One of the best things about being a native North Carolinian is having grown up with our state motto: Esse quam videri, or in English, To be, rather than to seem. It goes back to Cicero and arguably even Aeschylus, but to me it sounds like Hamlet. If not “to be,” then what? Well, “not to be,” of course, but also “to seem to be.” In life and in acting, that’s our choice. As Mr. Poitier reminds us above, you can’t fool anyone into thinking you are active, interesting, and alive; and if you try, these days, you risk being replaced by A.I.

So my constant challenge — my daily quest as an actor, teacher, and human being — is to live into the motto: Esse quam videri.

From playing dress-up with my sister as a kid, to seeing plays that left me forever changed, to working on an Oscar-winning movie and an Emmy-nominated TV series, one thing has never changed: Willie Repoley loves a good story told with presence and craft.

I love telling them as an actor, and helping other people tell them, too, teaching voice and presence as a certified Patsy Rodenburg Associate. (If you’re interested in the longer story about that, click this link.)

I’m lucky enough to live in Asheville, NC with my wife, two daughters, and a dog.