Michael Peña: All His Preparation

In this conversation, Michael Peña reflects on a career defined by curiosity, observation and fully committing to every character, no matter the size of the role. He shares how he approaches acting as a practice of listening and presence, and why staying grounded in truth is what makes performances resonate. Michael looks back on the early days of auditioning and learning on set, the importance of instinct in his process and how he continues to refine his craft through collaboration and preparation. He also discusses working across a wide range of projects, including his role in Ant-Man, and how finding specificity and humanity in each character, especially in unexpected or comedic ones, has been central to his work. Loved this episode? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of I AM AN ACTOR. Keep up with us on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and X.  I AM AN ACTOR is produced in partnership with SAG-AFTRA and SickBird Productions.