Press Releases

TV Stars IMTA Press Release"Sean was our first choice for Michael. I cannot imagine anyone else for this role. We met in Los Angeles after he read the script and it clicked. It's amazing how well Sean understands and embodies the character." - Stanley J. Orzel (Director)

After a successful showing on the international film festival circuit, Lost for Words is finally coming to mainstream theatres. NY99 IMTA alum Sean Faris stars in the film opposite Grace Huang and Will Yun Lee. Fellow IMTA alum (LA06) Breanne Racano, Faris' longtime real-life girlfriend, has a co-starring role in the film.

TV Stars IMTA Press Release"There will always be voices telling you to turn a different way, and it takes courage to stand in your center and stay true to your heart." - Rachel Boston

For fans who have been feeling a lack of love for witches since "Charmed" went off the air in 2006 after eight seasons, there is good news. The Lifetime Channel's "Witches of East End" is set to fill that void starting Sunday, and as a Lifetime series, it promises to provide strong female characters who just happen to be witches.

TV Stars IMTA Press Release"A lot of people just look at acting as a quick fix - they don't have a work ethic. This is a job; it's not all margaritas on the beach." - Jeremy Luke

When actors talk about being typecast, they usually think of it as a bad thing. But if you ask IMTA alum Jeremy Luke, who is getting a lot of buzz for his role as Danny in Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut, Don Jon, being typecast does have an up side. "Typecasting is a good and a bad thing," Luke said in an interview with the Huffington Post. "I get type-casted to play characters that are all, 'Who's got the money?' BOOM! SLAP! 'Joey's got the money!' But it gave me an angle. It gave me a way to work." He added, "But then again, I can do more than that; I've been acting for 15 years." Hopefully, opportunities for Luke to expand his range of role will be coming. But for the time being, typecasting as a Jersey boy seems to be working well for Luke, who is currently filming a starring role in Clint Eastwood's big-screen project of the stage musical Jersey Boys, which is due out next year. He also played up the typecasting in last year's SyFy Channel cult-favorite TV movie, Jersey Shore Shark Attack.

TV Stars IMTA Press Release"I have to give the credit to the cast because this is a script that not everyone wants to be part of because of the subject matter and the fact that I'm a first-time director talking about such a sensitive subject. We're talking about some issues that have never been seen on the big screen. So we were lucky to have this cast." - Sam Kadi, Director

Each generation has a historical event that partially defines that generation and becomes a collective memory: the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, the war in Viet Nam, Watergate and the resignation of Richard Nixon, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dismantling of communism. For so-called Millennials, it is the events of September 11, 2001 that have shaped the world in which we currently live. And it those events and how they affect one man that are at the center of The Citizen.

TV Stars IMTA Press Release"Acting is something I always wanted to do. But I didn't know how to get started in Augusta." - Brad James

After receiving excellent reviews following showings at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals, the crime thriller Prisoners, starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhall, Terence Howard and Viola Davis, is set to hit theatres Friday. The feature follows a father's desperate search for his missing daughter, the conflict and frustration with the police heading the investigation, and his life-altering decision to finally take matters into his own hands. IMTA alum Brad James co-stars in the film as Officer Carter, a small time cop thrust into a big time situation.

TV Stars IMTA Press Release2013 Fall TV Season Shines Bright with IMTA Stars

After nearly 27 years of events, there is a fact well-known among Hollywood insiders: it is almost impossible to open a magazine, turn on the television, or watch a motion picture without seeing a face first seen at IMTA. This is particularly true of TV where every day IMTA alumni can be seen in national commercials, guest-starring in a single episode or featured as a series regular. With modern technology and the ever-expanding outlets offered by the internet for watching "web TV" series, the visibility and opportunities for IMTA alums have greatly increased.

Ashton Kutcher IMTA Press Release "Our goal with making this film is… to inspire people and make people see the world in a different way, make people think a little bit differently, if you will. And that's what I hope for." - Ashton Kutcher

In the big screen bio-pic Jobs, NY97 IMTA alum Ashton Kutcher plays the late Apple Computers co-founder Steve Jobs, a man many consider one of the greatest innovators in technology. While there was much internet buzz when Kutcher's casting as Jobs was announced, director Joshua Michael Stern never had a doubt that Kutcher was right for the role. "[Ashton] really had an understanding and an empathy from the very beginning," Stern said. "He tried to understand how you have an obsession. Steve's obsession was the computer, and so much more had to fall to the side. For me, as a director, when I first met Ashton, he came into this knowing that. I think that was most important. He got it."

Lyndsy Fonseca IMTA Press Release "I knew for a fact when I was in London working with these kids, I was like, 'Every one of you are going to literally take over Hollywood.' They're all amazing… I'm just so proud of them all." - Lyndsy Fonseca

In 2010's Kick-Ass, IMTA alum Lyndsy Fonseca (LA00) starred as Katie Deauxma, girlfriend of Dave Lizewski, aka superhero Kick-Ass. The film became a hit, making many critics' list of the top films of the year and ensuring a sequel. Kick-Ass 2 opens with the original stars returning, a group that, along with Fonseca, includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plass.

Josh Duhamel IMTA Press Release "It's a great movie to sort of start off my producing career. I feel like it's the kind of movie I've always wanted to do, the kind of movie that I got into this business for. This sort of sets the precedence to do something like this." - Josh Duhamel

Since winning Male Model of the Year at IMTA NY97, Josh Duhamel has been fighting an uphill battle in his bid to be taken as a serious actor. His successes have come from romantic comedies such as When in Rome and Win a Date with Tad Hamilton, television roles such as Danny McCoy in "Las Vegas," and as the action-hero Lennox in the Transformers movie franchise. "I come from a soap opera and I've got some romantic comedies, and it's hard to convince people that you can do things other than that," said Duhamel. "That's what I've always wanted and am still looking to do that. I'm always looking to change it up and prove people wrong, that I can do more than they think I can."

