Shelby's Prince Charming Plays Real Life Prince in TV Movie

There are two things for sure that Dan Amboyer, a Shelby Township native, shares with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge: humility and boyish blond good looks.

That’s why Dan Amboyer was cast to star as Prince William in the Hallmark Channel's film William & Catherine: A Royal Romance airing at 9 p.m. on Aug. 27.

Even though the two men were born worlds apart, Amboyer was able to channel the famous prince’s demeanor for the film because, “he seems to be a very well-adjusted and a humble down-to-earth guy.”

A quality Amboyer himself admires after reflecting on his upbringing in Shelby Township.

“When you spend a lot of time in New York City and LA, the lifestyle can start to seem a little cold, impersonal–the entertainment business can be very competitive and trying. Growing up in a more relaxed area like Shelby–where everyone is always considerate and polite and the focus is on your family–is a part of me I don't want to lose.”

Amboyer hasn’t let zip codes keep him away from his family for the big milestones in his life.  His parents, Claudia and Dan Amboyer, just returned home after attending the film’s premiere at the Cosby Hotel in the SoHo section of New York City.

“After I got over the shock of seeing my son on the big screen, I teared up a little during the parts involving Diana and the romantic scenes,” said Claudia Amboyer.

Claudia Amboyer chuckled when she said she didn’t want to give away the movie’s ending, even though it chronicles Prince William and Kate Middleton's (played by Alice St. Clair) highly publicized relationship from the couple's first meeting as students to their televised wedding.

Dan Amboyer had invited his parents to Romania where a majority of the film was shot earlier this summer, but Claudia Amboyer said she didn’t want to be the typical “theater parents.”

“We support him but we prefer to be in the background,” said Claudia Amboyer of herself, a retired L’Anse Creuse teacher and her husband, Don, a former Macomb County Jail administrator.

In fact, Claudia Amboyer told Patch her son had a dream of acting early on, and he blazed his own trail to success.

“We’ve watched him develop and we’ve followed his lead. It does make me very proud. But again, I am proud of all my kids because they have all worked hard,” said the mother of four.

Dan Amboyer Dreams Big at 8 Years Old

Amboyer got the acting bug while in the second grade at Switzer Elementary School

“I started out wanting to act pretty young, inspired by my second-grade teacher, Dottie Wendryhoski. She wrote a few plays a year for us to perform. After my second grade debut in ‘Peter Rabbit -- A Wonderful Name,’ I decided it was time for the big leagues and got my first professional job at Meadow Brook Theatre.”

Dan Amboyer transferred to Roeper in Birmingham and attended high school as a boarder at Interlochen before earning a bachelors degree of fine arts from Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh.

After college it was off to New York City, where he landed roles in off-Broadway shows and regional theater groups in Philadelphia and St. Louis.

This is Dan Amboyer’s first TV movie, although he is no stranger to TV, guest starring in shows such as Body of Proof, All my Children and Law and Order.

“I am so happy he stuck with it and is now reaping the benefits,” said Claudia Amboyer.