Mike Traylor

He loves his baby sister and the Marx Brothers, but actor-director Mike Traylor — who's appearing this week in iTheatre Collaborative's Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad — isn't above admitting when he’s blown an audition or copping to his similarities to Superman.

I knew I wanted to be in show business when I was doing an improv in an eighth-grade drama class, 35 years ago. Suddenly the entire class burst into laughter at something I said. I knew then that this was where I was supposed to be.

The worst thing about working in theater is not working in theater.

My worst audition ever was a mass audition for 20 summer stock theaters in Illinois. In front of more than 30 casting people, I forgot the lyrics to "Slide Some Oil to Me" from The Wiz. Twice! Needless to say, I didn't get hired.

The happiest day in my life was the day my baby sister, Ayanna, was born — about 36 years ago.

If I could be anyone other than myself — it wouldn't matter. I still wouldn't be satisfied.

It’s not entirely true, but I sometimes tell people that I know what I'm doing.

The fictional character I am most like is a combination of Cyrano, Charlie Brown, and Clark Kent.

I am utterly terrified of being terrified.

I laugh uncontrollably at the old comic geniuses like Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers.

The one thing I absolutely refuse to do on stage is perform on autopilot. It's all or nothing.

Something I have never admitted to anyone before is that even though I am my favorite actor, I still think I suck and one day everyone else will find out.

The first time I got drunk I swore I would never drink again. I've done plenty of swearing since then.

Like my mother used to say, "If you play with fire, you're going to get burned."