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Vents caught up with actor Matt Valvardi to chat about his latest thriller film ‘Legacy’ out on Amazon Prime.
Hey Matt – Thanks for chatting with Vents. Tell us a little about yourself!
Hey, so I’m an actor based out of Santa Monica, in California. Although I’m a Philadelphia native, I have always found the entertainment industry highly interesting. After working for years in the investment management industry in Philly, I realized that I just didn’t have the passion to fuel a lifelong career there. I moved to Los Angeles and dabbled in almost every aspect of movie production. I attempted acting last because it scared me the most. My first acting class was one of the most fulfilling days of my life.
Tell us about your latest project – ‘Legacy’?
I recently starred in a movie called Legacy that is now streaming on Amazon Prime. We wrapped shooting just a little bit before the quarantine lockdown. It’s a thriller with some incredible seasoned actors. Overall, it’s a really fun movie to watch.
What character did you play?
I played Deputy Bill who proves to be an instrumental character as he helps a British agent (Luke Goss) navigate through the wilderness to stop an assassin from killing his target, a young boy. Deputy Bill doesn’t like his job much and is constantly berated by his father. As the film rolls on, Bill gets chances to prove himself and grow as a character. I loved his character arc.
What were some of the filming challenges?
We filmed for a few weeks in Mexico near Tijuana. A few of the days included hour-plus van rides to less-than-ideal locations in the wilderness. The weather could swing from overly hot to overly cold in seconds. I loved it! The audience just wants to see consistency and continuity from take to take, so I stayed focused.
Any fun behind the scenes stories?
We definitely had some characters on set, which made for a fun atmosphere. My co-star Luke Goss shared that he had been cast twice in lead roles by visionary director Guillermo del Toro without auditioning. Luke starred in both Hellboy 2 and Blade 2. Although I love the advice of “chat with the director to forgo the audition process”, it hasn’t worked for me yet!
How can we see the movie / TV show?
Check it on Amazon Prime right now! It’s called Legacy starring Luke Goss, Louis Mandylor, and me.
Do you have a bucket list of actors / directors would you like to collaborate with in future?
I have a bit of history with George Clooney, so I’d love to close the loop on our working relationship and star in a movie with him. To put it simply, I messed up background acting on a movie he was directing during my first year in Hollywood. George got upset and I thought my acting career was over before it started. George laughed about it at a movie screening recently where I mentioned it to him. Ben Affleck even jumped in laughing saying, “Yeah, George told me about that!” Due to my Jaws obsession going back 30 years, I’d also love to work with Stephen Spielberg. Christian Bale and Bryan Cranston are two actors I’d be honored to share the screen with as well. Bryan Cranston’s book “A Life in Parts” has been instrumental in keeping me focused and motivated in my ongoing career.
If you weren’t into acting what else would you be doing?
I’ve worked for the reality show Big Brother on CBS in a cast management capacity for several years, so I would probably work behind the scenes in television. I also just started working with a team at YouTube who is supporting my path as an actor/creator on their platform. As my career progresses, I would also like to mentor young actors on how to avoid traps and pitfalls of this industry. I’ve acted at children’s schools (scripts that kids wrote) with the Young Storyteller’s program which has helped me see more of the value in helping them!
What’s the best way to follow you online?
I have a few ways …
IMDb: https://imdb.me/mattvalvardi
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mattvalvardi/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/MattValvardi
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@mattvalvardi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.valvardi/
Website: www.mattvalvardi.com
