Michael Bloomstein wants to write his life story for a major Hollywood studio. The only problem is he’s never been to Hollywood, his life is uneventful and he has no connections or money.
What he does have is an unyielding self-belief, and a willingness to do anything to succeed. As he chases his dream, Michael will see the highs and lows of Hollywood — and question if he really has what it takes to make it. Will Hollywood bring him down? Or will his unyielding optimism help turn Hollywood into Bloomywood?
A new comedy series in the vein of Curb Your Enthusiasm, David Meyers’ Bloomywood uses a mockumentary format and man on the street interactions to explore the absurd realities of Hollywood and chasing your dreams. Below, Meyers discusses his career path, the aspects of Bloomstein he sees in himself and his hopes and dreams for the series.
How much of this is your story?
It’s definitely my story, but taken to an extreme. I’ve never tried to pitch directors on Hollywood Boulevard or handed out my script at Warner Brothers, but sometimes it feels like that’s what it takes to succeed in LA.
I did move here from New York, and I do have a Jewish mother who hates that I’m an actor and writer. Besides that, everything is an exaggeration. But the biggest compliment I’ve gotten is that aside from being funny, Michael is also human and relatable. The best part of “Michael Bloomstein” I see in myself is his optimism and hope.
Can you tell me a little about your journey?
My life has truly been an adventure. I went to a BFA acting program, left to work in The White House for 3 years, wrote speeches in the U.S. Senate, then came back to New York to pursue being an actor and writer. Almost everyone thought I made a huge mistake. But after my brother died in high school, I knew that life could end in an instant — and that I didn’t want to have any regrets. Being an actor and writer hasn’t been easy, but I am truly proud of myself for chasing my dreams and not being afraid to fail.
What do you hope to accomplish with the series?
The first goal is to make people laugh – especially at this very difficult time in our country’s history – and to convince more people to chase their dreams. The second goal is to get more people to see my work – and the work of my collaborators and fellow castmates. I believe so much in everyone involved in this project. I’m hoping this show can help pull me up, but also pull up my friends and collaborators at the same time.
And is the goal for it to be on a major platform?
Honestly, at this point — the main goal is just to get people to watch it. There is so much content out there. It’s hard for people to know if something is worth their time. I’ve literally had 30 people who ignored the show at first, and then came back to me and said: “You’re right, I’ve seen it, it’s fantastic — I should have watched it before.” My main goal would be for everyone to give Bloomywood a chance!
How is your career going outside of the series?
It’s going pretty well. I’ve been on TV, in major commercials, films, etc. I’m also a writer; I was lucky to have a play produced all around that country. That was supposed to come to New York starring Michael Shannon before COVID. I’m hoping it still happens, and I’m also working on a TV adaptation. I saw Michael last year after a show he did, which was my first time seeing him in a while. The first thing he asked was: “So what are you doing besides this play?” – and I had a lot of things in response.
I think a lot of people would just have been sitting around waiting for that to happen; but I’m not in this business to be “famous” or make money. I want to create stories that can hopefully lift other people up. So that’s what I’ve been trying to do these past few years, and “Bloomywood” has been a big part of that.
Bloomywood, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday, can be viewed on YouTube.
