Max McGillvray '08

Max McGillivray ’08 concentrates on Visual and Environmental Studies with a secondary in History. He was awarded a Fellowship to travel to China to create a nonfiction film. He attended the Berlin Film Program offered by the Harvard Summer School in 2013, and made a thesis film called “Dulles: A Fiction,” a fantasy about the childhoods of John Foster and Allen and Eleanor Dulles. McGillivray worked as a researcher on a new documentary series by Academy Award winner Errol Morris, and served as an artistic intern for American Repertory Theater’s production of “Finding Neverland”. A resident of Harvard’s Dunster House, his future plans include graduate studies and pursuing a career in film. 

In which ways did the Pike community encourage and support your creative spirit? I spent a lot of time at Pike exploring creative outlets. I was in the improv club with Mrs. Gordon, the choral group with Mr. Robertson, and spent a lot of time in the arts wing. In seventh grade, I had the art room as my homeroom and spent much of my time painting, drawing, and doing photography. By far, though, the speech and debate team cultivated my passion for performance. I spent seventh and eighth grades competing and went to nationals both years, placing third nationally in overall points. If it were not for that program, I don’t think I would have ever found what I love to do. Those experiences led me into acting and directing in high school and now directing film in college.

Was there a distinct moment or period of time during your youth that inspired you to pursue a career in acting and filmmaking? When I was a kid, I put on performances as Bozo the Clown. When my parents took me to the beach, I insisted on dressing as a pirate; I can’t find a photo from my youth when I’m not dressed in some crazy get-up. But, when I actually started school, it took a while for that to materialize into anything truly theatrical. Only when I got to Pike did that performing side bubble up again.

Did Pike give you a solid foundation for your other educational experiences? I still consider Pike to be the most vital educational experience of my life. Prior to Pike, I was not a great student. I was considered a very poor reader and put into special classes. I was intimidated by the classroom, not empowered by it. But Pike changed that. The teachers at Pike fostered the kind of active learning environment I needed. It was okay to make mistakes. It was okay to struggle through material and ask questions. Moreover, I always felt like the teachers could make the material fascinating — from building geometrically calibrated minigolf courses in math class to playing fantasy Congress in American History. And they too were genuinely fascinated by what they were teaching. It created a sort of symbiotic relationship.

What is your favorite memory of Pike? The most vivid experiences I can remember are actually from the cross-country course. Sucking wind in the back of the pack! My parents are both quite athletic and extremely dedicated to endurance sports, but, believe it or not, I wasn’t the most athletic member of the Pike community. Still, I always looked forward to being a part of that team and a part of the camaraderie. Moreover, I never felt like I would be judged for trying something out of my comfort zone.

At Pike, was there a particular theatrical production that stands out in terms of learning your craft? Were you influenced by a particular teacher or mentor? I dedicated a great deal of time to my speech performances. I tried almost every category available when I was there – poetry, prose, humorous interpretation, dramatic interpretation, duo, impromptu. I would be remiss not to mention the first piece I ever worked on, “A Fly Went By”, which I took to Nationals and won second place in the poetry competition with. I spent many hours during the semester practicing characters and technique and voices. It gave me an acute attention to detail, which has proven invaluable as an actor.

What inspires you to get up each morning and passionately do what you do? Phew! I’ll give it my best shot. I’m fortunate enough to be able to try to do what makes me happy. I have to remind myself not to take that for granted because very few people in this world have that opportunity. And what makes me happy is imagining new worlds with my words. I want others to imagine those worlds, too, so I strive to make those worlds real every day.