Amy Acker IMTA Press Release "When I watch the movie, I feel like you can tell we were all having a really good time and that we all loved being around each other." - Amy Acker

There are very few actors in Hollywood who would not want to work on a project with Joss Whedon, the powerhouse writer/director/producer who is responsible for such diverse fare as The Avengers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Toy Story. Just ask IMTA Alum Amy Acker (NY92) who has starred in several Whedon developments ("Dollhouse,""Angel,""The Cabin in the Woods"): "When Joss calls and asks you... the phone rings and I'm like 'Yes? Yes. No, yes. Whatever you're asking... yes, I'll do it.' And I think everyone feels the same way."

Moises Arias IMTA Press Release "It's different. It doesn't have all the sci-fi explosions and all that. It's a great story, different characters, great themes and comedy that isn't really seen these days. It's beautiful, it's hilarious, and I think people will really enjoy it." - Moises Arias

2013 will mark the year IMTA alum Moises Arias (LA05) officially went from being a scene stealing kid on TV to being a scene stealing teenager in feature films. The former "Hannah Montana" sidekick has three highly anticipated, very different movies opening this year, that definitely allow him to escape the fate of being labeled "former child star." "Not a lot of people make that transition from child actor to bigger, better roles," Arias said. "After the show ["Hannah Montana"] ended, there were opportunities for me to have my own show and pilots I said no to because I wanted to wait for something that really just blows me away. And Kings of Summer was one of those."

Jill Wagner IMTA Press Release "I enjoy the different aspects of this industry, whether it be hosting a wacky game show, playing a vampire, hunting werewolves, leading a race of aliens, or punking Katie Holmes. I love it all and genuinely have fun on every project I work on. I believe life is too short to live it any other way." - Jill Wagner

Whether you love it or hate it...it's back. The sixth season of "Wipeout" premieres tonight, a season which marks the show's 100th episode, the celebration of its second consecutive Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Best Reality Show, and the return of LA01 IMTA alum Jill Wagner as co-host of the show. Wagner had taken a break from the show to accept a guest starring role on MTV's hit show "Teen Wolf." "I'm excited to be back," said Wagner. "I had a great experience filming 'Teen Wolf' when I was off and coming back to the show felt like coming back home."

Jessica Biel IMTA Press Release"I've never trained like this in my life. It's so much fun…I'm getting paid to get fit, learn how to shoot guns, play soldier, learn to dance…it's all fun!" - Adrianne Palicki

In the 12 years since IMTA alum Adrianne Palicki attended IMTA, she has compiled a complex résumé of TV and film roles playing strong, compelling women such as Tyra Collette on "Friday Night Lights," Charlie in Legion, Toni Walsh in the re-make of Red Dawn, and Diana Prince in the TV pilot for "Wonder Woman." The Ohio native, who came to the NY01 IMTA with Margaret O'Brien's/Starbound (now SB Entertainment Group), is adding a new character to that list of as Lady Jaye in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the sequel to 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Jessica Biel IMTA Press Release"When I was a kid, I dreamed about fame, you know, how cool would it be to be in a movie and to be on TV. I thought about certain movie roles or certain lines from movies by myself in the shower and thought I could do that someday, but I never really believed that I ever had a chance to do it." - Jeff Duhamel

When IMYA alum Josh Duhamel (NY97) signed on to do the big screen adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel Safe Haven, he knew he was in for a challenge. "The expectations are higher in a movie like this, and the comparisons are inevitable, knowing you're going to get compared against The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Dear John," said Duhamel. "And I really admire these guys who have done these movies before… But I wanted to do it if it was going to be different in some way." And while Safe Haven is a romantic novel with some similarities to other Sparks works, it is also a thriller. "This is not a 'paint by numbers' romantic love story," Duhamel adds. "This movie, to me, has a dark edge to it that hasn't been done before in a Sparks' movie, and I think the audience is ready for this. It has everything they'll expect, it has this great romantic story, but it also has this inevitable doom that's coming, that you know is going to happen, and how is that going to unfold.

Elijah Wood IMTA Press Release"My philosophy has always been to try to put myself into roles and films that are different. That intensified after Lord of the Rings because it was so massive, but it's something I've always believed in - wanting to change people's perceptions and challenge myself as an actor." - Elijah Wood

One look at the IMDb page for IMTA alum Elijah Wood and it is clear that you are looking at one of Hollywood's busiest and most versatile talents who puts his philosophy to work. From voicing a character on the animated weekly series "Tron: Uprising" to promoting the slasher Maniac at its European openings, from filming - and executive producing - the thriller Open Windows in Madrid to preparing for the third season of the FX hit series "Wilfred," the in-demand Wood apparently has found a way to successfully juggle what would appear to most people as an overwhelming schedule of "different" types of projects. Wood's IMDb page lists no less than 12 films - with which Wood is involved as an actor, producer or both - as "In Production" and an additional five as "In Development."

Sean Farris IMTA Press Release"Christmas with Holly is much more than a boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love story. This is much closer to realistic situations, which will make the audience relate to it." - Sean Faris

IMTA alum Sean Faris (NY99) has established a career taking on a wide variety of film and TV roles. He has shown his athletic skills in films such as Never Back Down and Forever Strong, a flair for the dramatic in thrillers such as Stash, Brooklyn to Manhattan and the TV series "Reunion" and "The Vampire Diaries," and a comedic side in Sleepover and "Life as We Know It." Faris' showed a definite flair as a romantic lead in last year's successful Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie Lost Valentine, and he returns to that same platform in the holiday-themed Hallmark movie Christmas with Holly.