Michael's Story

MICHAEL EVANS BEHLING

MICHAEL EVANS BEHLING BELIEVES IN THE POWER OF HIS OWN AGENCY.

Interview by:

ERIN TATUM

With each decision, an entire fictional life is created. “My driving philosophy as an actor would have to be the choices that I make as an actor in character, creating the most realistic character that I can,” he reflects. “As soon as you’re into the set, just create the choices. That comes with the prep. Choices are the biggest thing that I like to rely on.” It’s that intuitive, trust-your-gut instinct that has been cultivated over the last five years of playing Jordan Baker on All American. He’s developed a sense of self envied by actors decades his senior. “First and foremost, as a performer, I’ve changed the most. What I mean by that is I’ve just become more comfortable. Coming on this show at 22 years old five years ago, incredibly green, only having been on one other set in the Midwest, and then coming to Los Angeles and being able to portray this character, I was very insecure in my choices and insecure in my abilities. Having my coach, Laura Levya from Stella Adler, has been incredible. And then also just having the tremendous cast that I have. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, it’s a masterclass to work across from Taye Diggs and Daniel Ezra, Logan, Greta, Cody - all of them have been very fantastic. I feel very fortunate to have been on this show, this being my very first show, and to be able to utilize their talents and their craft to learn and pull from them. That has been amazing.” Navigating Hollywood as a young star proved to be far thornier. Gone is the nervous novice who questioned his place. “I had to grow up in LA in my formative years, so to be able to do that

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in this big city has definitely been different and definitely has been challenging. Maneuvering throughout California and throughout Los Angeles managing fame and managing money, and managing all of it has been a challenge for sure. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s been different trying to meet all the expectations. I’m happy to say that I’ve matured from that 22-year-old stepping onto that stage, but I think the biggest word to take away is just comfortability. I’m comfortable and confident in the choices that I make as a person and as an artist.”

That doesn’t mean that Michael is always in lockstep with Jordan. Over time, consistent side-eye evolved into empathy. “I used to slightly judge some of the decisions that he made, but even three seasons in, I thought, ‘Okay, no, I get it.’ We’re living in his world. This is not my world. I wouldn’t do these things, but that doesn’t mean that I have the power to judge this person or judge this character for saying the things that he does or choosing the words that he chooses. To be able to connect with a character over five years, I have a lot of

Now, Jordan is thriving in a happy romance with Layla (Greta Onieogou). “I think it’s incredibly healthy. I feel very fortunate to be a part of it on this show full of messiness,” Michael laughs. “I like to think that Jordan and Layla are a very stable relationship, and I see them continuing on that path.” Like any solid couple, they bring out the best in one another. “I think of their relationship as a push and pull. I view Layla as a strong, beautiful, independent business woman who can get incredibly busy and bogged down or locked into her work. Jordan is this bright, happy-go-lucky kid who is really just happy to be a part of everything. So I think that his goofiness and free spirit allow the two of them to pull off of each other. She can bring him up whenever it’s time to be serious, and he can bring her down whenever it’s time to be goofy

pride in Jordan because he’s definitely changed. I’m protective of him, and I have love for him because there’s no judgment whatsoever when it comes to Mr. Baker.” There’s an honor in having the privilege to shepherd Jordan to who he’s meant to be. “We’re both biracial kids, so being able to work through my own identity issues on the show and through the character, being able to connect more with my roots and my heritage being in LA and being surrounded by people who look like me versus growing up in Indiana where there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me. I was able to grow and learn from Jordan’s mistakes in my own life when it comes to identifying who it is that you really are and really being comfortable and competent in who you are as a person. That hesitancy in identity that I was experiencing in my young adulthood has definitely been lifted and alleviated. I feel fortunate enough to have been playing this character who had a similar sight to the world. It’s been amazing to be able to play that character. That sense of pride is bursting for sure.” Jordan provided Michael with a blank projector on which to process his own inner turmoil, enabling them to ultimately link arms and step into manhood together.

MICHAEL EVAN

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and silly, and relaxed. I love being able to play that dynamic with Miss Greta Onieogou because we love to play off of each other, and she’s an incredibly funny person. Whenever there’s an ounce of comedy in the script, we both like to elevate it and then play with it and see what we can do.” It was only a matter of time before the easy, loving friendship between Michael and Greta was incorporated into the script. “Greta and I have been best friends since season one. We didn’t work a tremendous amount between season one and three, and then all of a sudden, in the back half of season three leading into four, we started to work a lot more together. It’s been a lot of fun because there’s people on the show that I don’t get the opportunity to work with. Having one of your best friends on the show and then getting to work with them every single day is amazing because you get to see them in a different light.”

