Students enrolled in the fall 2025 Acting for the Camera class offered by Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre had the rare opportunity of learning from a veteran Hollywood actor and comedian who has found success on both television and the big screen.
Their instructor, Larry Joe Campbell, has a long list of credits but is best known for his eight-season run as Andy in the ABC sitcom "According to Jim." He also has appeared in iconic television shows such as "Friends" and in major movies including "Hall Pass" (as Hog Head), "Wedding Crashers" (as the best man) and "Pacific Rim" (as Tommy T).
That résumé enhanced the classroom experience as students were learning from someone who has been where many of them want to be. Initially expecting a lesson in technique, students received that and so much more — the lessons from an established industry professional whose career has spanned nearly 35 years.
“Larry Joe Campbell’s extensive experience in television and film, combined with his roots in live performance, offered our students a unique and invaluable perspective as they develop their skills in media acting,” said Kirk Domer, chairperson of MSU’s Department of Theatre. “Having a working artist of his caliber in the classroom is an extraordinary opportunity.”
Sophia Catella, a junior who is pursuing a BFA in acting degree with a minor in musical theatre, said she knew Campbell from his appearances in movies and on TV but was surprised when she learned he was one of her professors.
“The opportunity to work with a well-known veteran in the industry was very exciting,” she said. “Every student in our class was very conscious of how lucky we were to get this experience.”
What Catella and her fellow students didn’t expect was the permission to fail, to pull back, to be small and to trust that what they are feeling — quietly, honestly — is enough. Campbell has spent a lifetime learning these lessons on theater stages that ran from dawn until after midnight, in touring vans and rehearsal rooms, movie and sitcom TV sets, and on The Second City mainstages where he was told not to be afraid to fail. During the three-hour Friday class, he brought these lessons to his students not as theory, but as lived experience.
“Larry provided insight that we haven’t received before,” Catella said. “He filled us in on how auditions run in the film industry, how filming days go, what the dynamic is between coworkers on these sets, the difference between being a regular on a series and being a guest, and most importantly, how to protect ourselves in the industry mentally and physically.”
Campbell also brought with him industry representatives who met with the class via Zoom including Campbell’s agent, Ben Gorman, from Prototype Talent Agency in Beverly Hills, and Detroit agent, Rob Winkworth, owner of Wink Talent Agency in Royal Oak. Campbell wanted the class to hear first-hand what agents from different markets are looking for when signing and representing talent.
“I know the question, everyone has it, ‘How do I get an agent?'” Campbell said. “So, I brought my agent in to say this is how you do it.”
A Michigan homecoming
Teaching at MSU served as a homecoming for Campbell as he was born and raised in Michigan. Campbell spent most of his childhood in Cadillac and graduated in 1988 from Pine River High School, located south of Cadillac in LeRoy. He attended Central Michigan University where he was involved in its professional summer theatre program and in 1992 earned bachelor’s degrees in Theatre and Broadcast Cinematic Arts. He also attended graduate school at Wayne State University.
Campbell’s first teaching experience came as an intern for the Boarshead Theatre in Lansing, which produced shows from 1966 to 2009. During his time at the Boarshead, Campbell performed in three plays and, when he wasn’t acting or rehearsing, he helped with the sets and lights and getting ready for the next show. He also traveled to area middle schools to teach students playwriting and acting.
“I remember some days I would get up at 6 a.m. and go to work and wouldn’t go to bed until 2 a.m., but I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he said. “The foundation it gave me was immeasurable.”
In 1993, Campbell auditioned for The Second City in Detroit but was rejected. Three years later, at the urging of a friend, he auditioned again and made The Second City Detroit touring company. When he first got to Second City, he was told that “90% of what you do on stage when you improvise will fail. It’s the 10% that will be the gold. That will make a show, so you can’t be afraid to fail.”
“That advice has served me well throughout my career as someone who is very much afraid of failure,” Campbell said. “I spent three years at Second City on mainstage and learned a lot about improvisation. You are just thrown into the fire. I am so grateful for my time there.”
At Second City, he met actor and comedian Bob Saget, which led Campbell to signing with his first manager and moving to Los Angeles. And like Second City, Campbell didn’t initially get the part on "According to Jim" until they decided to recast and called him back. Actor and comedian Jim Belushi, who played the main character in "According to Jim," was at that audition to rehearse and read with the actors.
