Why I Made Ray
Director's Statement
Director's Bio
I have been watching addiction up close for what feels like my whole life. My father lost his battle with it, while my brother, miraculously, was able to save himself. As a person who doesn’t suffer from substance use disorder, I’ve always been on the outside looking in - unsure of my role. Over the years, I’ve had to accept the conventional wisdom that it is impossible to save a person - the choice of "life or death" is theirs and theirs alone. But deep down, a part of me believes that ALL human beings fight for dignity on the edge of some abyss. Ray explores whether two grieving souls can recognize one another across a great divide and find a new, meaningful path forward.
-- Charles Socarides
writer/director of RAY
RAY was made possible by the generosity of over one hundred donors -many of whom shared a personal story of addiction and recovery that inspired them to donate.
Thank you all for helping us in our mission to build empathy.
We could not have done it without you.
Charlie has been a working New York actor going on two decades. Career highlights include playing the lovable monster Scott Goodman on the CBS show Madam Secretary and playing his own brother (yes, you read that right!) on the ABC series When We Rise. His work has been profiled on Vulture, NPR, Nightline and in the New York Times. A native New Yorker, his favorite moments have occurred on- and off-Broadway where he has created lead roles for playwrights A.R. Gurney and Stephen Karam and starred opposite such luminaries as Joanna Gleason and Bobby Cannavale. In addition to acting, he loves working with kids. Ray is his first film.