If it wasn't parents saying it, it was teachers: "Learning doesn't stop when you're out of the classroom." John Bobek, a 2004 Marquette theater alumnus, would add that learning isn't over when you make it on the big screen, either. He may have begun a successful acting career in Los Angeles, but he still takes classes and draws from his Marquette experiences.

The Marquette years

"The really good thing about the Marquette University theater program is that it's very familial," Bobek said.

He cited the congeniality of the upperclassmen and the informality of addressing the professors by their first names as reasons for this quick comfort.

Another parental mantra is "learn from your mistakes," but where and how bad you make these mistakes depends if you get grounded or not. Luckily, Bobek felt "comfortable" failing at Marquette.

"That's the most important thing to learn: fall gracefully and get back up. (Marquette is) a very safe place to fail," he stated.

As luck would have it, the classes he never thought he would use did prove to be handy after all — he did sound design for a production in order to help out a friend in a bind. "People (in the theater program) complain during the year about doing crew — but it's so invaluable," he said.

His excitement about talking about his experiences carries easily over the phone. He writes it off with an offhand "Sorry, I talk really fast."

Don't worry, having fun is also imperative to Bobek's personal development.

"I would be nowhere without my friends," he stated, as they helped him make it to the West Coast.

Making the transition

"When I graduated I had a lot of friends in L.A., I had a support system kind of built in," he stated. "I actually had a really easy journey — I didn't have to explore L.A. by myself."

While learning about acting can be done in Milwaukee, the resources for film and television simply aren't here. Bobek felt it necessary to go to Los Angeles. Although New York has some casting places, most filming is done in California.

"The transition to L.A. is not as scary as people think," he stated. "It's like any other journey — you just have to do it."

Everyone has also heard how the cost of living is higher on the coasts, but some costs are impossible to anticipate. Bobek relays that some apartments don't come with refrigerators, and it's the little fees that become costly. He also advises to have friends make the move with you and to save money before the move.

…Where he's been

Recently Bobek had a guest role on "Related," a show on the WB network, with fellow MU graduate Nick D'Agosto. The convergence was merely a coincidence, and the appearance was Bobek's biggest and longest role on TV. Bobek remembered that D'Agosto was on the show, and D'Agosto relayed some qualities the casting director looks for.

Bobek also had a small role on "The West Wing," but his big screen debut was in this year's horror flick, "When a Stranger Calls."

"Of all things I get cast as a young cop," he stated, still sounding bemused. "I've always been the quirky comic relief guy." Seeing himself in the theater was also one of the weirdest things he's ever experienced.

He has not forgotten his classical on-stage theater training. He was in the play "Proof" by David Auburn since being in California.

Transcending different media

While TV and movies have a larger audience appeal, the allure of the stage carries a different affection for Bobek.

"If I said I didn't do it for the applause it'd be a lie," he said. "But I love how permanent film and TV are."

As the medium shifts, so does actor's demands and Bobek's personal philosophy. In a play, Bobek said, the actor has to fill the whole room, whereas a camera picks up on every slight movement. So as Bobek moves more into the realm of taped performances, he tries to remember that "all you have to do is be real. What a casting director wants to see is how much you bring yourself to a role and how real it is," he said. Otherwise he believes it comes off as disingenuous.

Where he's going…

Bobek plans to stay out on the West Coast because he has been self-described as "extremely lucky and extremely blessed."

His dream directors to work for include Paul Thomas Anderson, Darren Arronofsky, Sofia Coppola and student directors from the various film schools in L.A. Considering that he believes acting success is composed of "40 percent talent and 60 percent luck," hopefully the luck will continue.