Dan Kamin is a writer and performer who has toured throughout the world with symphony orchestras and as a solo artist. He has written a book on Charlie Chaplin and trained Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp for their movie roles. He also created the comedy scenes for the movies Chaplin and Benny and Joon.

Dan Kamin

1964, Art

Southwest High

Q: What do you remember about the night you won your Silver Knight award?

A: That night there was this other girl from Palmetto who was astonishing, and I thought, ``There's no way I'm going to win.''

My dad brought my two best buddies and my one friend had a cap, which he threw up in the air. My dad later took us to Jahn's Ice Cream Parlor, where we ordered a giant banana split called The Kitchen Sink. We ate as much as we could.

My dad was a quiet guy, and the Silver Knight really got to him. The next day he made a little shrine of it with flowers and a frame on top of our TV.

Q:How do people react when they find out you're a Silver Knight winner?

A: It's like the Academy Awards for high school kids. They're like, ``Oh wow, cool.''

Q:Tell us about your life now.

A: In the summer I was doing shows with symphonies in Shanghai, Singapore and Malaysia. I also spent a lot of time writing my second book on Charlie Chaplin. As the years have gone by, more and more doors have opened up in unexpected ways. The fact that I'm still at it, I feel like I've really gotten away with something.

Q:What advice do you have for students who want to be Silver Knights?

A: Pursue the thing that really gets you passionate. Or if not, fake it as sincerely as you can.