New York Times praises American Idol star on first film role.
Michael: Tell us about your background.
Jim Verraros: I was born in Mount Prospect, Illinois on February 8th, 1983. My father was born in Greece, and came to the states when he was just three years old. My mother is a mixture of German, Irish, Scottish, French, and English. She was also born in Illinois.
Michael: How and when did you start your career in the entertainment industry?
Jim: Well, to be honest with you, I was majoring in Musical Theater at Columbia College in Chicago back in 2002. It was the only major that allowed me to do both singing and acting. I never even thought that being on a hit show was possible. I was never looking to be the "next big thing." I just heard about the audition from a friend of mine, took a chance for the experience and feedback. It was the first season of American Idol, so nobody knew what it was or what it was going to turn into. After I made the Hollywood callback and made it to #9 in the country, I thought that I would capitalize on the show's success and move out to Los Angeles to work on an acting career. I had taken such a beating on the show, that singing was the last thing I wanted to do. But fortunately some emails came to me from a music producer and from the director of "Eating Out." The rest is history. :-)
Michael: Share with us how American Idol happened for you?
Jim: I was in college and was just 19 years old. A friend of mine had heard about the audition on the radio and had encouraged me to audition. I didn't really think much of it because I didn't really know what it was for; just that you could win a recording contract with a major label. I went, and sang something a little more on the jazzy side than pop just to stand out, and they then called me back in for another audition. I sang another song, and then was asked a few questions about my life. I opened up to them about my parents being deaf and that story seemed to really sell to them, I guess. So, unfortunately they really took that story and ran with it. I wanted to be considered for my talent and voice, not for my parents' disability. But, when you're on a reality show, you have no control over what they do in the editing room, so I just rolled with the punches, so to speak.
Michael: Describe the experience on American Idol.
Jim: I titled my album "Rollercoaster," because that's what life has been like. The experience on Idol was something incredibly surreal to me.
What I had experienced throughout that was something people only dream about, including me. I just tried to take everything in and it was a definite crash course in the entertainment industry. It taught me a lot about trusting people, keeping my guard up and at the end of it all, I knew who my true friends and family were. It's unfortunate that there are negatives to fame, but it's all a learning experience that makes me stronger. Most people don't know how to separate the actor/recording artist from Jim Verraros. It's two different people, and most people don't understand why that is. After the show, I was thrown into normal life again, and it was hard to cope with because you're given this taste of what it could be like, and it only makes you want it more. But now, I want to do what I do for different reasons. I think it's incredibly imperative to stay true to yourself and never lose sight of your goals. It's so easy to get caught up in Los Angeles, and that's why most people go home after 6 months. As of now, I just think I'm lucky to have a record deal and two feature films under my belt. But I also know how quickly I could lose it all. Because of that, my fans are so incredibly important to me. They're like my family.
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