The Unstoppable Gino Calabro
An Interview by Synthetic Human Pictures
Synthetic Human Web Exclusive 07-06-2011 | Written by: SHP Staff Writer | Gino Calabro's Website
If you work in film in Phoenix then you know Gino. Born and raised in the Bronx, this East Coast export has brought his larger-than-life persona to the big screen in Arizona. Acting seems to be second nature to Gino, evidenced by the way he carries himself in a multitude of diverse roles.
He is a talented actor, known for his outspoken opinions with the current state of the film scene. Never apologetic for his views, Gino will earnestly tell you what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. Whether you are among his many valued friends or one of the few that he admonishes, one thing is certain - Gino can't be stopped. Even after facing a serious bout with cancer, Gino bounced back better and stronger than ever. Synthetic Human Pictures sat down with the man himself for an exclusive one-on-one interview.
Most people in my immediate family will tell you I was acting since I was about five or six years old. I always had a funny way of doing things and getting attention. Now that I'm older, my wife - actress Brett Ashley - will tell you that I'm always being "dramatic." I wanted to be an actor since my early twenties, but back then my first wife and child came with many immediate responsibilities that I had to look after first. I used to look at my desire to act as a selfish one because I was faced daily with the urgency to earn money for my family. I regret not taking advantage of more opportunities while I lived in New York.
Several years after he married his second wife, Brett Ashley, Gino began to make up for lost time and was quickly cast in several independent films in the valley. Appearing in print ads, commercials, short films and television pilots, his reputation quickly grew as a seasoned performer. With his gritty charm and dominating presence on set, Gino became an essential go-to actor to fill many different character roles.
The main reason I do it is because I really love to see the final product on screen. I love to watch these stories after they have all come together. Many talented people labor over a piece of film before it ever reaches the audience. It is that group effort that makes me anxiously wait to see the final product. My second reason is a selfish one. Once you are done with a piece of work, it will always remain a reminder of your talent, your look, and your personality. It will never change. It remains the same. No matter how many times it is seen, you will be there.
The sense of immortality that Gino pursued was inspired by some of his influences in Hollywood. A big fan of the first two Godfather films, Gino was influenced by the superior acting performances of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and the rest of the respective casts. Growing up with these films, and others of that caliber, made him aware of all that goes on behind the camera to make a movie come together. This sense of teamwork and commitment to production value convinced Gino that he needed to be a part of it.
Some of my all-time favorite films include: The Shawshank Redemption, Starship Troopers, and Defending Your Life. I like movies you could watch a hundred times and will always be satisfied. Keep in mind, I watch films strictly for the entertainment value, not for any messages - moral or otherwise. Last year was a weak one for movies. Some of the highlights were Iron Man 2, Toy Story 3, Dinner for Schmucks, and Avatar.
I have been watching a lot of work by Gwyneth Paltrow, and she is a phenomenal actor. Take her work in Shallow Hal - all of her body movements are purposeful. She mimicked the mannerisms of a 400-pound woman to a T. It is very subtle, but spot on. Her accents are incredible. She must have invested countless hours of work into each one. Paltrow's great New-Yorker character in Two Lovers and her spectacular English accent in Shakespeare in Love are testaments to her hard work and diligence when preparing for a role.
Gino has starred in some incredible leading and supporting roles in the last few years. He has portrayed everything from the hardened Mayor Velacheck in the futuristic crime drama Dietrich, to the light-hearted and comical George in Synthetic Human's Being Nigel. With each new production, Gino becomes an integral part of the respective families of both cast and crew.
Without a doubt, my biggest acting highlight would be working with great and talented people in the Arizona film and television community. This is such a supportive and giving society of professionals. I recently beat a bout of cancer, and the whole community came out and showed their support and love for me and my family. There are very few things that bring me to tears, but thinking of all my friends and how supportive they are is definitely one of them.
Alongside his great love of the film community also come strong standards, unflinching criticism, and a brutally honest outlook on how to make quality films and run professional sets. Gino is a big proponent of actor's rights, and started a single post on Facebook last year that essentially went viral. The announcement stated that every actor in the Arizona community needed to put their foot down and stop working for free. He believed that actors were being taken advantage of, with promises of deferred payment, fake Craigslist ads, and paid "casting" and "acting" workshops. Gino proclaimed, "When are you going to get sick of paying to 'learn' and not getting paid for your WORK?"
The post quickly polarized the community, receiving more than 200 replies in a matter of days. Everyone from actors to directors to producers to grips had something to say about it. While the debate became heated and involved a lot of finger-pointing, Gino only hopes that the effort opened everyone's eyes to an issue that he sees as an ongoing problem.
