14 DAY TRIAL // It's a pity only few people know Mihnea Manoli, alias Cain. He's a 23-year-old ambitious talent whose fantastic love for acting was able to blossom even though he didn't have the chance to make the best of it till now. This love for acting and theater morphed into a great passion for film and so, Cain found himself quite a movie buff, watching movie after movie on the translated videocassettes that appeared on the Romanian market.
Leaving Romania, due to his extracurricular work, he enrolled at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy, in Exeter, New Hampshire, where he took his first acting classes and directed his first play, Christopher Durang's "The Living Room". Then he went on to act in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's "The School for Scandal", as the vicious Joseph Surface, and in Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" as title character Rosencrantz. Finishing highschool, he moved to Boston, where he chose advertising as his major. After one year of studying here, he moved back to Bucharest and enrolled at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies, David Ogilvy Faculty of Communication and Public Relations.
During the summer break preceding his junior year, while back at home in Bucharest, he was offered a contract with Sony Music Romania and a year later he released "All She Wants Is The Money", the title track from "Break The Game Rules", his debut album. The hot video, featuring a simulated sex orgy between male and female Romanian top-models having Cain as the main character, created a lot of buzz, so the artist began showing up in a plethora of different local TV shows.
One year later he attended the casting for "Return of the Living Dead 5: Rave to the Grave" and got the part of Jeremy, a cool talkative DJ. Finishing filming "Return of the Living Dead 5: Rave to the Grave", Cain has been the co-host of a TV show called "I'd Do Anything" on Prima TV, and has filmed a large supporting role in the upcoming thriller "Catacombs", starring Pink and Shannyn Sossamon.
In a recent interview, Cain gave some answers about himself and his career...
Adina: Talking about the movies, how did you feel when having the opportunity to fulfill your longtime dream OF acting?
Cain: Well, it certainly was not just a longtime dream, but a lifelong dream. And it was extremely gratifying to nail my first ever movie casting in an important role within the movie - I was fifth or sixth billed on the credits, but my character was really important to the plot. But to answer your question, it felt damn good, especially since there have been SO MANY people who told me there's no way I could ever become a part of the American film industry. Well, I've done the obligatory "good B horror movie" first step into this career, and I plan on going up from here. Many great actors began with just a small part in a horror flick, and I got a big part, so I think I'm on the right track, right?
Adina: And how do you see yourself: first as an actor and then as a singer? Or music is your first priority?
Cain: Acting has actually been my first love, really. I've been doing it all my life, even if not professionally. Whenever I had to manipulate my mom into giving me things, or whenever I would do something nasty like turn someone on someone else, I was using my acting skills. Of course, I'm a nicer person now and don't do such things anymore, but the acting comes in handy anyway. I discovered music later in my life and also noticed how much I enjoy sharing a song and a video with an audience, and what a pleasure it is when people relate to it and understand it and of course, appreciate it.
Adina : So, do you feel like you've found your way concerning your career?
Cain: Well, it is still somewhat of a struggle, especially in music, where my voice and my appearance seem to be at odds for some people who think I look too young for my deep voice. But there is nothing else in the world I'd rather be doing than acting and singing, or being involved in showbiz. Maybe I am some crazy attention-addict and can't live unless I'm out there performing for people. LOL. That's a joke, but you know that great truths are usually told in jokes.
Adina: Did you enjoy working in a TV show? Are you thinking of also doing television in future?
Cain: Well, it was definitely an experience, I can tell you that much. It was extremely hectic and at the beginning I truly felt like I had no idea what I was doing, but the team that went with me on location was extremely friendly and helpful and I felt more comfortable over time. There are plans for a return to TV, but it really needs to be an interesting project for me to consider it. It might sound conceited, but I don't want to be part of a show I wouldn't normally watch. It would feel fake and I'd feel like I'm selling out, which I promised myself not to do anymore.
Adina: Tell me about your new video. Where did the idea come from?
