June,1995 |
Tyson Actor White '82
Pounds Value of Education
By Mikisha Brown 
"Dignity, strength, wisdom and style were not in the curriculum. Thanks for the extras," wrote Michael White on a picture he autographed for Mr. Karcich. White, a Central alumnus and star of HBO's Tyson, addressed the freshman class on Monday, May 22.
White said Karcich, his former History teacher, was a major influence on his life. "He encouraged me to go to college," said the actor, who also stressed the importance of a good education in his talk with the freshmen. White said "The importance of education is to expand the perspective of your mind and to open doors to where you want to take your life." He also talked about the importance of giving back to your community.
White began his acting career right here at Central. "The cultural diversity of Central and the city of Bridgeport was key in developing my acting career," explained White. By the time White was thirteen years old he was already a black belt in Karate. He gained 20 pounds of muscle for the movie Tyson and spent many hours in the gym. "I auditioned for the role of Tyson because it was one of the biggest roles in Hollywood. It took eight intensive weeks of filming."
White hopes to continue acting and was even featured on NYPD Blue on May 23. He also hopes to make a Bridgeport based movie called IMAD. "Bridgeport is a rich community, with many talented people, waiting for their abilities to be discovered," he said. One of those talented people is Central junior Avelino Silva whose depiction of Michael White in the February edition of The Criterion won him an award from the Hartford Courant for Outstanding Editorial Illustration. See the article in this edition.
