He came from a small Michigan town and turned Hollywood upside down. From the moment actor/comedian Skyler Stone arrived in Los Angeles, people stopped and took notice. Never one to fit in with the crowd, being an outcast has become Stone's greatest asset. It is what separates him from the rest.
Grabbing the bull by the horns, Stone did not wait for Hollywood to open its doors, he opened them himself. Having begun his career by working on several of his own short films, stand-up routines, and various other forms of entertainment, Stone eventually landed a nationwide Blockbuster commercial promoting "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." From there, the aspiring Hollywooder continued to push forward with his own projects. Refusing to wait for a job to fall into his lap, he worked diligently on his own. One of his many self-created projects included pulling pranks on folks living in Los Angeles. With a videotape in hand, Stone and his entourage cruise the streets looking for the next big con to pull on big businesses.
With great footage, sharp concepts, and gutsy stunts, Stone was able to sell his concept to Comedy Central. Thus, his career officially took off with a show called "Con." Tossing boundaries out the window, Stone was hired to continue being his goofy self, pranking people and having fun. Hence, the birth of Comedy Central's biggest lawsuit-provoking series ever.
Five years ago, before his career skyrocketed, I first met Stone whe n he moved into my apartment building. One day as I sat outside on the balcony, this vibrant, highly enthusiastic guy walks by with his hair in wild, funky braids. He was wearing a yellow "mad-scientist-looking" jumpsuit. Talk about a recreation of a young Albert Einstein... this kid was definitely outrageous. When he noticed me staring at him, he smiled and waved.
"Hey there!" said Stone. "Like my outfit? I'm dressed to go to Sundance."
Since our first encounter, I watched Stone succeed in the most bizarre ways. If you have never seen "Con," Stone pulls stunts on some big corporations including Subway and a major league baseball team, which actually did not make the show due to threats of multi-million dollar lawsuits.
What did make it on "Con" was an episode where Stone pretends to be homeless and gets a free makeover at a ritzy hair salon. He also gets his buddy's apartment clean by Maxim models who think they are posing for a photo shoot. No joke - they cleaned the entire pad! In his cheesiest outfit, Stone snaps shots with an unloaded camera as a beautiful woman he personally cast, scrubbed floors and washed windows. And need I remind you of the "porn episode" where Stone poses as an adult entertainment director. During the shoot, Stone proceeds to tell his "actors" to keep their clothes on for this "family-friendly" porn movie. In celebration of his dirty directorial debut, he invites real porn pros including famous adult filmmakers to view his latest piece of " art."
When asked how he came up with the television show "Con," Stone replied, "I have been doing it all my life to get by.
"Whenever I wanted something that society deemed I could not have, I would turn around and disagree by showing them that I can indeed have it."
Following the show "Con," Stone continued doing what he does best, creating his own material. With the help of writers/actors Zach Johnson, Matt Moore, Greg Studley, Matt Peek, and Alanna Ubach ("The Fockers"), Stone made a sketch show called "Velcro." Hilariously wacky, Stone and crew act in short skits that poke fun of Hollywood's top players such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise and many more, (which are airing on "Acted By").
Along with his long list of credentials, such as his performances in a comedic film called "Accepted," "Waiting," "For Your Consideration," and having landed the lead role, Quinn, a twenty-something year old slacker still living with his pop (Danny DeVito) in a soon-to-be released film called "House Broken," Stone continues to reach higher plateaus in Hollywood.
Although Stone's outlook on life can be a tad outrageous, he is one dreamer who is actually living out his dream and will continue to do so, indefinitely. Stone does what every parent tells you not to do. He has proven that you can be yourself and still get what you want.
"Life is short," says Stone, "and no one has a right to dictate how we live, feel, think and act." |
