Five Questions with SCREEN: The Colonie’s Bob Ackerman

What do Jeff Goldblum, Travis Kelce and Hellboy have in common? They’re all right there as The Colonie’s Editor and Partner Bob Ackerman stops by for a thoroughly entertaining round of Five Questions with SCREEN. Let’s get to it!

SCREEN: Ok Bob, if you could appoint ANYONE to be the next President of the United States, who would it be and why?

BOB: Jeff Goldblum.  I don’t have a good “why” but I still want it to be Jeff Goldblum.

Bob (and all of us) will enjoy this new Vanity Fair interview with President Goldblum…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpirF3zKjLA

SCREEN: So you’ve been chosen for the new season of Shark Tank. What are you pitching to the Sharks?

BOB: I’m gonna pitch the idea that they should all have a much higher marginal tax rate.

SCREEN: if you could play any superhero in a major studio movie, which would it be?

BOB: Any character in a reboot of Hellboy if Guillermo del Toro would direct.  Ron Perlman will never be topped and the world del Toro created blows away any of the Superhero films of the last 15 years. 

Let’s leap back to 2004 and enjoy the trailer for del Toro’s classic…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA9vtXbbhVs

SCREEN: Your favorite project you’ve ever worked on?

BOB: Man, it’s not really possible to quantify a favorite.  I love the sentimental Hallmark Hall of Fame spots I did early in my career.  There was a 27 part docu-series profiling up and coming indy bands for Altria.  The most recent is The NFL extra points credit card spots we did with Travis Kelce.  We were able to edit at Arrowhead stadium and the whole process was a blast.  I’m a vegetarian but Kansas City BBQ is still great with mushrooms.

Click here to watch the award-winning spot Bob edited, starring Travis Kelce.

SCREEN: Worst job ever?

BOB: Working in the kitchen of a Wild West show in central Florida. I would sit in the freezer and hand scoop 450 servings of ice cream per show, 3 shows a day. My girlfriend at the time was a server and had to wear a confederate outfit while doling out fried chicken and potato salad.

BONUS QUESTIONS!

SCREEN: Most famous person you’ve ever met?

BOB: I don’t know if he’s the most famous to anyone now but in 1978 I “met” Mickey Rooney.  I was a child actor and was attending Chicago’s Jeff awards ceremony for outstanding theater. During a break in the presentation I was running back in to the auditorium and when I pushed open the door I heard a large thump.  I had knocked Mickey Rooney on his ass.  Even as a 10 year old I was bigger than him.  He jumped up like a cartoon character pointed at me and said, “Gee, you’re a big kid!”.  Then he smiled and ran off.

Here’s the great Mickey Rooney a few years back on Conan…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHXAZCEIbus

SCREEN: Best advice you’ve ever been given?

BOB: Don’t quit until you have something else lined up. This was from the owner of Avenue Edit, Rick Ledyard when I told him I wanted out of the industry.  Thankfully, I never got anything else lined up.

SCREEN: Do you have a hobby or special skill you would like to tell us all about?

BOB: I’ve been learning Japanese for almost 5 years.  I can speak a decent amount but cannot understand a thing.  Some days it’s more frustrating than it’s worth but… 仕方がない.

Thanks for playing, Bob! For more from Bob and his team at The Colonie, click right here.

Be sure to check back here at SCREEN Magazine for next week’s round of Five Questions with SCREEN. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.