MICHAEL EVAN

Viewers can look forward to Jordan’s steadfast loyalty to those around him, along with a nailbiting cliffhanger! “I see him being there for his family and his friends. You’re going to see that in the back half of the season. You know, stepping up for his sister in a great way, stepping up for Spencer in a fantastic way, and then stepping up for himself and stepping up for the team. With the absence of his father, you’re going to see him make concise and precise decisions and choices whenever it comes to the issues that may arise in his life. I’ve been told that there will be a tease that in the last episode, Jordan has a very big decision to make. I personally do not know what that decision is just yet. I’m very curious to see where the writers are going to take him for the end of season five, and then obviously we’re going to see that play out in season six.” Michael remains cool and collected about Jordan’s future. “I can’t see the roadblocks really coming up for him. I think he’s happy in his relationship, he’s happy with the football team, and he’s feeling happy with his friends. So I’m very curious to see what happens.”

Off set, Michael is an unwavering advocate for mental health. By learning mental health strategies and vocabulary, we can all help each other collectively pursue a brighter tomorrow. “I feel such a strong sense of purpose in it because it’s everywhere,” he says. “It’s everywhere and you’re never going to escape it. I personally believe that mental health is imperative. It has affected my family, it has affected my friends. It’s affected me in negative ways. I think that everybody deserves an opportunity to have access to their resources and to have access to the tools that they need to figure out why they think and feel the way that they feel. It’s a great way for people to just express how we all feel and to actually find the tools and find the words whenever you’re feeling a certain type of emotion or feeling that you maybe can’t pinpoint exactly. I think it’s imperative for people to be able to communicate effectively and just normalize the conversations about it, with men, with women, with all walks of life.”

He urges us to be brave and share our heavier moments. Peace of mind is a crucial grounding

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force. “I feel a deep connection to it because I’ve been there. I’ve been low before. I’ve had family and friends there before. It’s not a pretty sight, and guess what? It’s okay to not be ‘pretty’ all the time because that’s life, and it’s okay not to be okay. I know that’s a cliché thing to say, but it’s incredibly true. I just want people to be able to feel comfortable and confident in who they are as a person because life is hard enough as it is. To be able to feel good about who you are as an individual with all the extra BS that goes on in life, I think is very important.”

Men of color are subjected to especially toxic messages about emotional suppression. “That tends to be the way that the world works, unfortunately, with the history of the world and not viewing people of color as people for a very long time. Not even just men of color, but young men in general. We’re told to take on the world and not feel anything. We’re taught to bury our feelings and to keep moving, and you bury enough feelings for a long enough time, that leads to pent-up resentment and pent up frustration. It’s unfair to expect that of anybody, men or women, of all walks of life, or particularly people of color. Eventually, that bubble’s going to burst. You shouldn’t ever let

anybody feel that way.” Seeking out support is vital for a healthier you. “I just want to do my best to break that stigma and normalize having conversations about mental health and that, like I said, it’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to be frustrated. It’s just you have to figure out a way to express your feelings in a healthy manner, otherwise that bubble’s going to burst and it’s going to be a lot harder on you than the issues that you were going through.” Michael hopes to be one source of guidance. “I want to continue to use my platform to hopefully empower others and to allow people to realize that it’s okay to declare what you’re feeling. And giving them some options to alleviate the way that they’re feeling or alleviate the hardship that they’re going through. I like to lead by example for my viewers and followers.”

Of course, decades-old biases can be tricky to break, but Michael is up to the challenge. “It really boils down to educating parents and families. I think a lot of the stigma sometimes derives from strong family members from older generations and the negative stigma that is surrounding mental health and therapy in general.” He aspires to end the cycle of silence and acknowledges that he is still learning

every day. “I was actually educated when I had a chance to speak in front of a group of high schoolers. I was corrected because I used the word crazy trying to describe something that was a positive in my life, but I didn’t realize the negative impact that the word crazy has on people. Be open to hearing what it is that can be changed and how certain words can make people feel certain ways. Hopefully people can learn and feel comfortable taking that leap of faith because it is a leap of faith to go out of your way to take care of yourself, you know?” You need to make yourself your priority as an act of gratitude and self-care. “It’s not selfish if you put yourself first. I know that you know that the world may tell you that it’s selfish if you take the time for yourself, but it’s not selfish. You gotta take time for yourself because at the end of the day, you’re all that you have.”

As spring rolls into summer, Michael is mindful of the fruitful season of life that he has been blessed with. “Being able to go to work brings me joy. I’m still trying to find that genuine joy. It’s in me for sure. Hanging out with friends,

seeing my family whenever I get the chance to, and video games bring me joy. And then also just creating content. I’m fortunate enough to work with several brands.” Passing that joy onto others further fills up his cup. No one will end a bad day without a smile if Michael can help it. “I love to create content because hopefully, if the people who follow me are going through something, they can watch a video of mine and they can forget about something negative that’s going on in their life and they can feel positive.

I like to make other people feel great and to make them feel happy and to forget about the nonsense that may be a curve in their life. So whenever I go to create content, I think that I have the most fun because I know that there’s a shred of a chance that someone could watch a video, see a photo or whatever it may be, and feel a little less bogged down by life. As wild as social media may be, I really enjoy creating content and making people feel something.” Goodness can come from any direction. All American airs Monday nights at 8pm EST/PST. Look out for season six airing later this year. v

MICHAEL EVAN