Name: Will Westwater
Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: Theater
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Meet Will! He’s usually sporting one of his brightly colored sunglasses, catching some sun around campus and if you watched “Hairspray” last semester, you would’ve seen him as Corny Collins
What activities are you involved in on Campus? – Glee Club, Swim Team, Occidental Weekly, Co-Host of a Video Game show on Cat-A-List
How did you get into swimming and what’s it like being on the swim team at Oxy? – I got into swimming my freshmen year of high school when I quit basketball. I just joined it on a whim because my friends were doing it. I saw some of the club swimmers there and they were legitimately the fittest people that I have ever seen. I started club swimming in my sophomore year, which is when I consider myself to have actually started swimming. In club, I swam for 3 hrs a day, 5 times a week, for 48 weeks out of the year.
As for being on the swim team at Oxy, it’s really fun. I wouldn’t do it if it weren’t for the people or our relay. Hopefully we make it to nationals this year.
What is it about swimming that you like the most? – It’s the level of fitness, swimmers are some of the best athletes.
Have you always been interested in acting? – Yeah, I think ever since I started doing theater in 4th grade, I was pretty hooked. It’s a high and I really like that. It’s a tougher life I learned, especially this summer when I stayed out in LA and auditioned. I don’t know if it’s something that I’d like to do for a career; as my passion, I consider it a bummer because it’s tough. But then again, I’m not worried about making a living, I’m worried about living. I’ll get a job, it’s just a matter of whether it’s a job I like.
Why are you drawn to it? – It gives me a high and there are some times when you really rehearse a lot, and you find that you are somebody else. This sounds cheesy, but in my sophomore year of high school I was playing Mereb in Aida and there was a song that I had to sing and while I was singing I was so in character that I started crying on stage. When I walked off stage and realized what happened, I thought to myself that that was the coolest moment. It was an incredible thing; some people were also crying in the audience too…that’s the power of theater, that’s what it does. Theater helps me out when I am in a funk, so it’s very real. It’s nerdy, but it’s true.
Things like acting and singing takes a lot of courage and requires you to put yourself out there. What qualities do you embrace or think you have that help you with this? – I say, probably spontaneity, realizing that everybody is human, and that people mess up and that’s okay. I’m not saying that I’m going to settle for less because of that but if I’ve done my rehearsals, then I’m not worried that I will make a mistake in the slightest. That’s what rehearsals are for…it’s not a quality of me at all, it’s hard work. I’m just into it and if you work hard at what you’re into, then you’ll be fine. Just work hard at what you want.
Tell us more about Hairspray, what it was like to prepare for it? – Hairspray was awesome and the casting for it was right on. It was a blast, I got to be Corny Collins and that was hilarious and fun. Aside from one scene, he’s the dude that doesn’t have to worry and gets to be the smiling face all the time and I really like that.
How’d you manage your busy schedule with practice, rehearsals, homework, and life in general? – Grades took a hit for sure, that was tough. Quite honestly, I just had to find time for myself. At the end of the day if I got 45 minutes with a bowl of Rice Krispies and Justice League, I’m good. It was stressful as hell, and if we make nationals for swim team this year it will be even more stressful. But when I’m in the off-season I do CrossFit every day, it’s awesome, and I absolutely love it.
Why did you choose Oxy? – I chose Oxy because I wanted to be able to swim outside year round. I wanted a liberal arts school because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Oxy is also close to everything and I wanted to be able to audition the same time that I go to school. I’m also staying at Oxy because people are so nice. Back home, I was raised in an environment where they were like “You can be a doctor, a lawyer, or a businessman” and I was like “What about an actor?” but it was considered a hobby. But people out in California are laid back and have the great mentality to pursue their passions because it’s what they’re into and there are more opportunities out in LA. They’re happy that you have a passion and that’s what you’re into.
Who inspires you the most? – My dad, this kid named Gebby Keny whom I went to high school with and who was class president, friends with everybody, and did sports (when I’m stuck in a bad situation, he’s one of the people that I would think “How would he respond?”), in the same light my brother-in-law, and Ben Parker from Spider Man – Peter Parker’s uncle – who reminds Peter Parker that a gift is to be used for the betterment of mankind.
What’s some advice you would give to a student who has yet to find something they’re passionate about? –
A) Be open-minded
B) I think what helps with passion a lot is to have goals which are dreams with deadlines and you have to have those goals to keep going for it. Also, very few people have it figured out at our age, so don’t stress it. Just keep trying to figure it out. Stop saying, “I want to”, start saying, “I am”.
Fun fact: I don’t smoke or drink, but I’m not a tool about it.
Photo Credit: Paul Gregory
Follow Will on Twitter @willydubz