Cain: My new video is not that new anymore, it was released in September, actually, but it is my LATEST. Originally, it was supposed to be more erotic and taboo in the way today's fashion spreads are, but eventually, I realized I was somewhat sick of being a controversial artist because of my videos, so I tried to make a tamer video. It didn't work out because apparently it was very gloomy and decadent still. Also, Hennessey's visual style was specifically aimed at seeming fluid and relaxed, but some people thought he just had shaky hands. LOL.
Adina: It's obvious that your style is different now from what you've done at the beginning of your musical career. Where does this change come from? Were you disappointed about your debut album and video?
Cain: Not disappointed, no, but I changed, like most people do, in the two years that passed between my releases. I was disappointed with how things work behind-the-scenes of the music industry and I was unprepared for the unreliability of everyone involved. To me, when you start a project, you see it to its end and you give your best to make it work. Some people apparently lose interest midway and then just drop the whole thing like a sack of potatoes. And it seems there are more of them than me, so I got a bit discouraged of continuing in this field, at least in Romania.
Adina: You've also changed your look. Does the new one represent more of your personality?
Cain: I changed it back, now. I'm brown-haired again. The look I came out with for my debut was somewhat eccentric, I agree. I'm much more down-to-earth and laid-back now, and that shows in my look as well. No more annoying bangs to cover my eyes. Looking back, I'm just grateful I don't wear glasses now because of it. LOL
Adina: But where does Cain come from? It's not an ordinary name...
Cain: From my imagination. It's a twisted imagination, wouldn't you say? :P
Adina: Having lived in the U.S. for three years of your life, don't you think you would be more suitable for a career there? Why did you choose Romania?
Cain: I had to come back because of family issues which I won't discuss here, but I would definitely consider going back there to try and make it big. Monica Barladeanu, or Dean, seems to be enjoying a meteoric rise to the top, so I am confident that just being in Romania or having been born here is not at all a reason why I shouldn't consider going to Hollywood. My English skills are ok, given my three years in the States, so I'm sure I'd manage. We'll have to wait and see. But let's hope for the best.
Adina: As for music, what will you do next? When is a new album release coming? And what kind of music do you think will do for you in the future?
Cain: I'm not sure there will be an album or any new singles. I think my previous answer about the music industry somewhat explains this indecision on my part. I will always do the kind of music I like, the kind I would listen to and that I can be proud of having done. That doesn't mean I'm going to start making underground music just so I can get street cred and feel worthy, because music is music, whether it's oriental, house, pop or gospel and everything in between. It will always touch someone and speak to someone. I just want my music to touch me and speak to me first and foremost and I hope it will also do the same for my audience. But I doubt I can be the type of artist who puts out songs which he knows will be hits because they're simple, repetitive and catchy. It's a very long discussion though, so the bottom line is - I'm going to do MY kind of music.
Adina: I think you know that there are people who like you and people who don't. There are people who listen to your music and some who don't. But what would you say to the ones who criticize your look? This is one of the most controversial issues when it comes to gossip...
Cain: I don't think my look is really that special. I like the way I look and I think I look better with longer hair. My face is somewhat androgynous, I agree, and it worked well for me during my short encounter with modeling, but I can't change the way I am. I enjoy wearing a pink T-shirt and I'm going to do it even if some people will frown upon it. I will dye my hair as many times and in as many colors as I please because it's my right to do so, and I will even pierce any part of my body I want to pierce (if I ever get the courage to do it). And to be frank, I draw attention with my look. In showbiz, it's all about standing out. Of course, I try not to become the laughing stock of everyone and I think I have a well-attuned sense of what's ridiculous and what's not. Everytime I was criticized for my look, it was for shallow reasons which would be considered bigotry by today's standards, so I obviously could not truly care. I like people who are open-minded, who are in touch with the social realities of today and with how important it is to project your personality. And if such people come to me and care enough about me to tell me I'm doing something wrong (in terms of my look), I listen and process their comments.
