De Anza student, Darrin Glesser, is on track to becoming a Hollywood hero. “Getting the opportunity to step out of your shoes and becoming someone else… The response of the audience, all the applause is wonderful,” said Glesser on what he likes best about being an actor.

Glesser recently played the lead role in the Sunnyvale Community Players Junior Theatre production of “Grease.” In order to play the role better, Glesser grew his hair long, dyed it black, sprouted sideburns, and watched the movie several times. “I really got into the character,” said Glesser.

Ever since he was a child, Glesser has enjoyed performing. He likes to make people laugh, especially when pretending to be someone who he is not. According to Glesser, the hardest part of acting is improvising, coming up with new lines or quotes on the spot. Being an actor and director requires a tremendous amount of dedication, says Glesser, who admires Bruce Lee for the dedication he put into his work.

Glesser is not just an actor, though. He recently became one of a small handful of students to become a student director at the De Anza Television Station.

Glesser’s goals involve both these talents as he plans to become a film director and actor, like Mel Gibson. He feels that in order to do this, an incredible amount of preparation in several areas of film and theatre is required. Eventually, he wishes to win an Oscar, and have his name recognized.

< "The rush of performing in front of the audience and the instant feedback is awesome. The deafening applause of the crowd after a performance is awesome," said Glesser about why he likes to perform.

As a star of plays, movies, and broadcast shows, Glesser has an abundance of experience and plans on taking this with him when he attends San Jose State University.