Mike Heslin is a social media influencer who is going to be appearing in Revry’s Nnew series “The Influencers”. It is a mockumentary which looks into the lives of six social media personalities who are all striving to be the next big thing.
These six people will compete for a brand deal all while living together under the same roof. The deeper we go into the show, the more we see each person for who they truly are and not what they choose to show us on social media.
What made you interested in creating a mockumentary type show about social media influencers?
A couple years ago, I was between acting gigs and was freelancing for a social media agency working as a social media director and creative director. Casting and contracting influencers was part of my day to day and while there are tons of influencers out there who are super intelligent and incredibly business savvy, I happened to work with a few that were gorgeous, sweet, but who were lacking any real skill set. I started to wonder what would happen if these individuals had to prove themselves in a real public forum and how they would fare on an unfiltered platform where you couldn’t perfectly curate your persona. Thus the inception for The Influencers was born!
In three words, could you describe what we should expect from this show?
Laughs, Likes, and Cringe.
Does the show feel more intimate and focused on each person because there are only six participants?
I thought having six influencers would be the perfect amount because it’s enough to differentiate and show several kinds of social media personalities from the Jetsetter to the Instacouple, while also being mable to invest in the characters and keep track of them. Because the show takes place in a Big Brother- style house where there are cameras in all of the rooms and your every move is being monitored, it definitely feels intimate and shows the difference between how these people present themselves on- camera vs off.
How much fun are you having acting in this mockumentary?
Shooting the show was a true blast from start to finish. What I love about filmmaking is that it feels like you’re in a sort of summer camp in that you get to know each and create a bonded little family really
quickly. I lucked out with the most amazing cast and crew. Everyone was so sweet, total team players
who showed up every day ready to play.
Did you or any of the cast get to improvise for any of the scenes?
Oh yes and it was amazing! It was a really collaborative environment and it was so exciting and inspiring to see all of the new ideas or takes the actors had on their characters. There was a ton of improvisation and we would shoot it as written first, then just play and experiment and try a bunch of alternative options. Everyone would constantly be pitching ideas to make it even tighter and funnier which just resulted in us constantly breaking character and laughing our way through the entire shoot. It was definitely the most fun and creatively fulfilling experience I’ve had thus far!
Would you ever be interested in being on an actual reality show?
That’s a tough question. My first impulse was to say no despite being a humongous reality TV junkie, but I think it would just have to be the right one. If Bravo made an offer to be on Vanderpump Rules or Summer House, I don’t think I could turn that down. I also would potentially do Big Brother – I’m obsessed with it.
Can we expect a second season?
Yes, we’re hopeful and working towards there being several seasons… Stay tuned!
How excited are you for people to watch “The Influencers” and all it has in store?
Please tell people where to watch it We have been blown away by all of the love and support and are so happy that people are enjoying it as much as we did making it! You can stream The Influencers today for free on Revry internationally for and on Amazon Prime Video in the US and UK.
