Actor Michael Everest DeMarco Discusses
His Love For New Orleans And The Places
In The City He Frequents Most
Few people show the level of fondness for their hometown as does the famous actor Michael Everest DeMarco for his city of birth, New Orleans. Although Mr. DeMarco has won many accolades as a famous thespian and could have won many more had he chose to continue his acting career either in Los Angeles or in New York, DeMarco instead returned to his birthplace midway through his career. Since then he has kept himself busy working in a number of key areas in the city’s theater scene. At the same time, he has also involved himself with several philanthropic enterprises since his comeback to the city.
The actor had earlier remarked that the reason he chose to come back to New Orleans was that he had always felt a strong attachment to the city. In addition, he also wanted to give back, both through his work in the theater and through his philanthropic activities, to the city that helped him kickstart his own acting career.
But what are the things that he likes most about this 300-year old city?
The question was put to Michael Everest DeMarco in a recent interview and the actor was more than candid in his reply. He talked in length about everything that he loves about the city including places in the city that he likes to visit most these days.
First of all, DeMarco said that what he likes most about the city is its spirit of joie-de-vivre, evident most emphatically in the annual Mardi Gras celebration but also through the city’s many famous festivals (NOLA Jazz Fest, Hogs for the Cause, San Fermin version of the Running of the Bull—to name but a few) densely dotting the calendar.
When asked about his favorite places in New Orleans, the actor had little hesitation to name the French Quarter as his go-to area. He added that the Quarter and the adjacent Marigny used to be his favorite haunts when he was young and that, at the time, he used to frequent many clubs and restaurants in these neighborhoods. However, DeMarco remarked that these days what he likes more is to take leisurely strolls around the places and to soak in the lively atmosphere. Still, the actor did concede that now and then he does pay a quick visit to places like Antoine’s or the Preservation Hall, places that are filled with all kinds of nostalgic memories from his younger days.
The Bywater is another neighborhood he likes to visit especially, DeMarco revealed. An in-transition neighborhood filled with young aspiring artists and musicians and with vibrant street murals and graffiti, Michael Everest DeMarco mentioned that he enjoys the intimate and homely feel of the neighborhood.
Apart from the above, his other favorite destinations in the city include the New Orleans Jazz Museum and the New Orleans Museum of Art. The actor said that he likes to visit these places as they fill him with fresh inspiration for his own work. He mentioned that standing before a piece of Degas or Magritte, one cannot but feel a profound sense of humility and that it reminds one of all the hardships and struggles these artists had faced in their own lives solely for the sake of their art. This is why, DeMarco added, he always makes time in his busy schedule to visit these two places as often as possible.
Finally, when asked about his favorite food haunts in the city, Michael Everest Demarco promptly named the Café du Monde, the famous French bistro located also in the French Quarter. Apart from that, he said he likes visiting the little cafes and restaurants of the Bywater as they have that backyard charm that one cannot get at the more elegant and up-market places.