WAKARUSA — From a small town in northern Indiana, Ryan Woodle is hoping to make a name for himself on the big screen.
Woodle is a 1998 graduate of NorthWood High School, and spent his entire childhood in this area, living in Goshen until first grade. He was an aspiring athlete until a trampoline accident derailed his future plans. It was then that he was bitten by the acting bug.
After high school, Woodle attended Ball State, where he graduated with a degree in theater. Post-graduation, Woodle got his career started like most other actors, paying his dues by participating in events including the Illinois Shakespeare Festival and ultimately moving to New York, where he found an agent willing to help him get his career off the ground.
“I planned on moving to L.A. but it’s so difficult to find an agent that I changed my plans,” Woodle said.
Woodle put in his time initially doing some commercial acting. While it may not be the most glamorous work, not many other people can boast about being in a Super Bowl commercial. But Woodle was in a Foot Locker spot two years ago where NBA superstar Kevin Garnett autographed his forehead. That experience helped him get his name out for future acting gigs.
“Like in any other business, the more people you meet the more successful you become,” Woodle said.
Woodle had guest spots on TV shows including “Law and Order:SVU” and “Gossip Girls,” and has recently caught what may be his “big break” as he appears in the upcoming film “The Box” with Cameron Diaz and James Marsden.
The film is about a married couple who receive a small wooden box on their doorstep. The box brings instant wealth at the push of a button but also instantly kills someone the button-pusher doesn’t know. Woodle said he plays a character — Jeffrey Carnes — who has already experienced everything the couple is dealing with. The film is due to be released nationwide Friday.
Woodle noted that TV, movies, theater and commercials each require a very different approach. With live theater, an actor gets one shot to get it right, while TV and movies lack the live audience interaction. Commercial acting is mostly about comedic timing, he said.
“Part of the fun for me is being able to do three or four different methods of acting. It makes for a more successful career,” Woodle said.
Ryan said that initially he would get star-struck. However, once he spent time with so-called “A-list celebrities” he realized that most of them are very down to earth.
“Initially it’s very exciting, but once you get to know the actors you realize they are just normal people, too,” he said.
Woodle is currently single and lives across the Hudson River from Manhattan, which is just the way he likes it as he focuses his energy on getting his career off the ground.
“It allows me to put all of myself into my acting. There will be plenty of time for that stuff later,” Woodle said.
Despite a career that actor hopes will lead him to fame and fortune, Woodle said he will not forget that his roots are in the small farming community that he grew up in.
“I will never, ever not be that farming kid from Indiana,” Woodle said.
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