act I try my best to be me, or at least a natural version of me, albeit in another person's skin. Which I must admit, yes, does sound somewhat creepy. But the cool thing is, I can be me and not get yelled at by family and friends for being me: "I'm not me now; I'm him. So blame him".

For the most part, the superhero clan I grew up with were a collection of over the top characters who spread the wholesome message, 'good triumphs over evil'. Most, if not all, came from rough or even awful backgrounds and went on to chuck tanks at bad guys, bend steel with their bare hands, run very fast through walls, swim a long distance without breathing, or, better yet, wear something totally hot and form fitting without accidentally over-exposing certain body parts. Obviously, I do not fit into this latter category.  Shame.

In today's hedonistic climate superheroes are generally dark -- twenty-four-seven dark -- which makes sense as you can't go to Target in your superhero outfit. No more walking your dog, and forget about sunbathing, as I'm sure someone will Instagram you or TMZ will be all over it. Of course you can do this in the real part of your life, but no, not in the superhero part. I liken it somewhat (greatly somewhat) to the transgender community. They can't tell people who they really are, so living in that mold will certainly bring them some unhappiness. That said, however, they still have to go out and save the world. Ouch! That sh*t is DARK. 

So what I wanted to convey here was that, yeah, we got that whole underbelly thing going on. Yet can we do good things to grow as people, maybe set an example, while being taken seriously as a group of over the top heroes? No. It's not going to happen, is it?

So in my infinite wisdom I've decided to channel my own inner Three Stooges, with a hint of Leslie Nielsen plus a drop of me. There is a script, but at my age all I can do is some improv. I can't remember all of my lines either, and with decades of screaming, rocking, and rolling to my name, my hearing is going south as well. My kids are in their twenties, so it's not like I have to set some sort of "example" for them. The fact that Devin even hired me meant that this group of superheroes had issues. Personally, I keep my issues in my baggage so I do not create clutter. This all being said, Ka-Pow, I still fit right in pretty well.

Despite the fits of depression and inner anger, this is a fun group of people to work with. It took us quite a while to realize that we didn't have any super powers, and then once that set in, everything was wonderful. What we do have are some talented people who work hard to bring a team of characters to life. To those unaware, acting is work, and we do support each other and love nailing our jobs. By that I mean creating enjoyment for folks who just want to sit and be entertained for a while. That's what makes us move forward. And with that said, here, please check out Episode Four of Unsung Heroes, brought to you by my pal Devin and yours truly, Nick Searles.

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