Blast off: Get to know ‘Starlight Man’ actor Enzo Zelocchi
You might know actor Enzo Zelocchi from the thrilling viral video and his latest film Starlight Man: The First Secret, but we’ve discovered that he’s also an award-winning producer, writer and social media influencer!
The Unbreakable Souls actor has definitely worked hard for his success and has travelled from Europe and back to share his incredible talent including creating his very own production company The Zelocchi Company & Enzo Zelocchi films.
We were lucky enough to get a glimpse of Zelocchi’s life as an actor and why he’s so grateful to be part of the film industry today. Let’s take a look!
Photographer: Bjoern Kommerell
1. Tell us about your history in acting. How did you start your journey?
I started as a model in Milan. I did some commercials and one day I booked a role in a TV show on a major Italian channel. I started traveling between Milan, Rome, New York City, and LA pretty often. I’m very lucky for all the blessings that I have received in my life although I never got anything too easily. I’m still walking my journey and I keep developing as an actor & human.
2. Who has been your role model throughout your acting career?
At the beginning actors like Al Pacino & Jack Nicholson. The power of their performances has moved me since I was a child. They are remarkable artists and they will forever be remembered as some of the best actors in the history of Hollywood.
3. What’s your mission as an actor? Name the most important thing you want viewers to experience when watching your work.
My mission is to make people dream and give them real emotions that could move and inspire them. I would like my viewers to discover a reality in imaginary circumstances through me, and to keep all the emotions that they received from me in their brain, heart and souls forever. There are a lot of good lessons to be learned in movies and to apply some in real life.
4. If you could work with any actor who would it be?
Oh, I have a long list! – Christian Bale, Daniel Day Lewis, Al Pacino, Leonardo DiCaprio, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Hopkins, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper, and many more!
5. Were you hesitant at all to move from actor to producer in Hollywood?
Absolutely not. It was the best natural combo for me. I’m extremely creative and artistic but I also have a solid, outside the box way of thinking business mind. I always manage to achieve my goals one way or another. The only contingencies sometimes are time and having the right team for the tasks. I would love to be more creative but I don’t like to wait, so I often create my own opportunities which can benefit multiple people around me as well.
6. You’ve been labelled as a social media “influencer”. How do you feel about the term “influencer” and is it something you embrace?
I embrace knowledge. I personally just live my life, and I like to inspire and bring the best out of people. I’ve always done my own thing since I was a kid. I’m glad and thankful to be able to motivate and positively inspire others. Love & passion are my best motivation. If we all do everything with love, passion, determination, discipline, mastery, and use common sense we set the path for a successful life. Even the smallest choices can have a profound impact in our lives.
7. Starlight Man: The First Secret went viral in March 2020. Were you taken aback by the overwhelmingly positive response?
Definitely, being the second most-viewed video worldwide and having my name listed on the top 10 with other celebrities by Variety Magazine at that time was a pleasant surprise. I simply followed my instinct & intuition on the release time. I’m glad that I listened to myself.
8. What was it like to work on Starlight Man: The First Secret in the middle of a pandemic?
We actually had to hold production and postpone to a later time. We were lucky to have enough footage shot in London before the lockdown. Shooting right now is quite challenging considering all the new restrictions and regulations. Some projects that were recently completed had to do over 10,000 COVID tests for cast and crew. Which can be quite expensive for a production.
9. Tell us about your upcoming movie The Source.
The Source was a true miracle. In a short period of time it broke worldwide records for a trailer in the history of social media with over 200 million views. I conceived it at first as a movie but later on developed it as a TV show. I had to adapt and restructure the strategy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I decided to follow an intuition that I had in March 2020 and it has been paying off. The Source is The Crow meets Mad Max, with a Tim Burton touch in a futuristic dimension with a group of aliens trained to protect the universe and keep the balance with other parallel dimensions.
10. What was your working relationship like with actor Joe Cortese?
Joe & I are long-time friends. We worked together in A War Hero, I was the director and producer in that project (Vin Diesel was the Executive producer). Working with Joe is always a pleasure. He’s very professional and delivers great performances.
11. Do you prefer being in front of the camera or working behind the scenes?
I prefer to be in front of the camera. The feeling and the magic of performing, creating and developing a character is something extremely powerful and deep to me.
12. You’ve produced multiple TV shows in the U.S. How does working on a show differ from working on a feature film?
The mechanisms are different but the basics are the same. You need a good story and script to build and make a masterpiece. TV normally has a more limited budget and the episodes need to be shot faster, although it also depends if you are doing a sit-com/comedy, a timepiece, futuristic, etc. As an actor if you’re good with memorizing your lines fast, understanding the scenes, and have good improv skills, you’ll be fine.
13. What would you say is the toughest part of running your own production company?
At the beginning, definitely giving your investors the confidence to believe in you. Plus, you’re good as your last movie so the hustle never ends. It takes a while to build good relationships from zero and successful tracking records. But in Hollywood things may never happen or happened all at once and fast. It’s important to always be ready and on top of everything.
14. You’re currently the Vice President of Development and a producer for Crossroads Entertainment, should we be expecting more films soon?
Absolutely. We are working on a slate of films with various budgets. Some projects are going faster than others due the COVID-19 limitations on certain locations and countries.
15. What indie filmmakers should be on our radar?
In the last year I’ve been living in my own bubble and extremely focused on my own projects so I sincerely don’t know.
16. What indie actors should be on our radar?
I would say me. I’m a racing horse right now and I only look ahead without distractions.
17. What has been your greatest success?
This is a very good question! I feel that my greatest success is yet to come. I’m very hard on myself, and it is not easy for me to enjoy my achievements because I jump to my next adventure almost immediately.
18. How about your biggest failure? What did you learn from it?
Failures are the best lessons learned in life. Each failure shaped me as a man, actor, producer, and businessman. You can’t pretend to achieve success with your hands in your pocket. It’s important to take calculated risks and make the jump. Don’t wait until you think you’re 100% ready, just do it. Every opportunity that you don’t take or explore is a missed opportunity.
19. If you could watch one movie for the rest of your life what would it be?
It’s hard to choose one. But definitely The Godfather Part II. It is such a great masterpiece from A to Z. There is a lot to learn from that movie and The Godfather Part I. Each time that you watch them you can still learn something.
20. What advice do you have for aspiring actors & filmmakers?
Always listen to your heart, believe in yourself, and never give up. Hard work always pays off. You just need to make sure that you’re on the right track and be persistent and consistent with your work. Don’t focus on large projects at first. Focus on a short or two which are cheaper to realize and can give a solid projection of your talent. Working with talented people on your team & cast makes a big difference. Stay real and the right people will pop into your life.
