Write a commentSUNY Oswego 2008 Alumnus David Proffitt is out chasing his dreams of becoming an actor and has done some big things since graduating.
Proffitt grew up in the DFW area of Texas. David chose SUNY Oswego and graduated in May 2008 with a Bachelor's Degree in zoology.
"After college, I started working at Seaworld training dogs and cats for a show called 'Pets Rule' and quickly transitioned to being a dolphin trainer in the Blue Horizons show for 4 years, then I trained sea-lions for the Navy Marine Mammal Program for a year," stated Proffitt.
Prior to attending college, Proffitt was in The Navy. He was part of United Nations Command Honor Guard, 10th Mountain Division, and the Navy Marine Mammal Program. "The Government had shut down in 2013 which resulted in me needing to find a way to have income. I subsidized my income during those months by doing extra work in film and television," stated Proffitt. Doing this extra work, he found himself catching the acting bug. "When I was laid off and given a severance package due to Government budget cuts, I decided to chase the dream of becoming an actor," he said.
Proffitt's new career path started out small doing work as an extra. Proffitt has been on many television shows such as New Girl, all the CSI's, Criminal Minds, Bones, Agents of S.H.I.E.LD, and has worked a lot on HBO's hit show Westworld. Proffitt has also worked on movies like Ted 2 and Terminator Genesis. Not only has Proffitt been part of some big television shows and movies, he has also worked with some major A-Listers in the industry.
"I have acted as a featured extra (i.e., as a bartender serving a drink or a security guard escorting someone out, etc.). I have interacted with Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Will Arnett, Chris O'Donnell, Bradley Cooper and Jessica Alba to name a few," Proffitt said.
He has also "stood in," (standing in means taking the place of the actor because you match their sizes and features for the purpose of camera blocking and lighting) for Ben Affleck, Rob Riggle, Kurt Warner, and various others which normally affords you the opportunity to chat with the individual for a bit. One story that Proffitt shared was with the late Robin Williams. "The interaction that has stood out the most for me was when I worked on the show Crazy Ones," he said. According to Proffitt, "I was just a customer at a diner and Robin Williams took the time to sit at every booth in the diner and talked to all the extras," he said. To Proffitt, most actors would not do something like that. "He was a special man with an amazingly kind heart!" Proffitt said of the late actor Robin Williams.
Proffitt has since taken some acting classes and recently had his first lines in a SAG independent short film called Girltrip. Thanks to this role, Proffitt received his first IMDB credit. "You have to invest a lot of money in yourself (head shots, reels, classes, workshops, clothing)" Proffitt gave this advice to anyone looking to get into acting, "If you can handle a lot of rejection, if you're persistent and professional, and you realize that acting is an art that requires a lot of studying, a lot of repetition and that competition's deep, you can thrive. There are a ton of people who look the part but can you be the character? I have been very lucky thus far and my prior military service and size (I'm 6'3 220) have been a large asset."
To see everything David Proffitt has been in you can view his IMDB page here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7442769/ . We at iheartoswego.com would like to wish David all the best in his acting career.
