Meet Anthony Robert Grasso

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Anthony Robert Grasso. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Anthony Robert below.

Hi Anthony Robert, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I would say I definitely get my resilience from my mother. She was a working mom nd had a very strong work ethic. She loved life and loved what she was doing and taught me to work hard and love what you do and the money will come.
She was a positive bright light and looked at the world with glass always half full. Anyone who met her would agree.
I was very lucky to have grown up with her confidence, grace and generosity.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I started out as a fine artist with a BFA from School of Visual Arts an then later transitioned to acting. This year I will be celebrating my 40th year as an actor, director, producer and master teacher. Originally I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and then later moved to Manhattan during the early 90’s. After getting married and having our daughter my wife Diane and I decided we needed more space and moved to New Jersey. I’ve trained at the legendary The Actors Studio as a working finalist, and Sanford Meisner technique with various teachers at Neighborhood Playhouse. I continued my training at well regarded Larry Moss Studio and the British American Drama Academy in Oxford.
I’ve been lucky to appear in many NYC and LA TV shows. A favorite of mine is hitting a NYC actor milestone and appeared on all three Law & Order’s multiple of times and guest stars on FX’s Gotham, Netflix’s Jessica Jones, and Academy Award winner Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things, as well as a number of indie hits like Gun Hill Road and The Pigeon Egg Strategy (both Sundance showcases). My experience in the filmmaking comes from being a visual artist and then an actor first. I’ve been so grateful with the recognition for some of my work with multiple awards from many film festivals as both actor and director. (approx. 63 nominations and won 24 awards) When I am not acting my mission is to pass on all that I’ve learned to the next generation at various Conservatories and Universities around the world until I finally opened my own studio, ARG Studio in NYC.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

So the most important qualities skills of areas of knowledge I would say probably being a fine artist being as young as five years old and then majoring in art Jr high and in high school and then going to college definitely shaped the way to acting and directing. Also growing older and living on this planet longer I think it makes it easier to get there with emotions in terms having real loss, joy and love and all the things that life will give you.
The advice that I would give a newcomer is probably would be to get into a class weekly. Keep working on your craft keep chipping away at your strengths and your weaknesses keep redefining everything that you need for this very competitive field and to be ready. Stay ready and the timing hits then can happen.
Also being curious of human conditions and viewing and researching old films, directors and actors from the golden era back to early 1940s. It is vital to have resources of where material is borrowed and influenced from. Most young students do not know anything past 1990.
And lastly, to live a life. Fall in love, get your heart broken, love music and museums and travel travel travel- its the best way to fill the well and to study people in all walks of life.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was allow me to try anything and praise my artwork since an early age. They were the best cheerleaders of all of my brothers and sisters and also loved films and performing as well. My dad had a great singing voice but never pursued it and my mom was a fashionable woman and was a star in our neck of the woods. She could have been an actress ( she had the IT factor) but never pursued it. When I switched majors from fine art to drama they were concerned but never stood in my way. My dad said finish college and get your degree. He stressed to me the importance to finish things- I completely agree and did get my BFA. I use it more today in every aspect from Acting Directing and Producing.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @anthony_robert_grasso
• Facebook: Anthony Robert Grasso
• Linkedin: Anthony Robert Grasso
• Twitter: @AnthonyR_Grasso
• Youtube: @anthonyrobertgrasso8479
• Other: vimeo
  Anthony Robert Grasso

Image Credits

Bjorn Kommerell