Gino isn't just here to shed light on the industry's problems without offering viable solutions. He has been around long enough to see better ways of doing things.
Even a short film can have funding. It just takes a little more effort to make it happen. Local businesses are great if they get a flash of advertising in the film and end credits. Hold a car wash for crying out loud! We are all creative people here, so why isn't anyone being creative with ideas for funding?
If you wanted to go to school to learn a new career, you're gonna find a way to pay for that, right? If you want to buy something that's out of your price range, like a car or a house, you're gonna find a way to pay for that right? What's the friggin' difference? People have to wake up!
I'm not all about money. I like to do projects for fun too, like Lara Houston's Star Trek series. It's a day of hanging with friends, filming and laughing your ass off! I participate in plenty of unpaid projects for good causes, like Diane Dresback's films. I will always work for her for free because I can get something more than money in return. I get the satisfaction that the work I do is going to help someone in ways I cannot even imagine.
I respect Steve Wargo, Kevin Phipps, Ruben Angelo and Synthetic Human Pictures, among others. They always make sure the cast and crew are well-fed; have transportation, makeup, water, craft services, and all get credit and a copy in a timely fashion.
He has outed several film companies for bad business practices, posting publicly their indiscretions for the community to see. Gino serves as a refreshing reminder that if you conduct yourself well, you will be praised. If you cross him, the world will know. His most challenging experience on set came during the production of a locally-produced feature film two years ago.
We shot nights and weekends for three-and-a-half months in a hot warehouse and on a bus. They were never ready for the actors' call times and were always running hours behind schedule. I started showing up two hours after my call time and still ended up sitting around. Despite all the time they dedicated to the production, it was still edited like crapola. What a huge waste of time! The actors and I just recently received IMDB credit for it (from early 2009) and it took them over a year to get me a damn copy. They didn't even give me the whole film, just a couple of my scenes. To top it all off, they asked the cast and crew to pay them six bucks each to mail us a copy of the film! They were unprofessional and I will never work with them again.
Since this debacle, their D.P. and a few other key members of the group have quit. Now it's down to just two "grassroots" filmmakers. They will have to resort to casting their future projects with unknowns from Craigslist who don't know them.
As a matter of fact, I also previously worked for the same film company on a short film and had a similar experience. Synthetic Human had released their viral video I'm Voting Republican and racked up four million hits on YouTube. I couldn't go to their audition because I had a gig that day that I had already committed to - something I highly regret. This other company later released a casting call for their copycat, ripoff "sequel." I ended up in their not-so-viral video, which was pulled from YouTube after a few thousand views for violating copyright laws by using a Ray Charles song without permission.
You live and learn in this business: what to do and who to work with. I did collaborate with a lot of great people on the set of that feature film, which made it bearable: Annie Boon, Jennifer Rio, Brian Johnson, Stronz VanderPloeg, Joy "CakeJoy" Daniel, and Lorraine Cekoric, a real pistol of a lady.
Gino's persona translates to film as well as it does in his daily life. He has embraced his Bronx upbringing and his tough, yet lovable mannerisms without worrying about being stereotyped as a "wise guy."
I never actually "branded" myself. If you watch the body of my work, you'll see that I play all different types of characters. I've played a construction guy, cop, detective, dad, chef, businessman, senator, mayor, and an ambiguously gay church group leader. I have only portrayed one "wiseguy" on film, and he was more of a hitman. That was for a 20 minute short called No Witnesses which isn't even out yet. It's funny how people may pigeonhole an actor that they know personally.
I am never really doing "myself" when I do any role. I may be doing someone I knew growing up, like my father, an older neighbor, or even a combination of several people. People that know me know I have many faces, looks, and moods. If someone wanted me to be "Gino" in a role, I would still be calling upon emotions and feelings I had from specific events in my life, or I would try and put myself in the shoes of someone who has been there.
It is very apparent that through his experiences, Gino has refined his method when choosing his roles. However, there is one member of the film community he just can't say "no friggin way" to.
My wife has a brilliant script in the works. She is working on the ending now. I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet, but it is a mafia-related story, with racial and empowerment issues. It's about the breaking of traditions. America needs a good mafia movie right about now, and this one is a great story.
While Gino encourages eager actors to "just say no" when it comes to accepting unpaid work, he is also very supportive of budding performers who want to get their foot in the door. With at least three more films in production and big plans for the future, Gino Calabro leaves us with this gem of advice:
Go for it. Always go for it. Find a way to make it happen.
You can follow Gino at his official website: www.ginocalabro.com
End of Article. © 2011 Synthetic Human Pictures. For display on synthetichuman.com only.