“I remember being in the room before the network and the studio tested me and Jim was really working with me. He told me, ‘Pull it back. You are being very theatrical. Pull it back. Trust it. Listen to it. Let’s work together and play off one another.’ It worked because they said yes,” Campbell said. “I will always be grateful for him for taking that time. I wouldn’t have gotten the role had he not been honest with me.”
Campbell’s most recent role as a member of the Department of Theatre faculty at MSU came after he sat in on some classes that a friend taught at Santa Barbara City College. He found that experience of working with the students to be very fulfilling and purpose led. He mentioned this to his good friend Dionne O’Dell, academic specialist in MSU’s Department of Theatre, who attended Central Michigan University and interned at the Boarshead Theatre during the same time as Campbell.
“Over the years, Larry has consistently worked in improv, theatre, film and television as an actor and director, while maintaining a passion for teaching. Not only does he have a lot of technical and artistic expertise, he also has years of industry knowledge and is simply an impeccable educator and human,” O’Dell said. “In the spring of 2024, he was filming a movie in northern Michigan, and I arranged for him to come and speak to an auditioning class here at MSU. We began to talk about other opportunities, and schedules aligned for him to be back in the area during the fall 2025 semester.”
Taking on the role of professor
When he came to MSU, Campbell brought with him all his experience working in the industry. He spoke openly about auditions that went nowhere, about learning improv on the job at Second City, and about learning to be present and enjoy the moment and not worry about the next gig.
“There were many stories Larry shared with us that made an impact, but one in particular that stood out to me was just how difficult it was for him to book work early in his career,” Catella said. “He shared how he didn’t have the support of some people in his pursuit of an acting career and how much he needed to rely on himself to make progress. It was incredibly inspiring to hear this and recognize that it will not always be easy, but hard work and dedication are a great foundation to have.”
Besides the lessons learned from Campbell’s industry experience, students in the class explored the camera’s intimacy. Stage training has taught them to project, but the lens asks them to do the opposite.
“Larry provided excellent insight into how the film industry works from auditions, the casting process, and the operations that occur the day you step foot on set, but the biggest lesson he taught me that I will continue to use in my on-camera acting is the power of stillness,” said Ava Mazilauskas, a sophomore who is pursuing a BFA in Acting for Stage, Screen, and New Media. “He emphasized how the camera picks up everything, so learning to feel rather than show is essential.”
Campbell taught the class to trust what they are feeling and experiencing as a character and how they relate to other humans.
“The camera is so close. The face is here. When you audition, they really only need to see chest to head,” Campbell said. “You don’t need to be big. It needs to be condensed. It needs to be very personal. It needs to come from the heart.”
Students learned what different shots look like and industry jargon such as what a “cowboy” shot means. They explored the differences between a single-camera comedy versus a four-camera comedy. The class also touched on auditioning and the differences between auditioning for a television role versus a film role versus commercial work.
Throughout the semester, students shot some monologues and did scene work to not only make them better actors for the camera but to also create a short reel that they can use as they pursue professional work or representation. However, students left the class with more than a reel. They strengthened their skills as actors and carry with them a deeper understanding of the craft and the professional landscape they hope to enter.
“Larry was extremely encouraging and instilled hope in each one of us that we could make acting our reality if it is something we truly want to pursue,” Mazilauskas said. “Outside of teaching us media acting, he provided great mentorship and made it evident that we could always contact him if we needed support or guidance.”
With practical tools, industry insight, and a finished reel in hand, the students are better prepared to navigate auditions, build careers, and tell stories with authenticity. For many, the lessons Campbell shared will continue to shape their work long after the camera stops rolling.
“Having Larry as a professor for a semester was a wonderful experience, and I really appreciated his time and his dedication to our class,” Catella said. “My biggest takeaway from this class is a new resolve and passion for acting. I feel confident in my abilities and will take all of the feedback Larry gave to improve my skills and recognize that I am capable of constantly getting better.”
For Campbell, teaching at MSU was about more than passing along technique — it was about sharing hard-earned lessons learned through years of persistence, failure, success, and growth.
“The people in the Theatre Department were so supportive,” he said. “This is a great place to come and learn.”
This article originally appeared on the College of Arts and Letters.
