“I’m not Trevor today, I’m Michael from ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,'” Newman senior Trevor Farney recounts when asked about how his acting career began.
When he was young, Trevor remembers watching movies and realizing he wanted to act like the people he saw in films. He is not the only one in his family who has felt drawn to the stage.
Trevor is the oldest of five children in his family. His next youngest brother, Lucas Farney, is a sophomore and fellow actor at Newman. The Farneys have two younger brothers that are either active in acting or beginning to act, as well as a sister who they presume will at least try acting once she gets into high school. Their father is also an actor, which along with movies, inspired Trevor at a young age to begin acting.
Lucas did not take to acting as young as Trevor. Trevor recalls actually beginning acting at the age of 10, whereas Lucas was in high school before he decided to become more involved with it.
“I hadn’t really found a place for myself or anything, and he (Trevor) talked me into auditioning for the improv team at our high school,” explained Lucas. “I ended up making it and from there I found my own journey acting.” This was when the brothers first began acting together.
It was not until Trevor’s senior year in high school, which was Lucas’ sophomore year, that the two actually acted together in front of an audience. During an improv show, they played the game “Survivor.” The game is played by having a scene set and as the scene progresses an actor is removed. The actors left are to tell the previous story until the next actor is removed. The last two together were Trevor and Lucas.
“It was really cool,” said Lucas. “It was one of the few times in high school where we really got to act together.”
Their careers at Newman have been more fruitful on stage together. Trevor’s junior year was Lucas’ freshman year, and the two had the opportunity to act together once again. The duo began having more and more parts together, eventually landing roles that directly interacted with one another.
They both said that they’ve enjoyed the times they have been able to act with one another, and there have been moments of competitiveness. They both agree that they are the same type of actor, so auditioning for the same role can be fierce.
“I think we’re both talented enough actors that we can play any role that we want to, and being able to do that together and being able to put aside the competitive nature of it is really awesome,” Lucas added.
Theater and college have given the Farneys so much in each of their lives.
“I think what I learned the most is to live in the moment,” Lucas said. “Not just as a character, but applying it to your own life.”
Trevor added: “(It) humbled me as a person. High school is way easy and college is a heftier workload. It’s not like high school. You have to work for everything.”
After graduating, the two plan on continuing to work hard in their endeavors in acting.
Both brothers plan to move to California to further pursue their acting careers after Lucas graduates. They plan on bringing Lucas’ twin brother and a friend of theirs. Trevor said he might take a break from acting while he wits for Lucas to graduate from Newman. He commented, “Even your most passionate thing you need to take a break from so you can realize why you’re passionate about it.”
When asked if they ever had doubts about making a career out of acting, they both said yes. Trevor recalled being told that you can’t go into theater with that being the only thing you want to do. That has pushed him to continue his love for acting.
Lucas said similarly, “There’s nothing more I want to do than act. Some say it isn’t a real job, but I would rather starve than do something I hate. If I fail, I’m okay with it because it is better than not trying.”
