Robert Craighead is an actor who has won many awards for his 30-year career in both film and television. Robert is best known for his depiction of Detective Vincent Skarsgaard in the Hulu series "Future Man.” Robert also played the part of Sheriff Mobley on Tyler Perry’s "Too Close to Home” and has performed in over 100 theatrical stage productions.

A versatile actor, Robert has starred in the films “Painted Woman,” “The Tiger Hunter,” and over 40 other Movies. From his humble beginnings in Texas, Robert has forged quite a career for himself. He’s gifted in both drama and comedy and has even partaken in staged musicals.

Robert recently granted an exclusive interview where he discussed his long career, future plans, his new grandson, and more.

Characters, roles, and shows

Meagan Meehan (MM): You got into acting right out of high school, so was it daunting to move from your Texas home to Los Angeles?

Robert Craighead (RC): Daunting? No, absolutely not. I was from a small town of 2,500 people, so moving to a city like Los Angeles and following my dream was extremely exciting! I also had the support of my family and the honor of attending a very prestigious school like The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. So, I had a pretty busy and structured schedule coming into this adventure.

MM: Why do you think you were able to land roles so easily and steadily?

RC: I guess I would have to attribute my initial success to my training and my sheer desire to work in this industry. I have always tried to maintain a positive mental attitude and believe that if you work hard and believe in yourself anything in this world is attainable. Actually, my company is named, Positude Productions.

MM: People have described you as a character actor, how did you master those skills?

RC: LOL, well, I didn't start out as a character actor, but as I got older, and developed certain qualities about my voice and my appearance, I found myself more attracted and qualified for those types of roles. All my life I have always had an affinity for those actors in films and television.

I find that it is more interesting for me to develop a character that has a more colorful background, be it his accent, his physical appearance, or even his psychological mindset. I strive to be an actor who does not even remotely appear to be the same person from project to project. It's more challenging for me, to find the qualities inside myself that would bring to life someone who is so completely different from who I am.

MM: You play a lot of law enforcement officers, so do you like sticking to these roles or are there any kinds of parts that you’d love to try your hand at?

RC: I think my voice and my stature naturally lends itself to the qualities that make up an authoritative type. However, I always try and bring other characteristics into those roles as well, as in Sheriff Mobley in "Too Close To Home".

I brought in somewhat of a comedic element to him that made him more down home and more of a good ol' boy, unlike Detective Skarsgaard in "Future Man" who is a ‘buy the book’, know it all, (which still lends itself to some outrageous possibilities in the show). I have played many other characters in addition to law enforcement officers though, like the old backwoods hermit Carl in "Dam Sharks" for Syfy Network, an evil, powerful, womanizer and pedophile, Kyle Allison, in the new western available now on STARZ "Painted Woman", the crazy, doped out landlord, Lloyd in "Halloweed", the lovable Moonshine Jack in "Demon Lake" and one of my faves, the historic Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton in "Saving Lincoln" among others.

All of these characters are very different and I had a wonderful time creating. If there was a role I would love to sink my teeth into, it might have to be some really evil, sinister bad guy who is larger than life, like one you would find from the comic books, like Lex Luthor or The Joker.

MM: Which of your characters has been your favorite and why? Were there any characters that you really disliked playing and why?

RC: I think one of my favorite characters I have played to date would have to be Detective Vincent Skarsgaard in Seth Rogen's new series for Hulu "Future Man". I knew exactly how I wanted to play this crazy Detective the first moment I read the script. When I was cast, it was only for two episodes but the freedom the writers and producers gave us in developing the characters opened up a lot of paths for Skarsgaard to go down and so they kept adding me into more story lines and I wound up working in six episodes the first season.

I don't think there is a role that I have ever played that I disliked, or I would not have taken the job. I think it's important for you to be able to "be" the character, and you can't get close to bringing that out of yourself if you don't connect with who you are playing somehow.

MM: What is it like to work with someone as famous as Tyler Perry?

RC: I have worked with a lot of famous people but Tyler Perry is unique. Not only because he is a highly successful in this industry but also because of his style of work. He moves extremely fast and expects everyone on the crew to be at the top of their game at all times because of this. He is probably one of the most caring and generous people I have ever met.

When I arrived at TPS in Atlanta to start our first season of "Too Close To Home", I thought something was odd because everyone, everywhere I went had a huge smile on their face and were so friendly, all the time. I thought this can't be...but it was, they were genuinely happy to be there and working for this wonderful man. Never have I experienced this, not one complaint from anyone at the entire studio!! I would do it again in a heartbeat.

MM: What movies or shows are you working on at present—or are expecting to see released soon—and what most excites you about these projects?

RC: Currently I am involved in the second season of "Future Man" for Seth Rogen and Hulu and as I said earlier, I am enjoying the Hell out of playing Det.

Skarsgaard. I also recently had a video game released from Sony Playstation called "God of War" that is being touted as possibly the game of the year. I play a foul mouthed blue dwarf named Brok. This character was a blast to create over the past few years and he has quickly become a fan favorite. I am very proud to be involved with this project. I have written a screenplay about a country singer and his relationship with a son he never knew that I am working on getting produced and also a pilot for a half hour comedy that I have written about a small town in Texas. I also have a couple of films that are being released later this year, one is a wacky comedy called "Give Till It Hurts" from Director Thomas Callaway; I strongly urge you to see.

Theater, goals, and being a grandfather

MM: You also do a lot of work on stage, so how is the theater most different from the screen and do you prefer one medium more?

RC: The stage is where I got my training, so it's like going home when I do a play; it just feels comfortable. There is a vast difference in stage from film and TV, one, you are in front of a live audience and you are doing the entire show nonstop, and two, no retakes, lol. You also have to adjust the level of your performance to fit the size of the theatre you are in and of course any level performance is larger on stage than in front of the camera. I do prefer making films most though; there is something about working on a performance to get it to the absolute perfect detail and locking it in for people to enjoy everywhere and not just for those who came to the theatre one night.

Hopefully, if it's a good enough film and performance it will be around for many years for generations to enjoy.

MM: You just became a grandfather, so do you think that has influenced you creatively at all?

RC: I absolutely LOVE being a grandfather! It is probably one of the biggest thrills of my life. Yes, I guess in a way it has influenced me somewhat creatively, I definitely want to make sure whatever I do now, is something my grandson would be proud of and hopefully not embarrassed by when he is older.

MM: What are your primary goals for your future as an actor, Robert, and is there anything more that you would like to add?

RC: My goals for the future are to continue to grow as an actor, writer and producer.

I also hope to have my production company reach a point where I can create at liberty my film and television ideas and be able to be respected in this industry that I have dedicated my life to. The only other thing I would like to add is to say, no matter where you are or what you do for a living, do it with passion and love and you will never feel like you have worked a day in your life.
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