We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Roberto Nonato a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Roberto, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Back in my high school days, we used to have talks, between teachers and students, about what kind of career we wanted when we graduated and it always used to make me feel lost. I never actually knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always thought it would something related to engineering or law, these were the most popular options in my class. It wasn’t until after I graduated that I realized that there were a lot more careers I could pursue. I always loved to make short films, loved to be around a camera, even though I had no idea how to use it, so I decided to learn filmmaking. At first I had no idea what to expect , but when one of my teachers screened ‘Day For Night’ by François Truffaut, that’s when I knew I was in the right place and that’s what I wanted to do with my life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I first got into the industry by accident. I had never known that I wanted to become an actor until I was 20 years old. I never actually though of it as a serious career path. My mom actually always wanted for me to be an actor, but I never did. It was when I started acting classes in Brazil, where I’m from, that I did a play and by the end of the run I felt extremely good, like I never felt before. That feeling of fulfillment stuck with me and I had to pursue it again. So, I think my mission is to bring joy and share this fulfillment with other people and entertain them.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I first got to New York, to study filmmaking, I was really excited and eager to learn. My mom and my dad always supported me and made me feel confident to pursue a not so traditional career. My mom lives in New York and my dad in Brazil. So I was living closer to my mom and far away from my dad. He doesn’t get sick easily. One time during covid, we both got infected and he had to be admitted to the ICU and since I also had covid, I was allowed to be in the same room as him. We spent 2 whole weeks there, while he was getting better. That was the most traumatic experience I’ve ever had. That was before New York. When I got here, I remember that we had classes from 8 to 5 Pm, and we used to have lunch around 1 Pm. While I was out for lunch, I get a call from my dad and he seemed really worried. I was concerned but didn’t think anything was wrong, then he says to me he’s been diagnosed with cancer. I felt like the whole world had come to a stop. I remember seeing a billboard of the movie ‘Smile’ and thinking about the irony. But I couldn’t go back to Brazil at the time, I had spent a lot of money and was a once in a life time experience. He also told me he didn’t wanted me to go back. So I did what my mom taught me to, not to focus on the problem and keep going. After 3 years he is cancer free but still has to continue treatment to make sure it doesn’t come back.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is that we reach people we would have never reached, never met otherwise. Through my art I can make someone’s day, at the same time i’m connecting and sharing my experiences and creating a new experience for them. This feeling of fulfillment is what drives me forward. I feel that life is short and we have very little time here, so I want to make the best out of my time here while also connecting and entertaining people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://robertononato.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/roberto574
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hourglassfilmes1733