Dave Droge
- Actor
- Stunts
David Francis Droge was born in Washington D.C. on December 18th to Frances J. Warner a registered nurse from Iowa and Dolf M. Droge a Korean War Airforce veteran, former NBC local Indianapolis television news broadcaster, radio jock and a Hoosier from Milan Indiana. Both parents provided a loving home to David and his sister Martha.
He was surrounded by a variety of music, arts, sports, cultures in the home and politics related to his fathers State Dept. job in D.C. David and Martha met US presidents and dignitaries. Their father loved people and loved to perform with a guitar or ukulele. He was as a singer song writer who loved history, music, sports, radio, television and Hollywood. Their mother was beautiful and looked like Elizabeth Taylor.
David embraced his fathers love and extensive knowledge of politics, history and of the world of entertainment including world class entertainers from Vaudeville to Broadway to Hollywood. David enjoyed church choir, played snare drum, trumpet and French horn in school band. As a teenager he always had three jobs and imagined being a race car driver or pilot. He loved all genres of film and all types of actors, in particular the intensity of one, Clint Eastwood. The ability to speak so loudly with out words really connected with young David.
He graduated high school from TC Williams in Alexandria, VA. Ironically the school was immortalized by Denzel Washington in the film, "Remember the Titans". David was into muscle cars and liked to go fast. He became an FAA Private Pilot and US Army helicopter mechanic based in Hawaii. Later Graduating Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with BS and Associates degrees. While at school in Daytona Florida he worked as an MC and club DJ spinning vinyl during spring breaks.
While at Embry Riddle he was a weekend club racer turned later professional racer on the IMSA and Pro SCCA road racing circuit's. The acting bug started to spark while in Florida at ERAU. Miami Vice, with its fast cars, music scores and the intensity of Don Johnson's character Sonny resonated with David.
One weekend In Miami, David was volunteering with the BF Goodrich GTP Mazda racing team in pit row when irony came calling again; David became part of the backdrop as they filmed for a Miami Vice episode. Don Johnson was feet away. Later at Road Atlanta, a team rep said to Dave, you should be an actor like Tom Cruise and that will solve your sponsorship problems. He had seen Tom on the track at different events and joked ,"Let me work on that,". David would tell his friends that Tom Cruise was always doing on screen what he was doing in real life. From military, flying and racing and even bartending.
Through out his life David always took time to observe anything going on around him. The situational awareness worked for him as a pilot, soldier, driver and now acting. David gained awareness and respect for the craft. He read Charles Grodin's book, "It would be So Nice If You Weren't Here: My Journey Through Show Business", James Lipton's interviews Inside Actors Studio and other articles and books.
While living in Long Beach, NY., Dave Droge noticed an audition in "Backstage" at a church on Staten Island. The director of the play asked Dave who he studied with. Dave had no coach and no acting classes. He was cast in more than one role in that musical and realized they took him seriously. Dave's inspiration for his portrayal to play the part of an evil executioner in the biblical city of Nineveh, was Jack Nicholson's in the "Shining". The play was successful and others followed.
Dave enrolled with H/B Studios in the Village in NYC. He studied under Oscar nominated actor, the late William Hickey. In the 1990's while bartending in the village and hitting the pavement during the day, he started his New York acting career in television, film and theatre and later worked in productions of Opera at Wolf Trap and The Kennedy Center. He enjoys the ability to become what ever character the wardrobe defines. Dave believes in the Meisner adopted core principal that all acting is about reacting. Dave also adopted a moto from fictional Inspector Harry Callahan as a pilot ,driver and now actor, "A man's got to know his limitations". Dave Droge is proof that having a life and observing while living in the real world is a powerful tool to being a method actor.
He was surrounded by a variety of music, arts, sports, cultures in the home and politics related to his fathers State Dept. job in D.C. David and Martha met US presidents and dignitaries. Their father loved people and loved to perform with a guitar or ukulele. He was as a singer song writer who loved history, music, sports, radio, television and Hollywood. Their mother was beautiful and looked like Elizabeth Taylor.
David embraced his fathers love and extensive knowledge of politics, history and of the world of entertainment including world class entertainers from Vaudeville to Broadway to Hollywood. David enjoyed church choir, played snare drum, trumpet and French horn in school band. As a teenager he always had three jobs and imagined being a race car driver or pilot. He loved all genres of film and all types of actors, in particular the intensity of one, Clint Eastwood. The ability to speak so loudly with out words really connected with young David.
He graduated high school from TC Williams in Alexandria, VA. Ironically the school was immortalized by Denzel Washington in the film, "Remember the Titans". David was into muscle cars and liked to go fast. He became an FAA Private Pilot and US Army helicopter mechanic based in Hawaii. Later Graduating Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with BS and Associates degrees. While at school in Daytona Florida he worked as an MC and club DJ spinning vinyl during spring breaks.
While at Embry Riddle he was a weekend club racer turned later professional racer on the IMSA and Pro SCCA road racing circuit's. The acting bug started to spark while in Florida at ERAU. Miami Vice, with its fast cars, music scores and the intensity of Don Johnson's character Sonny resonated with David.
One weekend In Miami, David was volunteering with the BF Goodrich GTP Mazda racing team in pit row when irony came calling again; David became part of the backdrop as they filmed for a Miami Vice episode. Don Johnson was feet away. Later at Road Atlanta, a team rep said to Dave, you should be an actor like Tom Cruise and that will solve your sponsorship problems. He had seen Tom on the track at different events and joked ,"Let me work on that,". David would tell his friends that Tom Cruise was always doing on screen what he was doing in real life. From military, flying and racing and even bartending.
Through out his life David always took time to observe anything going on around him. The situational awareness worked for him as a pilot, soldier, driver and now acting. David gained awareness and respect for the craft. He read Charles Grodin's book, "It would be So Nice If You Weren't Here: My Journey Through Show Business", James Lipton's interviews Inside Actors Studio and other articles and books.
While living in Long Beach, NY., Dave Droge noticed an audition in "Backstage" at a church on Staten Island. The director of the play asked Dave who he studied with. Dave had no coach and no acting classes. He was cast in more than one role in that musical and realized they took him seriously. Dave's inspiration for his portrayal to play the part of an evil executioner in the biblical city of Nineveh, was Jack Nicholson's in the "Shining". The play was successful and others followed.
Dave enrolled with H/B Studios in the Village in NYC. He studied under Oscar nominated actor, the late William Hickey. In the 1990's while bartending in the village and hitting the pavement during the day, he started his New York acting career in television, film and theatre and later worked in productions of Opera at Wolf Trap and The Kennedy Center. He enjoys the ability to become what ever character the wardrobe defines. Dave believes in the Meisner adopted core principal that all acting is about reacting. Dave also adopted a moto from fictional Inspector Harry Callahan as a pilot ,driver and now actor, "A man's got to know his limitations". Dave Droge is proof that having a life and observing while living in the real world is a powerful tool to being a method actor.
Actor
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