Hollywood actor Rich Sommer, best known for major roles in “Mad Men” and “The Devil Wears Prada,” returned to Concordia College to share insights with student filmmakers as part of a masterclass tied to the Fargo Film Festival.
Sommer, a 2000 graduate and 2014 Sent Forth recipient, was in town for a screening of “Bigfoot Woods,” a film in which he stars. The masterclass brought together students from courses taught by Dr. Greg Carlson, who produces the film festival, and Janet Brandau. It offered a behind-the-scenes look at filmmaking and careers in the industry.
Joining Sommer on the panel were Brandau, who is a writer, director, producer, and actor; Elizabeth Chatelain, director of “Bigfoot Woods”; actor Paul Bailey; and filmmakers Mike Scholtz, Joshua Carlon, and Shane Chung.
For Sommer, returning to campus — and to the very classroom where he once studied — brought a sense of familiarity and perspective.
“I remember having professionals come in when I was a student, and it felt like a lifeline,” he said. “It reminded you that college is a springboard.”
The visit highlighted the value of connecting current students with working professionals.
“As a former student, I feel it is important to interact with people in the industry,” he said. “So I appreciate anytime I'm invited back.”
Sommer spoke about his own journey from Moorhead to a career in film and television, noting that the transition once felt “impossible,” but events like the masterclass can show students that connections exist.
He emphasized that there is no single road map to success.
“No two paths are the same,” he said. “I can’t tell a Concordia student how to do what I did because that was only my path.”
Instead, he encourages students to focus on authenticity and persistence.
“If I have one superpower, it’s that I’ve been relentlessly myself. I’m sort of fiercely anti-confirmative,” he said. “The people who find success are often the ones who refuse to follow a prescribed path. So my best advice is to take the tools you’re given and use them to remain true to who you are.”