Meet Laura Rizzi

We were lucky to catch up with Laura Rizzi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Laura, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Hi Bold Magazine! It’s an absolute honor to be featured. My name is Laura Rizzi. I discovered my purpose by trying new things and getting to know myself more. I’m an extrovert by nature so I always am willing to go on new adventures. By doing that, it really helped me grow.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m an actor/singer, originally based in Switzerland, but I now live in NYC. I speak four languages (English, French, German and Italian), and am passionate about a plethora of artforms – film, theatre, musicals, stand-up comedy, podcasting, music videos, commercials – you name it! I’m passionate about meeting new people, trying new things, and creating art that inspires hope. I’ve learned to become bold, but when I was younger, I certainly wasn’t.
I grew up in the Swiss Countryside – simple, and sweet. I was deeply shy, until one day I performed for my entire school to commemorate the tragic passing of two fellow students. It was a challenging time for our little community, somehow my singing inspired hope and healing. From then on, I was hooked! I knew I wanted to keep doing this for the rest of life.
After that, I combined my love for music & storytelling and had starring and supporting roles in music videos, such as ShineLove Paradise by The Two Hundred Seventy, and Terminator and Wayne’s Manor by Nightwood (all available for streaming on Spotify & Youtube). Soon after I booked lead & supporting roles in films such as Les Péchés de Céleste directed by Jonas Graf, M.O.N.K.S directed by Patrick Pierce and The Kid Napping directed by Daria Sokolova. All three of those projects helped me see how deep my passion was, and I realized I was ready for the American film industry. This past year, I’ve been lucky enough to star in 2 new films, Something Blue by Mariana Barbosa, and Halloween : Collection of Evil by Chris Abaya..

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

My advice for anyone early on in their careers is to try new things & make friends with everyone! I always thought of myself as a serious, dramatic Actress, but when I moved to New York City, I chose to step outside of my comfort zone. My whole life changed! I took leaps of faith over and over again, met new people, and did things I never thought I was capable of.
For instance, I did my first Open Mic at the historic Comic Strip Live on the Upper East Side this past year. even though I had no idea what I was doing! But I did it, and suddenly I was a serious Actor AND Comedian – who would have thought (not me!).
The more I said “yes”, the more new projects presented themselves. I said “yes” to working on a Doritos commercial, and it was selected to be on the official Doritos website. I said “yes” to doing my first professional musical “A Harry Halloween” and discovered my voice & dance abilities. I even said “yes” to a podcast (the Talkin’ TV Podcast with Dominic Rizzi), and am inspired now to start my own.

So much joy of saying “yes”. Have faith, let go, and take the chance!

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

This is one of the hardest questions – this past year has been a whirlwind! Project after project, I’ve grown from being slightly shy to a bold extravert! I couldn’t have done it without the many incredible artists who I’ve worked with. I wanted to honor & thank them by asking their thoughts on our journey together this past year.
Halloween : Collection of Evil was a dark horror fan film of the Halloween/Michael Myers franchise. It was a big project, and I jumped along for the ride not knowing what to expect – it was time to leave my comfort zone! I touched base with the film’s award winning director Chris Abaya, and he mentioned the following – “What was most impressive was her drive and dedication to acting. She did not know me at all, knew nothing of my work or the project. But she didn’t let that stand in her way. I think it’s a true testament to her dedication and her respect for her craft…I think it really elevated everyone’s engagement on set…. She dove right in and had a blast right there with us.” I was so shocked to hear Chris’ kind words – I was so scared inside, but it didn’t show. I learned this year that sometimes confidence is something you need to “fake it until you make it”, and I feel so grateful to Chris for giving me an opportunity to learn that.
Another area of growth has been my humor! I never expected to have a knack for stand up comedy! The wonderful Jaiya Victoria, a NYC Stand Up Comedian and Host at the historic Comic Strip Live in NYC saw my set though and said “Laura is observational, blunt and highly relatable. When she tells a story, you feel like you’re along for the ride!” Jaiya was so positive, even though it was all new to me! I realized that I have my own unique sense of humor, and I never would have realized that if I hadn’t given that experience a shot!
Lastly, most of all, I’ve learned how to be BOLD this year! At 16, I took my first acting workshop with the talented and wonderful Adrian R’Mante (best known for The Sweet Life of Zack & Cody). Upon chatting with him recently, we reminisced and said the following – “Laura exhibited excellence, focus and hard work in my TV & Film Program. She showed leadership skills with others and became a favorite amongst her peers.”
I was floored. Leadership skills!? I suppose that strength was inside all along, regardless of what fear I felt inside. Adrian saw that ability to be bold before I even saw it in myself. Over the years, I’ve learned my version of being bold isn’t necessarily being loud, or flashy. My version has looked like trying new things, with a twinkle of humor and a quiet fire that keeps me going. I never would have met those parts of myself if I hadn’t taken the leap and learned to BE BOLD!”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laura-rizzi.com/
• Instagram: Laura__rizzi

Image Credits

Mariana Barbosa
Kyle Douthy