We were lucky to catch up with Rob Saladino recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rob, appreciate you joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?
I’m a big believer that friendship comes into your life with purpose. Mostly, it’ll come from a reletive or someone you meet at school/college. Sometimes, it’s through a mutual friend or a teacher. In my case, it was my boss of emploment! But he proved to be no ordinary manager. His name is Dennis Valencia, and he became the brother I never had and the father I always needed.
I met Dennis when applying to work as a sales associate at Armani Exchange a year before I decided to pursue acting. Dennis interviewed me and offered me a job. Soon after began working for him, I found myself struggling to make my sales quota. He broke the job down for me and explained my strengths and weaknesses. It was when we began talking about our life outside of work that he started to encourage me to be a stronger person.
My father had me a while back. Being an only child with no authority to learn from, Dennis began to realize how it affected me. He would go out of his way to make sure I had food, money, and even proper clothing. He also asked about my goals and aspirations outside of working a retail job. When I told him I had an interest in film and television, he first suggested I attend film school in college. I was upfront about not wanting to attend college due to such a poor experience in school throughout my life. Dennis had never suggested I actually become an actor, only to focus on what I truly loved. This new-found drive encouraged me to pursue acting as a full-time profession. Dennis was the first one to tell me to never give up, regardless of how difficult things would be in the field.
Eventually, he was transferred to a different location. Dennis kept in touch and informed me that he began following his own dream of launching his own comic book, The Celestial Knight. I was honored when he told me he would be creating a character based on my likeness. Some believe that motivation comes from within, while others believe it comes from support. Dennis Valencia provides that balance for me.
Rob, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Known for my work on the Netflix original comedy series Friends From College, I’ve also provided English dubbing for Netflix’s My Encounter With Evil. In addition, I am also the narrator of The Rise Of Prince, Audible’s award-winning audiobook. My specialty is luring the audience in, captivating their mind, which actually began in pre-school. I was what I’d call a “shy class clown.” I didn’t realize until after graduating High School that I could make a living doing what I considered a hobby up to that point: acting.
This journey began in New York and eventually took me to LA. It truly is a roller coaster of a career. You go up and down, round and round. You get thrills, but you also get chills. Every instance I took as a learning lesson to become a more sincere person. I believe that this career teaches you more about life than any other profession. It also teaches you that you’re never doing it alone. There’s always someone else that has been doing it as long as you, working as hard as you, celebrating and crying as hard as you. That’s why I chose early on not to carry every misstep and failure with me along the way, because it has torn people down and they end up quitting in the end. Resilience is always priority as an actor.
Being a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2013, I’ve found myself working with Disney, Columbia, Sony and Warner Bros, to name a few. Every job has proved to be a memorable experience. The sets are captivating, the crew and fellow actors are always a pleasure, and yes, the hours can be brutal. If you ever consider being an actor, know that sleep can be meager at times.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an actor is knowing I am able to bring what is written on the page to life. There’s no greater feeling than knowing you’ve been chosen to represent an idea that’s only been written down. You get to make it your own. But always remember to respect what’s on the page! Of course, I am looking at this from the perspective of when the project is finished and I am watching it back as an audience member. For me, whether it’s an applause from many or simply just myself watching it back, that itself is the reward. Some actors say they cannot watch their performances once they’ve completed their projects. I never felt that way; I look forward to it!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I believe the best way to support actors is to see their work in theaters with crowds when given the opportunity. The idea of going to the movies is not as strong as it once was, and I dread to think if theaters will one day be an event of the past. Even if the film is being re-released, that’s a perfect opportunity to see a film all over again for the very first time. The world of streaming has brought about so many new and captivating ways to watch film, but movie theaters will always be the King of media for me, and I hope for others as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://robsaladinovo.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/therobsaladino
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialrobsaladino
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robsaladino
- Twitter: https://x.com/RobSaladino
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@robsaladino4210
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5238545/
Image Credits
All image credits and rights are by Bjoern Kommerell and Dennis Valencia