Killer looks and a contagious smile perhaps best describe this Hollywood hottie. Armed with an interesting face and physique, courtesy his equally interesting descent (Ecuadorian, Austrian and Norwegian), this young actor’s kitty is full of fascinating accomplishments. Meet teen sensation, Michael Mateus Steger in a candid chat with Expresso. You might not believe that this guy is actually 28! More so, if we tell you that he carries off his ‘teenager’ role as Navid Shirazi with ease in the popular spin-off series of Beverly Hills, 90210 aired in India on Star World and Channel V.
Once you are out of the reverie cast by his adolescent looks, you might want to know what this guy is all about. Well, he holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre and a minor in Spanish from Cal Poly Pomona. Trained in martial arts, Steger received his first Dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 18. You’d surely be surprised to learn that Steger came to the spotlight after his debut as Vikram in a Bollywood independent movie, 3 Girls and the Golden Cocoon.
We ask him how convincingly he pulled off the Indian accent and he surprises us with a clear pronunciation of “Shaadi Mubarak Ho!” He indeed amazes us with his repertoire of Hindi words that he memoris ed while filming in India. Recalling enthusiastically he says, “India was one big adventure for me! I got to explore so many things- its architecture, its temples, its culture, its colours! And of course, I got the opportunity to learn a little bit of Hindi too.” Although he earlier appeared in the Emmy nominated series, NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Services as Sniper and as Miguel in the Fox Production, The Winner; it was his guest appearances in Disney hits like Hannah Montana and Cory in the House that Steger kissed steady success. Does he ever feel insecure that he’s getting stuck into a stereotypical teen acting category? “No, I don’t think so. I don’t even think that it’s typecasting me. There’s a huge audience out there that likes this ‘another world’- another genre of movie. And I try out different kinds of characters that come my way,” he says.
However, this ‘another world’ is almost always a rosy portraiture of life. What does he have to say about life in Disney movies? He is quick to answer, “Life is definitely not so happy. But I think it’s just a different world, a pleasant picture that teenagers relate to.
Kids feel happy to watch these movies.” Ask him how much theatre helps when it comes to acting onscreen and he informs, “In theatre, everything occurs in a stipulated sequence. While with films, you need a lot more time to process what goes into its making and understand its techniques.
I have some knowledge of theater and I found movies a great learning experience too.” Michael’s character in 90210 is one of a politically conscious young journalist on campus. How close does he actually feel to his fictitious teenage character? “I do relate to him in a lot of ways. He’s very ambitious and has strong work ethics. Being older than the character doesn’t hamper my acting because I can relate to the pressure I felt and faced in my high school days.” We take a step ahead and ask him if it’s easier to get female attention when you’re good looking and an actor. He denies saying, “Not necessarily. I believe that doing your job with integrity matters more and ultimately it rests in the hands of the audience how well they receive you.” Is he currently seeing anyone? “No, I’m single,” he tells us. On acknowledging martial arts as his other interest, we inform him that we are aware of his extreme liking for Bruce Lee. He exclaims, “Wow! How do you know that?” and further confesses that he’d love to do a martial arts film.
Would he like work to in Bollywood now that he has already played an Indian character in 3 Girls and the Golden Cocoon? “Oh! I’d love to. If I get a call, I’d definitely be happy to take it up.” Ask him who he’d like to work opposite and pat comes his reply, “Aishwariya Rai!” After a modest but distinctly enthusiastic, “Thank you so much for your time,” Michael Steger signs off.
jayeeta@epmltd.com