BELLO #187

Pants: ASOS
Shirt: ALLSAINTS
Shoes: ASOS
Summer 2019 is the Summer of Max Ehrich.
He’s dominating summer airwaves
with his roles in two new hits. He stars as
Tate Watkins in a new Netflix film called
Walk. Ride. Rode. about real-life barrel
racing star Amberly Snyder who continued
to press on after becoming paralyzed;
in addition to Walk. Ride. Rodeo.,
Ehrich stars in a new Lifetime series titled
American Princess.
The two very contrasting projects allowed
Ehrich to flex his breadth as both
a comedic and dramatic actor. “I think
they’re just completely different genres,
so just the respect you want to pay to
the person or the event that the story is
based on definitely had a huge impact on
how I play the character.”
Since Walk. Ride. Rodeo was based on
a true story, Ehrich’s preparation for the
role differed a bit from fictional roles projects.
“I did a lot of research beforehand;
I wanted to be as informed as possible
as to the actual story. Even though my
character is fictional, I wanted to know
everything I know about the real life Amberly
so I could go into there having full
knowledge of the project I was entering
into.”
Despite the two projects contrasting
heavily, Ehrich still achieved something
he does with every character he plays:
learning about himself through his characters.
“For each character, I always bring
part of myself to relate to the characters
and so I can do it in the most truthful and
authentic way. I’d say characters also inform
me about aspects about myself that
I hadn’t necessarily seen on my own. It’s
a two way street.”
Though acting is one way for Ehrich to
interact with his inner self, music has
served as another important outlet for the
star. Ehrich has a deep passion for music,
something that is evident with his song in
Walk. Ride. Rodeo., which he wrote with
Amberly Snyder. “For many years I’ve
been playing characters in different projects,
and music is a way to express myself
without playing a role. It feels like I’m
taking off the mask and sharing my life
experience, my heart, so it’s a pretty vulnerable
experience. Been writing songs
for years and stuff, but it’s been this passion
I kept to myself. After the song were
placed in the film, I felt inspired to share
more after seeing the reaction that I was
affecting people. When you affect people
on a personal and emotional level, it inspires
you to continue.”
Just as Ehrich shines through on the
screen, his musical talent is evident as
well. He has an impressive musical vocabulary
that influences his music, including
the Beatles, 90s grunge, Daniel
Caesar, and John Mayer. “I really grew
up on John Mayer, who is a huge influence
for me. My music taste has allowed
myself to dive deep, especially as a guy in
society, we’re told to put on a tough face
and just move on. John Mayer was an
inspiration moving on because he’s really
vulnerable. He’s a huge inspiration.”
Ehrich’s respect for vulnerability and introspection
not only comes from his interest
in holistic healing, yoga, and meditation.
“I’m a big fitness guy as well. I
love going to the beach, I love anything
that’s nature oriented. I’m into holistic
herbs and healing. I’m always fascinated
by different ways we can heal our bodies
through natural ways, that’s really intriguing
to me.”
These interests and practices influence
Ehrich’s worldview, as he advocates for
appreciating the present. When asked
what he would advise his younger self to
do, he responded, “To not take myself so
seriously. I think that we’re in a culture
where we’re really defined by the things
that we do and our time here is a bit limited,
so I think it’s okay to enjoy the process.
It's okay to strive for a bit more but
I think It’s important to enjoy what is.”
As he continues to enjoy his current successful
summer, Ehrich does have plans
to continue to grow as an artist and share
his passions with the world. “I just want
to continue to dive into projects, like acting
roles that challenge me and continue
to bring me out of my comfort zone, I feel
like that’s the only way we can grow. I
want to put out my music and have an
impact on society in a positive way and a
way that get people thinking and feeling
more deeply.”
Be sure to catch Ehrich in Walk. Ride.
Rodeo. on Netflix, American Princess on
Lifetime in addition to listening to his latest
musical releases “Ride” and “Somebody
Else,” available on all music streaming
services.
13
July 2019
Bello