Ian Hoch, A’06, started acting at 12 years old, but his passion grew as he studied at Loyola, later working alongside local improv troupes for fun. Now, as a full-fledged actor, he sees his career as more than just fun.

Many of Hoch’s onstage plays are focused on social justice. His most recent project was “Flood City,” which satirically recapped the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and landed him on the November 2016 cover of American Theatre Magazine. Hoch is a three-time Big Easy Award Nominee and known for his onstage roles as Edwin Edwards in “Song of a Man Coming Through” and Bobby Jindal in “Major Swelling’s Medicine Salve Salvation Show,” among others.

He is also involved in the New Orleans film industry and recently acted in “22 Jump Street,” “Jeff Who Lives at Home,” “Hours” and HBO’s TV series “Treme.“ According to Hoch, working alongside A-list stars like Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill and Ed Helms was different than he first expected.

“Ed Helms, he was very friendly, and Channing Tatum introduced himself immediately. Then there was Jonah Hill, who moved around the set and had this kind of ‘mad scientist’ vibe. He was very secretive. Some people embrace their fame and some people don’t,” Hoch said.

Hoch entered Loyola as a double major in theater arts and mass communication, with a focus in broadcast journalism. When Hoch moved across the country from Colorado to the Big Easy, he learned that the well-rounded education he received was not one all college students get. Since Loyola threw him into such a hands-on learning environment, it provided Hoch with the experience he needed to be successful in the future.

“They [Loyola] make you do everything. So in the theater, you had to not only be the actor, but you had to take stagecraft, you had to learn about lighting and stage management,” Hoch said.

Despite his recent involvement in on-screen work, stage work still takes up a large part of Hoch’s life. He feels that his experience onstage can’t compare to onscreen.

“I mean that’s my family. That’s how my social needs are met. That’s how my creative needs are met. It’s not as exciting and flashy. When I’m in a movie or a TV show, I usually don’t know anybody there, and so it can be a kind of isolating experience,” Hoch said.

One of his favorite times acting onstage was with Cripple Creek Theatre Company. After Katrina, he joined and knew that these were his “people.”

“I’ve been asked, how do you be successful in theater and in life and in acting? I just tell them to find your friends. Find your ecosystem where you can work with people you love. To me, that’s real success. Because if you’re after money and you’re after fame, you go ahead and do that. Best of luck,” Hoch said.

Cripple Creek is unique in that it produces works of social, historical and political relevance with the aim of spurring the public into social action. This mission is one Hoch has carried with him since his days at Loyola, using his theatrical talents to help the New Orleans community through the arts. His passion for Cripple Creek truly dubs him a man for and with others.