Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Misiano

Hi Anthony, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

My dream was always to just be an actor (I’m still holding onto this silly dream), but time and time again I get some wild hair up my ass and decide to create a project of my own. In the past, when the time came to delegate duties and hire people, I simply couldn’t afford to properly compensate working professionals, so I wore multiple hats. Others would see the final product and ask about one aspect or another, possibly “who did the sound design?” to which I would uncomfortably confess, “me”, and shortly thereafter I’d be hired to do whatever particular thing had caught their attention.

Technically, I work as an actor, writer, film/video & sound editor and director. At some point I’ve done just about every job one can do on a film set either for myself or others, from production design, costume design, and set design to makeup, cinematography and lighting, and I’ve enjoyed them all immensely (whether or not I was any good I’m not sure, but I remain hopeful).

So I suppose I am a “storyteller”. It’s a horribly pretentious sounding fake-job-title, but the easiest one to encompass the lot.

Since childhood I’ve been compulsively autodidactic. I don’t know if this is nature or nurture, as the drive would indicate the former, but growing up poor without opportunity for upward mobility would make a strong case for the latter; after all, necessity is the mother of invention (see the aforementioned inability to hire others). However I believe the DESIRE to learn, that curiosity, is something one is born with, and one will find a way to feed that hunger however one possibly can. In my case, this means becoming a self-taught man.

My most recent project is a feature film I’ve written called “Inheritance”. The short, proof of concept film of the same name that I co-directed with Tyler A. Wallach, a gifted filmmaker I’ve had the pleasure of working with in the past, is gearing up for the 2025 festival season. It’s certainly my most ambitious project to date, and the feature length script is something I’m very excited about.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

Oh, certainly not. I definitely had a difficult foundation to build upon. Like many of us I came from borderline poverty and a very broken home (that’s a story unto itself). I had no idea how to even get started in this industry, and took all of the wrong paths to get here. Who knows? I might not even be “here” yet!

I was late on the move to an industry town. In truth I genuinely didn’t realize that one had to BE in L.A. or New York to start working. I actually thought that if I performed exceedingly well in enough local theatrical productions in my hometown that somehow someone would just see me and invite me to be in something bigger. Really? And that would simply keep escalating? That was my ideation. It’s hilariously naive but 100% innocent and authentic. It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that I realized one must physically GO to where the opportunities are, because rule number one: they won’t come to you. And once there, one must constantly strive to MAKE opportunities for oneself because again, rule number one: THEY WON’T COME TO YOU.

This all said, I always had hope. And a strong held belief in my work ethic. I was also incredibly fortunate to have found my life partner, now my wife, in my mid-twenties and we’ve been together for over a decade since. I think that helps ground a person. It provides comfort, solace and an emotional support system when one may not have anyone else to turn to. She is my rock.

But it’s been a very long and difficult road. Rejection is something you hear a lot about, and there’s a reason. It’s endless. For every “yes” you’ll hear a dozen or even a hundred “nos”. And sometimes even when you do hear a “yes” and the storm looks like it’s about to turn, something unexpected may come along and snatch that opportunity from your hands and all you can do is dust yourself off, stand yourself back up and face the music, ready to fight another day.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

As I mentioned above, I’m currently developing a feature inspired by a recent short project. A horror film grounded in a very real, family drama. It’s something I’ve been working on well over a year and represents probably the hardest I’ve ever worked on any singular idea in my life. As a writer and director I’ve primarily focused on short subjects in the past ranging from 2 to 40 minutes with the exception of a one-man stage play I wrote and directed in 2021 that was about 100 minutes long. But a full 2-hour film? It’s a much bigger world.

I think I’m most known to the people I work with as the guy you call in a pinch. Do you need something edited and don’t know where to start? Call Anthony. Need a poster designed or a color grade on your footage and you only have a week? Call Anthony. Many of my repeat collaborators first met me as an emergency referral second-editor or something similar; their previous person dropped the ball or something fell through at the last minute and they needed somebody reliable and efficient, I was referred to them and have worked together ever since. Some of my closest and dearest friends are people I met in this way. You never know who you’re going to “click” with, and who will be a part of your inner circle, your “class” in a way, all working and coming up together. If you ever can, make bridges, don’t burn them. If there’s someone you really enjoy working with, keep that connection alive and always refer one another for jobs. You never know when a door may open.

To the public I’m probably most known from my few appearances on television over the years. For a while I was almost making a career out of playing historical figures in edutainment, from Nikola Tesla in American Genius to John Wilkes Booth in Legends & Lies and as Milton Hershey in the wonderfully evergreen The Food That Built America. I’ve also been seen in small parts on more traditional scripted shows like Turn: Washington’s Spies and Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. My voice has popped up over the years in commercials and on the radio, and I can’t deny the hilarious pride I took in portraying John Rump in a string of commercials for Preparation H. Honestly, the nicest people I ever worked for.

What not many people see are the roles in small, independent films and independent New York theatre. Those are the projects that don’t necessarily keep the lights on, but they can fill your soul and feed that creative hunger.

How do you think about happiness?

My own small family blooming right before my eyes. My wife, myself, our middle-aged cat and our brand-new baby boy. His first Christmas is just ahead and I can’t wait to see the lights of the tree reflect and sparkle in his eyes.

And collaboration. Creating work with passionate artists all coming together to bring something to life and make it the very best it can be. Succeeding and failing together, and always trying. It’s the trying that makes life worth living. Success is ephemeral, it’s out of our hands and when it whispers through you is a fleeting thing. But the trying is up to you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://AnthonyMisiano.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/howdyanthony

Image Credits

Personal photo/portrait was taken by Jeffrey Mosier.