Sloane Siegel Chats with Rival about "Dwight in Shining Armor", Dance, and Growing up on the East Coast

Sloane Morgan Siegel has gone full-blown from small-town East Coast farm boy to Hollywood actor all in the span of twenty years. He was raised on a rescue farm, one to which the actor pays homage for building his imagination. Siegel attributes his good mannerisms to the farm noting the prominent characteristics he learned along the way stating, "I learned compassion and patience fairly quickly so I could care from the animals with my parents. I was expected to be respectful and well-mannered, but that's just because my parents raised me right. I was very little, so I couldn't do much except to love the animals such as give them pets, pats, treats, and good conversation. I left the farm when I was ten to move to California."

Before acting, Siegel spent his time studying the art of hip-hop dance. He traveled to Washington D.C often from West Virginia to compete in competitions alongside his dance studio. It was then where he was scouted by a film choreographer who mentioned that he should give acting a chance. Soon after, at the young age of ten, he set off to California where he booked his first, best-known role as "Gortimer" in Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street.

Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street, created by David Anaxagoras, follows friends Gortimer, Mel, and Ranger, as they discover Normal Street and the magical underbody it holds. Siegel gave a glimpse into his audition process for Gortimer.

"It was an audition process like any other, however, I had one advantage," he spoke, "I had done a scholarship program with Groundlings on behalf of Nickelodeon where we did improv courses for a few weeks and made sketches out of some of the things we came up with. We put a show together and put it on for Nickelodeon's executives and writers at the time, along with other industry professionals. The team that was casting for "Gortimer" had gone a few weeks before the audition and they remembered me. It didn't book me the role but it had given me an introduction to prelude my attempt at the role. They sent me straight to the producers and I booked the role before chemistry reads. Forever thankful that they gave me the character."

Currently, the budding actor stars as Dwight in Dwight in Shining Armor. The fantasy family TV series documents Dwight as he awakens Gretta, portrayed by Caitlin Carmichael, who is a gothic princess who has been in a slumber for a thousand years. Dwight is a very conscientious being, one who acts a bit timid, sensitive but yet accepting. His development progresses through the series and Siegel provides his input on just that, "He was a pretty solid character, to begin with. The script had a very exact idea of who he was, and when they cast me, I just gave him a voice. As time went on and we filmed more episodes, the experiences that Dwight goes through begin to shape and change him. My job was pretty fun because instead of plotting a bunch of history for the character, a lot of his development comes from the timeline of the series. He goes from being someone who's always on a schedule and a bit uptight and cowardly, to a true champion. Towards the end, he throws himself in front of danger rather than shriek and runs away from it. He understands Gretta's world and has his modern ways to navigate it, rather than having no idea what's going on and just surviving by the day. I have truly enjoyed his development growth."

However, he could not give us an inkling of who the mystery thief actually is.

A few fun questions with Sloane:

What are some small roles you've received that people would be surprised to hear about?

 "I was karate kid number 4 in “Big Time Rush.” It was a super small role, but it was a fun experience. I did a pilot for Seth Rogen where I worked at a knock-off Chuck-E-Cheese. I was the strange-looking boy band member Glenn in “Game Shakers.” I was in a horror movie with Danny Trejo, where I played the younger self of the main character. My very first role was ‘Boy in church’ in a movie called LIFE FINE-TUNED, where my dad actually got put in the movie and was given a close-up and a line. But my most obscure small role was when I was on the Jay Leno show with my parents when I was 10, reenacting Adele’s Rolling in the Deep music video. Wow, all of these are strange. Even I’m surprised to hear about them."

Which fictional character would be the most exciting to meet in real life?

"The Doctor from "Doctor Who." Absolutely the most exciting. Especially if they took me on as a companion."

Are you really good at escape rooms?

"Yes, a thousand yeses. My best friend and I do them for fun all the time. We make a challenge out of trying to complete them all. So far, I've done 39 and failed 2. And completed one in record time. I've always loved puzzles growing up, but a whole set of rooms that are puzzles? It's heaven."

Would you ever design a video game of your own?

"Absolutely! It would probably never get made, but it would be freakin' awesome."

Which comic book would you like to create into a TV series and who would star in it alongside yourself?

"Definitely writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino's horror comic "Gideon Falls." I would love to portray (Danny) Norton Sinclair, one of the main 5 characters. I could definitely see Lauren Tsai and Jon Hamm in it as well, and the others."

What social causes are you passionate about?

"Adopt Don't Shop. Since I was raised on a rescue farm I'm very passionate about getting animals loving homes and getting them all the care and love they deserve. So please rescue an animal if you have the room in your home and in your heart. They always make life better."

“Watch Dwight in Shining Armor on BYUtv and stream online at BYUTV.ORG”

Meet the Author

Brianna Vacca is a Philadelphia-based writer. She has an unhealthy addiction to true crime documentaries, celebrity gossip, and writes overly dramatic sad songs.