Professional actor, director and photographer Bob Turton ’01 will serve as the guest speaker at Columbus Academy’s 109th Commencement on June 6.
Bob is a 2001 graduate of Columbus Academy and 2005 graduate of Northwestern University who worked in the Chicago theatre scene with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company (of which he is a post-graduate alumnus), Chicago Shakespeare Theater, A Red Orchid Theatre and many others. In 2009, he relocated to Los Angeles to work with FunnyOrDie.com while building a career in film and television. Bob has appeared in over 100 FunnyOrDie exclusive videos, many film and television projects, and over 20 national commercial campaigns including a spokesman role as The Silk Man for Silk Almond Milk.
“I’m so honored to meet the Class of 2022 and speak at this year’s commencement ceremony,” stated Bob. “It’s a privilege I never could have imagined 21 years ago during my own graduation from CA. Through all of my work and experience, I’ve held the core values I learned at the Academy close to my heart. I’m thrilled to return for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
In addition to work in film and TV, Bob has been a company member of The Actors’ Gang Theater – led by Academy Award-winning actor Tim Robbins – in Los Angeles for the past 12 years. Bob has performed as an actor in many shows including domestic and international tours of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “1984” and “Harlequino: On to Freedom.” He was the recipient of the 2019 Los Angeles Stage Raw Theater Award for Best Actor for his performance as The Maniac in the Actors’ Gang production of “Accidental Death of an Anarchist.”
Recently Bob has been focusing his efforts on directing, most recently for a critically acclaimed production of Dario Fo’s “Can’t Pay? Don’t Pay!” that has just been extended to run for five more weeks through June 11. In addition to his career as an actor and director, Bob also works as a professional portrait photographer and project manager for his partner Lisa Rudin’s production company, Draw Me A Sheep Productions.