We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Franco Machado-Pesce a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Franco with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
At the end of the day, work ethic stems from discipline. Growing up, my dream was to be a soccer player. I dedicated most of my youth to training, practicing, and trying to be the best athlete I could be. This journey made me sacrifice a lot of things and learn how to prioritize my own goals over other things, even social relationships. There’s something that comes with the hardships of being an athlete that really apply to every aspect of life. It’s cliche, but no matter how many times you fall, you need to get up. You need to fight for what you want with blood, sweat, and tears. No one is going to hand you anything. In the end, I didn’t become a soccer player, but as an actor and filmmaker now, I still apply all those lessons to my day-to-day.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a storyteller—always have been, always will be. I was born in Caracas, Venezuela and moved to the United States of America at the age of three and since then I’ve always been in love with stories and how we can bring them to life. Soccer was my first dream and I’ll always be forever grateful for all the lessons, experiences, hardships, and love that the sport has given me, but at my core, I was always a storyteller. From the very first Star Wars spinoff story I wrote in my blue, sticker-covered journal when I was 9, to every film I am a part of now.
I now spend most of my time in New York City and Los Angeles, auditioning and writing screenplays and plays. I have a B.A. in Screenwriting from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and have studied acting at many prestigious institutions including: the Actors Studio Drama School, the Atlantic Theater Company, the Barrow Group, Anthony Meindl’s Actors Workshop, and many more. My favorite part about acting is the continuous process of always being in-practice. There’s never a moment where you stop learning and this continuous journey and growth is what makes the whole profession so exciting.
I am also a filmmaker and am currently working on getting my first feature films, “Play Next” and “El Silbón” off the ground, with the intention of acting in them. I am also very fortunate and humbled that my short films “Ni Aquí Ni Allá” and “Finding Stillness” have gained international recognition in the festival circuit. My first play “City Rats” will also be produced at the New York Theater Festival in their Summerfest in 2024.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Oof, it’s hard to narrow it down to three qualities that have led me to where I am today. I think firstly I have to say that it’s my perseverance. Even when my dream was being a soccer player, I knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy journey. I was told in the fourth grade by a teacher that the chances of making it were next to zero (which they are) and. that I should pick a safer career. For some reason though, my 10 year old self stuck to it though. And yeah, I didn’t make it, but I don’t regret a single day from that journey.
Secondly, I think my ability to dream big has been something I’ve taken for granted. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized that a lot of people don’t really dream. Instead, they let life take them where they need to go and that’s great for them, but I was always very motivated by reaching for something more even when I was little. I have to be grateful to my parents for this because they showed me that if you work hard, you can achieve your goals, but it will take a lot of sacrifice. They sacrificed their home when we moved to the U.S.A. My mother sacrificed her career. My Father sacrificed free time. They instilled in me a lot of values that I have to be grateful for because it’s easy to give up on dreams, a lot of people do. But I feel like I have a strength inside me that pushes me to keep going. I owe that to the people in my life who support me.
Lastly, it has to be my curiosity. I grew up as an only child so I had to keep myself busy most of the time. This developed a curiosity in me that made me ask questions about why are things the way they are. Why are some stories told while others are not? How can we make sure that new voices are heard? These questions still guide me today and have inspired me to try and be part of the change in entertainment to work on projects that showcase new perspectives.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
As an actor, it’s an understatement to say that 2023 has been difficult. The strikes from the WGA and SAG have really impacted the industry, but what they’re fighting for is so massively important that it’s all going to be worth it. They’re establishing a path forward that allows people in entertainment to hopefully be one step closer to having a good quality of life. And it’s important to support the people who are fighting for our rights in this industry.
Even though the auditions stopped coming in for this period of time, I spent a lot of this time training and writing. This goes back to always being in practice. Just because we aren’t able to act and be paid for it by large productions, doesn’t mean we can’t be active. So as difficult as this time has been, I found it super beneficial to shift my perspective and find ways to develop my craft beyond jobs.
I am currently working on getting my coming-of-age feature “Play Next” up and running. This is a project that I’ve been working on since my sophomore year at Chapman (2017) and I’ve now gotten the script in a place that tells a story that is more authentic, new, and vulnerable. I set the goal to myself to make the film in 2024 even though I haven’t secured funding because it’s important to set a deadline. When you do that, it feels within reach. You just have to work every day towards it. Sometimes the doubt sets in and I have to remind myself that day-by-day, I’m making choices and building a team that I trust will help get this film made. Having a group of people who are talented and supportive is one of the most crucial things when it comes to getting a project made in this business. So I’m very lucky to have met a group of young filmmakers who know what they’re doing and are helping “Play Next” become a better film.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.francoamp.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/francoamp
Image Credits
A Still from Thárros – Directed by Poppy Shaw Ni Aqui Ni Alla – Now on Omeleto and directed by Franco Machado-Pesce Some headshots by Clinton Brandhagen Stills from Finding Stillness – by Franco Machado-Pesce and Tania Ghaffari
