Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Maddux.
Hi Ryan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Ryan Maddux and I’m a creative (actor, spokesperson, model, and voiceover artist). I was
born in Minneapolis and studied and worked in California for several years before returning to the Twin Cities. With a passion for travel, I go where the work is and I enjoy making connections and building community wherever that leads. I hold a MA in theater arts from Cal Poly Humboldt, a MA in Organizational Leadership from Augsburg, and a BA in theater arts from the University of MN, Twin Cities.
With family roots in theater and music, and as an only child, I’ve always been drawn to telling stories, entertaining others, and making connections through performance. In acting for theater as well as film and television, I enjoy creating relatable and authentic characters an audience feels drawn to and, hopefully, moved by. As a commercial actor and spokesperson, I rely on my work experience in leadership development and executive presence to help businesses thrive. Fundamentally, this art form invites creativity, self-reflection, and empathy.
In addition to ongoing acting training, I participate in legal, medical, and law enforcement scenario based and standardized client interviews. These allow participants an opportunity to practice skills in a controlled setting before applying them in real world situations.
For fun, I’ve been studying animation acting and improv and keep physically active by participating in a variety of amateur seasonal activities like: kayaking, paddle-boarding, hiking, rock wall climbing, skiing, snowshoeing, and ice-skating. In my community, I volunteer for organizations who fight food insecurity, tackle youth homelessness, and care for victims of child abuse.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest challenge has been my desire to focus on acting full time while being realistic about the limitations of the market, economy, and industry. I tried to balance acting and a full-time career in financial services for twenty years but rarely felt whole. After Covid, I left my full-time job to pursue acting in the gig economy and it’s been a wild ride. I started my own production company, Maddogg Entertainment, and have been riding the wave ever sense. My mindset shift has been a big part of it, too. Following your passion, putting yourself out there, and remaining hopeful takes a lot of energy and focus. But, it’s worth it. There is a lot of turbulence and change in this industry and you are often required to create your own path. A fallacy exists that someone is waiting to ‘discover you’…more often, you’ve been proactively positioning yourself for years.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I answered part of this but I’ll add that I have been on many stages throughout the state and appeared in both national and local commercials. I do lifestyle and product modeling and emcee / host conferences and events. Recently, I appeared for four years in Folsom Prison Experience (https://folsomprisonexperience.com/), a Johnny Cash national tour that continues today. I will appear this June in Nobody’s Perfect with DayTrippers Dinner Theater (https://daytripperstheatre.com/) and am currently working on a feature film. Each day is a new adventure and I am most proud of the relationships I’ve built over the years. Networking is such a huge part of your success as an entrepreneur and being open, trustworthy, and curious about others are hallmarks of a successful artist, business owner, and human being.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Support the arts and artists. If cost is a barrier there are lots of ways to volunteer. In my opinion, it’s another opportunity to embrace humanity and build community. Our kids, our neighbors, our society is enriched by the arts and by being part of community. There is a real desire these days to retreat, to stay home, to isolate, but I hope we can find a better balance. Personally, I enjoy life a lot more when I am engaging and learning from others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ryanmaddux.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryandmaddux/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9759338/
