So you didn't have any stage fright?

No, I loved it. I don't have any fear about being in front of people.

Did your reaction surprise you?

Completely.

So your interests changed at the new school?

Yes, definitely. I went from sports to acting.

That dramatically?

Yes. I still played basketball and boxed, but just for fun. It was a pretty amazing experience. That's when I started at Stella Adler School for Acting.

(N.B. Steven is in good company — Marlon Brando is president of the Stella Adler School, which also counts Bette Midler, Warren Beatty, Robert DeNiro, Martin Sheen and Henry Winkler among its alumni.)

Isn't it difficult to get into?

Yes, it's prestigious. I've been taking acting classes there for three years and it totally changes your life. As soon as you learn more about filling someone else's shoes, you learn more about yourself. You need to. It brings out a whole new aspect of people, and you start really understanding their motivation.

You start to understand where people are coming from, because you're always building up the history of your character. You start to understand why people make certain choices and why certain people judge, and what fuels them. But the bottom line is that it becomes much harder to really hate anyone.

So growing up in Manhattan, with all of its characters, has been good preparation?

Yes, and it's given me so many opportunities. I've been hanging out at the gym down by our apartment ever since I was eleven. My mom used to go there and I always enjoyed sports, so it sort of became a second home to me. But looking back on it now, it wasn't just the physical activity I loved. The trainers at the gym were kind of like my family, and they really helped bring me up. They were all really into sports, but they were also actors, so they had this whole other artistic side to them which made everything so much more dynamic. I didn't notice it as much then, but I realize it now, and I'm sure that's what drew me.

So it was a stimulating atmosphere for you?

Exactly. And they were all struggling artists, so I got to see what the business is really like. It's not a glamour story for most people. They're struggling day by day to get through, but they love what they're doing and that's all that matters.

So you had a ringside seat on what that industry is really like for the people involved?.

Yes, and it's the same thing with modeling. It can be a glamorous story and a lot of fun, but so often, people travel a long way from home to try it out and don't make it. So it's good to see that side of the business as well.