Internet TV ‘auteur’ finds roles beyond his good looks after moving from NY to LA
He’s as busy as Graham Norton yet not as many people know America’s Sebastian La Cause.
Yet he played Rocky in the Broadway musical ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ and was in the Oscar winning ‘Chicago’ not to mention the cult classic “Showgirls.”
But his movie roles were all smart parts. Too small for such a big talent.
La Cause, however, has been able to prove he is more than a hot dancer with a sexy face and body. He’s been able to sink his acting chops into some meaty roles – and has become an acclaimed director as well.
The turnaround was his web-based series, ‘Hustling,’ which was one of the very first series shown on an alternative platform.
Hustling played three seasons on the web and can still be found online and on YouTube. La Cause was no longer a dancer in the background, but now leading man – as well as director, writer, cinematographer, editor and craftsman. His hard work on the series helped the series win six Indie Series Awards – including some for La Cause.
The success of Hustling, which takes place in New York and La Cause enlisted his A-list theatre friends to be part of it, actually convinced La Cause he needs to move to Los Angeles.
La Cause’s career in this exciting new media has flourish since moving to LA. With a new passion behind the camera, La Cause has found more creative outlets in LA, both literally and figuratively. La Cause has gotten involved in other internet shows from their inception.
‘He’s With Me’ is enjoying its second season and once again is up for Indie Series Awards this year. He also has done a pilot for yet another show ‘Life’s a Drag,’ which will likely get a full season and recently played opening night at the Pasadena Film Festival.
Besides all of these creations that La Cause was part of, he managed to get a recurring role in ‘Orange is the New Black,’ which is one of the premiere examples of the success of alternative media.
“Digital is truly the future,” La Cause says, pointing out major networks won’t die but “the landscape has changed and grown” and prime examples include the original content that comes from Amazon, Hulu and Netflix, among others.
La Cause has also used his move to LA take more chances on stages. He worked with the Rockwell Theatre last year in a show called ‘Roar,’ in which stories are weaved together through pop music, giving La Cause to test the waters with his singing voice. Obviously it was well received as, like with Hustling, he’s now moved centre stage in live productions.
This success has led to his latest venture: ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ the parody musical, also at Rockwell.
“I love the approach the theatre company takes with these shows,” La Cause says “They are very supportive in the rehearsal process and the cast works very well together.” Comic genious Drew Droege plays Miranda Pirestly and La Cause says he’s just amazing to watch.
“The show itself is really just great,” he says, pointing out it’s one of the better parodies he’s ever seen. He adds that the people at Rockwell bring a lot of artistry to the shows they put on so it’s no surprise when they get national attention. In fact, their recent re-do of “Cruel Intentions” has even caused talks of remaking the 1990s movie for television.
It’s projects like this that make La Cause not miss New York very much. Well, maybe a little. La Cause, who has spent most of his career in New York and loved the sense of community there. But with all of the outlets and creative energy he finds in LA, it’s hard not to call it home.
La Cause is truly a talent behind being a triple threat. Yet, he’s not the household name that he should be. When asked why, he laughs and says, “If I knew that, then everyone would know my name.” But in all seriousness, La Cause’s move to Los Angeles has made his claim to fame come from more of a Zen space. Thanks to meditation, he “focuses more on what I have then what I don’t have.”
He sums it up best when he says, “People who know my name are simply the people who know my name.”
To learn more about La Cause, it’s best to follow him on InstaGram at @TheLaCause.
While it sells out many nights (which is why it keeps getting extended), get your tickets to “The Devil Wears Prada” here.
