Arron Shiver was the darling of his Calarts class, and a huge talent. I know this first hand as I cast him in my film String Theory which he carried on his back. It came as a shock to some ( or at least to me) that less that a year after graduating he and his wife decided to move from LA back to Taos New Mexico where he is from. They had their reasons. His wife was pregnant and they had the support network in Taos they felt they needed .

Naturally…

I over stepped my bounds as a friend and a colleague when I told Arron in no uncertain terms that he was making a mistake. A BIG MISTAKE!
You need to be in LA where the action is. I demanded.
What are you going to do in Taos?
Are you going to pay your student loans by doing community theater? I sneered.
People raise kids in LA all the time.
Please, don’t through it all away, I begged dramatically .

Arron did not listen to me, he never does, and moved back home. The result of not listening to ones slightly older and much wiser friends, is posted below. It is in the form of stats I got from IMDB

# Sex & Lies in Sin City (2008 (TV) (filming) …. Evan James
# Sex & Lies in Sin City (2009) (post-production) …. Bernard
# Spoken Word (2009) (post-production) …. Paramedic
# ,Brothers (2008 (post-production) …. A.J.
# Not Forgotten (2008 (post-production) …. Deputy Pratt
# Love N’ Dancing (2008 (post-production) …. Wedding DJ
# Swing Vote (2008 (completed) …. Greenleaf’s Aide
# Hamlet 2 (2008 …. Virgil
# Sunshine Cleaning (2008 …. Detective
# Love Lies Bleeding (2008 (V) …. Room Service Waiter
# “Comanche Moon” (2008 TV mini-series …. Stove Jones
# In the Valley of Elah (2007) …. Cop
# 3:10 to Yuma (2007) …. Bill Moons
# Naked Fear (2007) …. Dwight Terry
# Save Me (2007) …. Jude
# “The Lost Room” (2006) TV mini-series …. Counter Clerk
# Beerfest (2006) …. Strike Out Kid
# Believe in Me (2006) …. Johnny Price
# Three Wise Guys (2005) (TV) …. Wayne
# North Country (2005) (as Aaron Shiver) …. Young Male Doctor
# “Wildfire” …. Lenny Kellman (1 episode, 2005)
– Pilot (2005) TV episode …. Lenny Kellman
# “Into the West” (2005) TV mini-series …. Maj. Edward W. Wynkoop
# String Theory (2004) …. Johnny
# Elvis Has Left the Building (2004) …. Gas Station Guy
# The Missing (2003/I) …. Rancher
# 21 Grams (2003) …. Young Doctor
# Screen Door Jesus (2003) …. George Herbert Jr.

I would be willing to bet my next paycheck that Arron has worked more than any actor from his graduating class. He makes his a living as an actor (no mean accomplishment) and raises his son (with his wife, Anais) in Taos New Mexico. It’s true he got lucky in that New Mexico has seen an unprecedented amount of production in the last few years. It is not however a matter of luck that the very busy NM casting agent, Jo Edna Boldin has taken a shine to him. His success is a result of his talent that stands out no matter where he lives. So I was wrong. Sue me. Arron’s latest reel is below. I edited two versions, one six minutes and one three. I will post the shorter one tomorrow.