Artists in Conversation is a weekly column running Wednesdays on QuadCities.com.

It features a conversation with a local creator or creators going into their artistic process, projects and more. Get to know your local arts scene and local creators better on QuadCities.com with Artists In Conversation!

If you’re a local creator and would like to be featured, please email us at Sean@QuadCities.com or Tristan@QuadCities.com!

This week’s Artist in Conversation is Kurt Oberhaus, Actor/Director/Screenwriter!

1. Tell us about YOU, Kurt Oberhaus!    I was born and raised in Davenport, IA. I grew up playing baseball but always had a strong love for movies. I have 2 brothers, 1 older and 1 younger, and a mother and father who still live in Iowa. I attended The University of Iowa to study film. 7 years ago I made the move to Los Angeles to pursue my acting career. It has been a wild ride but each year I feel that I am one step closer to landing that big role that really makes the career take off.
2. What made you want to be an actor?    When I was 12 years old I saw Star Wars: A New Hope for the very first time. After this, I started making movies with action figures with my best friend at the time. This very quickly lead into live action films. That is when I discovered my love for acting.
3. Was there an actor you admired growing up?    I would have to say Harrison Ford was one of my favorites. The Indiana Jones trilogy in particular. But honestly, he is great in everything I’ve seen him in. He just seemed so chill and cool and no matter what obstacles stood in his way, he would come out on top.
4. While we are on the top of favorites, who would be on your Top 5 Actors list?   This question is simply not fair! haha. But if I HAD to pick five right now it would be, in no particular order, Brad Pitt, Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts and Ryan Gosling.
5. And your Top 5 Films? I will count the Star Wars original trilogy as 1 movie and the Indiana Jones as another, American Psycho, The Wizard of Oz and Braveheart.
6. You’ve been lucky to have some high profile experiences in a variety of films and television series. Which of those projects have made a big impact on you professionally or personally?    It’s pretty crazy the sets you can end up on out here. Sometimes you don’t even know the project because it is a big secret until you get on set. Definitely Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (see below). I was also on the set of True Detective season 2 and got to watch Colin Farrell get into character and do his thing. That was pretty cool and very motivating to keep on pushing forward. On the set of “Mank” it was shocking to see David Fincher tell Gary Oldman, “I guess you’re just going to have to act, Gary.” (Even though he was half joking). Also, after doing 55 takes of one scene in “Mank”, you realize that it is not always glamourous. But at the end of the day when it all comes together it is always worth it.
7. Can you describe a time when you looked around on a set and said to yourself, “Damn! This is amazing! I’ve made it!” I was only background on this film, but Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. I got to see Brad Pitt and Kurt Russell act in front of my eyes along with Quentin Tarantino directing. Truly a priceless experience that is hard to put into words. Especially after watching these geniuses on screen for so many years prior.
8. You’ve done amazing projects in the last few years. Which of them stands out?  It’s kind of cheeky but Sex Sent Me to the E.R. which aired on TLC about 6 years ago. Kind of a crazy show but it was the first real thing I booked after moving to Los Angeles. It was a super fun day on set and I will definitely never live down being on that show haha.
9. Your next big project – which just wrapped here in the Quad Cities – is called Quad Cities. What’s that about? This film follows a private investigator and an investigative reporter who team up (a very unlikely duo) to try to solve a recent string of murders that have taken place in the Quad Cities.
10. How did Quad Cities come together?    Justin Marxen, (the writer, director and star) and myself have always wanted to make a show based in the Quad Cities that we could really push on Social Media. We’ve had ideas here and there over the years but one day Justin told me he had an idea. I asked what it was and he said, “Let me just write it and send it to you and you tell me what you think.” So he did and I loved the idea. We collaborated after that and I did some small additions to the script. We then called upon our fellow actors who we have worked with many times in the past, including yours truly, Tristan Tapscott, to help us film this show. Everyone was a champion on set and we shot 65 pages in 5 days!
11. What was it like coming “home” to film a series?     Since I live in LA now, it was great coming home to shoot. Great because I don’t have the everyday distractions of my life and I can really dive in and focus on the project. It was always amazing to see and work with my fellow actors and friends. Truly a great experience that will be with me for the rest of my life.
12. Where can people see it?     People will be able to watch this on YouTube starting Oct 2. From then, one episode will air each week up until the last episode airs on Oct 30. This mini series is horror-themed so we wanted it to come out just in time for Halloween when everyone is in that mood. The Youtube channel is titled, “Quad Cities – Mini Series”.
13. What’s next for you? What project(s) on you working on?    I am currently on a short list for a show that I cannot name but if I did book this, it would be a career changer. I am also slated to be the 2nd lead in a film shooting in Los Angeles and Delaware in Sept.
14. What is your advice for anyone trying to make it in this crazy business? When I moved to LA people always told me persistence was key. That it was not always the best actors (or whatever department you might be in) that made it but the ones who stick it out the longest and don’t give up no matter what. After 7 years, I can say I believe this to be true! So just keep on going, it doesn’t happen over night.

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Tristan Tapscott Theatre Columnist

Tristan Layne Tapscott has been dubbed the “Quad Cities’ P.T. Barnum” and although the person who initially said it meant it as an insult, he happily accepts the title.