thatYodaGuy.com
thatYodaGuy.com
Nick’s recalls
DocDraconis: asked “What's the story of how you came to work in the entertainment industry?”
Nick replies: My bio touches on this. It really starts when I was a small child. Infants first learn their values and interests from family members and other people that they come in contact with. My father, Len Maley, was a singer and actor, a very gentle, sympathetic personality that everyone loved and I idolized him. After the Second World War he had trained at the Old Vic School which was the most prestigious drama school in England at that time. It was akin to the National Theater. Although he never achieved fame, he worked pretty regularly and so I grew up in the theater surrounded by actors and showgirls and technicians.
how I came to the entertainment industry.
8/15/09
I was much more interested in entertaining the other kids than studying at school and through that period my education somewhat passed me by. I failed the “11 plus” exam that determined what level your education would continue at from 11 years on and still wasn’t really concerned when I started at a school better known for the murderers it produced than the standard of education.
I felt that my life was on track. Then one of my teachers decided to set me straight. He explained to me that I was not as smart as I thought I was. He told me to give up art and drama... that I’d never make any money doing that... as I would spend my life working in a factory. He advised me to concentrate on woodwork instead.
I will always be grateful to this man as it was a HUGE wake-up call. He thought I was going to work in a factory? Was he crazy? Within 6 months I was top of my (mediocre) class in 6 subjects. No one could believe the difference. They moved me into a higher class and, although I struggled to catch up, I worked twice as hard as everyone else. I haven’t stopped.
When I was 15 my dad was teaching at Drama School. There were 3 classes of students for each of the 3 years. At the end of each term, each class had to put on a play. That meant 9 shows with 30 people in each and only a few days to teach them all their make-up. I earned pocket money following behind my dad as he designed the make-ups and I gave practical advice on mixing colors and sharpening eyebrow pencils. I have to admit that I learned a lot by the mistakes I made there.
When I was 16 I went on to a sixth form collage. I grew a lot there, had a lot of fun , started a drama group and produced three collage reviews.
When I was 17 I realized that, when I was young, people had lied to me... I WASN’T going to be tall and handsome! Having grown up in the business I had enough experience to know that if I wanted to act I could expect to wait another 20 years to become a character actor. I had to start thinking about other aspects of the business that might offer more success in less time. That Christmas, I did a 4 week show as a follow spot operator in a West End theater. That was a good experience but I didn’t see myself becoming a lighting tech permanently.
One day I was home when the phone rang. I answered it. Someone had got my dad’s number and was looking for personnel to do make-up for a show at the Royal Albert Hall. Dad was out and they didn’t know they were talking to a 17 year old kid. My mother was shocked when I talked for an hour about the job, negotiated the deal and took the booking... for the TWO of us. That was the first job where I WAS THE BOSS and I realized that maybe my future would lie in make-up.
As a result, my dad contacted the make-up artists that he had befriended on OLIVER and I applied for a union ticket which was essential to work on movies. Unfortunately they had not permitted any new members for 14 years so I wasn’t holding my breath.
When I was 18 I transfered to art collage but my dad became very sick. Within a few months he was unable to work. I didn’t want him losing his job at the drama schools, so I stepped in and took over his classes. I thought it was a temporary measure but he was never able to return.
A year later I was invited to an interview to be considered for that union ticket. Apparently they were impressed that I was 19 and teaching at 6 drama schools including what is now Middlesex University. I didn’t like to tell them it was part time work and I also had to fill in doing office work for the London Borough of Brent to pay the bills.
I had just turned 20 when I got the call telling me that I had been granted a union ticket and was free to work in movies. That was 1969. It sounds like the end of my story. But it was just the beginning. I was in movies... but continued to struggle to find work for many years.
If there was a secret to my success it was perseverance. I strove to generate new opportunities and made the most of EVERY one that materialized. I was partly driven by an excessive ego and partly driven by the determination to prove that teacher was wrong. So even when things looked hopeless, I refused to give up. And I promised myself that day by day I would learn a little more, work a little harder and strive to be better than others could expect of me. I have lived my whole life by that principle. It separated me from the crowd.
If you wish you can read more about the rest of my journey to making STAR WARS.