From: http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/0121200...ummins-j17.html

Caption: David Cummins, who once worked as an actor in Portsmouth, has played small roles in shows like "30 Rock" and "All My Children."

Photo by Don Clark

Catch him if you can

By Toby Hatchett

[email protected]

If all it took were earnestness and professionalism to be a famous actor, David J. Cummins would already be one.

Cummins, 40, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and New York City, didn't even think of becoming an actor until he was 30. He got his degree in business at the University of New Hampshire and worked in retail management before getting his real estate license.

"My goal is to have my job in real estate pay the bills while I pursue my passion," said Cummins. "I'm not in it be famous. I'm doing it because I enjoy the work. It fulfills me to be part of the creative process."

Cummins began modeling first, starting in 1996. He got a modeling agent in Boston and landed many assignments in catalog, print and brochures.

"I think of my face as just a tool to do a job," he said, "and this is good way to make some money, get experience and exposure."

From modeling came regional television commercials and corporate and industrial videos. He worked the Boston area as well as assignments in Portland, Maine. Cummins has made commercials for Yankee Custom Truck Accessories, Lunch Dates and Seasonal Pool and Patio.

"Most of these run on New England (Cable) News," Cummins said. "People keep telling me they see me on the Lunch Dates commercial, but I haven't even seen it. I think it must be on pretty late at night."

All this time, Cummins was working full time at various companies.

"It's hard to juggle a job while pursuing acting, but I kept on doing it. Several things happened in my personal life that made me want to really explore acting and do more. I realized that life is about taking risks. I was ready to take a big risk."

It also helped that Cummins lived right next door to the Players' Ring and Prescott Park.

"It was just natural that I'd one day try it out. I went to so many of the plays and got to know people involved, so one day I auditioned and got a part."

From his first role as Antoine in "Marie Antoinette," he has since performed in five additional plays at Players' Ring in Portsmouth.

His most recent role was as John, in "The Meaning of Single Life," performed at the Opera House in Rochester.

"The great thing about theater is that it created a huge new circle of friends for me. You meet lots of great people, and I met one very special person." Cummins would not name this very special person, but one can keep an eye open.

In 2000, Cummins began to make contacts in New York and got an agent there. "It was tough driving back and forth to New York, which is why I am now mostly living in the New York City area. You have to be there when they want you."

But this didn't deter Cummins when he got a walk on role in the Steven Spielberg movie, "Catch Me If You Can." He played an airline passenger. At this time, Cummins was working three 12-hour days as a dock manager at the distribution center for Kitchen Etc.

"I finished at 7:30 p.m. at my job at Kitchen Etc," said Cummins. "I immediately jumped in my car and drove down to New York City. I slept in my car when I got to Connecticut and then drove to New York to be on the set at 7:30 a.m. I did this every day and night to get this experience."

"My extra part on the movie only paid $80 a day, but the experience was worth it. Every aspect of the film was run like clockwork, very professional. I'd worked on some small, independent films before this and now I saw what it was like to be on a real set, with the real professionals."

Cummins' roles on films and television shows gained him the coveted membership in AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). Within the year, he also hopes to gain membership to SAG (Screen Actors Guild). "I'm hoping I'll get a talking role on 'All My Children,'" he said. "I learned that only 5 percent of actors make most of the big money. About 95 percent make under $10K a year."

Cummins plays a detective on "All My Children." He was on the set the Friday before Christmas. You can watch this episode on Jan. 25.

"This daytime drama has been on the air for 20 years. The camaraderie is amazing. It's like looking in at a slice of Players' Ring -- same thing, a group of people doing what they love. You get on a different plane, but it's people just like me."

"It'd be great to get a contract role for a soap, it pays about $80-90K a year. Then I'd be able to work in theater at nights and weekends. It's one of my goals to do this."

Meanwhile, it's a balancing act. The bills must be paid and his job as a real estate broker must be kept.

"I think my age helps me with this," Cummins said, "I've worked in business and know how to keep a schedule and work very hard."

Cummins has also had other roles in television shows. He has played a bar patron in "Ed," a party guest on "Sex in the City," and a limo driver on "30 Rock." "The thing about being on all the sets is that despite the glamour of it all, it's really just a lot of people working very hard at very specific jobs."

"And yes," he added, "Samantha (Kim Cattrall) did smile at me when I was on the set. I also sat next to Alec Baldwin when we broke for lunch. He was just hanging with the troops."

"I guess what I'm learning most in this process of becoming a successful actor is to maintain a level of professionalism. I think my having worked so long 'out in the world' gave me a good foundation. I do all I can. I still model, too,"

Cummins latest modeling job, in fact, was for the new Donald Trump Soho condos. No, he didn't meet The Donald.

"I have two rules," Cummins said with a huge grin, "don't be late and be on time."

This sounds as if he has met The Donald.

Cummins is also working on a TV pilot set in Portsmouth called "Liberty Square." Several pilots have been produced and they plan to shoot five more episodes within the next few months.

Coincidentally, this interview with Cummins took place at the very table at Breaking New Grounds where most of the action takes place in this pilot.

"It's sort of a more mature "Friends,'" Cummins said, "and they hang out here at Breaking New Grounds. Just where we're sitting now."

Cummins plans to keep on working as much as he can in New York City and doing what he can, too, in the Seacoast area. "Everyone is supportive, even though they may not understand. I know it's a balance. I'm just one more actor trying to find my way."

With his incredible smile, sincere earnestness and patent professionalism, it is impossible to imagine that David J. Cummins will fail. Watch him on "All My Children" on Jan. 25. He'll be that handsome detective in the background, but not for long.

WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN DAVID CUMMINS

A walk-on role as an airline passenger in "Catch Me If You Can"

A bar patron in "Ed"

A party guest on "Sex in the City"

A limo driver on "30 Rock"

SEE HIM THIS WEEK

David Cummins plays a detective in an episode of "All My Children" on Jan. 25. The show airs weekdays at 1 p.m. on ABC.

SEE HIM SOON

Cummins is also working on a TV pilot set in Portsmouth called "Liberty Square." Several pilots have been produced and they plan to shoot five more episodes within the next few months. "It's sort of a more mature 'Friends,'" Cummins said, "and they hang out here at Breaking New Grounds."

Somebody needs to give this guy a quick AMC history lesson...it has been on the air for 37 years and not 20.

I watch NECN all the time. I am going to have to see if I can find this guy in commercials. I want to email the magazine and tell them about the guy not knowing how long AMC has been on the air!

I watch NECN all the time. I am going to have to see if I can find this guy in commercials. I want to email the magazine and tell them about the guy not knowing how long AMC has been on the air!

You should also e-mail the author of the article and ask him why he didn't catch the guy's incorrect statement in how many years AMC has been on the air.

I tried to, but I have to register which I don't want to do. Idon't live that far from Portsmouth so I definetly want to catch the ads.

ETA: I tried again to email the author but my email wouldn't go through. It said my email account was invalid. I pointed out the 20 years and how he said that soap actors make 80 to 90k a year. Maybe some, but not all. Oh well, I tried

Edited January 21, 200719 yr by Tishy

$80,000-$90,000 is on the very low end of the Daytime Pay scale!

$80,000-$90,000 is on the very low end of the Daytime Pay scale!

Yes I was like they are starting that low these days?