Today we’d like to introduce you to Luca Fontaine

Hi Luca, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

I was born in Paris and have Italian-French origins, growing up between Paris, Venice, and London. From a young age, I was immersed in a world of music, movies, and books, which ignited my passion for acting. My journey began with local acting classes, supported by my parents who believed in me even more than I believed in myself.

After an initial setback in my first attempt to get into Juilliard, I moved to London to gain experience. This period was challenging, but it taught me resilience and the importance of seeing opportunities where others might see obstacles. A year later, I auditioned again and was accepted into Juilliard’s prestigious MFA Acting program, graduating in 2022. With an acceptance rate of only 0.9%, it was a testament to my determination and hard work.

During my time at Juilliard, I received several accolades, including the John Houseman Prize for classical theater, the Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship, and the Michael & Suria Saint-Denis Prize. Just before graduating, I was cast in an Off-Broadway play at LaMama and secured a role in the CBS series “Evil.”

My multicultural background and fluency in multiple languages have always fueled my curiosity and drive to understand different cultures. This curiosity has been a cornerstone of my career, allowing me to connect deeply with diverse roles and projects. Today, I live between the USA and Europe, working across theater, film, and television, and always seeking new opportunities to grow and contribute to the arts.

I recently worked on a Spanish TV show for Netflix with a well renown Spanish director Oriol Paulo. I also wrapped shooting a French TV show for Paramount+/France Télévision, “Zorro”, with Jean Dujardin as the lead in it.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

My journey has been far from smooth, but each struggle has shaped me into the actor I am today. I first auditioned for Juilliard in 2015, coming from the countryside to New York City—a dream come true. I made it to the final 50 out of thousands of applicants, but ultimately, I wasn’t accepted. This near miss was hard to accept, but my family’s encouragement led me to move from France to London.

London was a new world for me—new country, big city, different language, and culture. I started from scratch, staying on a friend’s couch while I looked for a place to live and set up a bank account. The first year was incredibly challenging. Despite taking acting classes, I felt lonely and struggled to find my creative footing. However, this period taught me resilience and the importance of shifting my perspective.

Gradually, I began to see the opportunities around me and appreciate the city more. This positive shift in mindset attracted new work opportunities. A year later, I auditioned for Juilliard again and was accepted into their prestigious MFA Acting program. During my time there, I received several accolades and after graduation I secured roles in Off-Broadway productions, a CBS series and various Spanish, French international series for Netflix and Paramount+.

Every challenge along the way has been a learning experience, building my strength as both a person and an actor. I am now focusing on writing with many exciting projects coming in parallel of auditioning and my acting career. I believe that we should be able to do it all and seek opportunities wherever they are which forces you out of your comfort zone and grow.

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

I am an actor, writer, and director with a rich multicultural background. Born in Paris to Italian-French parents, I have fluency in French, Italian, English, and Spanish. This linguistic versatility has enabled me to work across various countries which puts me in a unique and privileged position compared to other actors. Doing projects in multiple languages helps broadening my opportunities and cultural understanding of acting on a deeper level.

After graduating from Juilliard, where I received extensive training, I have worked extensively in New York’s theater scene, including Off-Broadway productions, and on TV shows for CBS, Netflix, and Paramount+. My diverse skills also led me to become a dialect coach for Broadway productions like “Camelot,” “Burn This,” “Betrayal,” “Moulin Rouge,” etc. as well as TV and film projects such as “Severance,” (Apple TV) “We Were the Lucky Ones,” (Hulu) and “Confess, Fletch.” (Pramount+)

In addition to acting and coaching, I am actively involved in writing projects for both theater and film, channeling my diverse cultural experiences into my storytelling.

My unique perspective, shaped by my multilingual abilities and broad cultural background, allows me to connect authentically with diverse characters and audiences. I am proud of my journey from overcoming early setbacks to achieving recognition during and after Juilliard, and now making significant contributions to the arts. I believe that my resilience, diverse background, and unwavering pursuit of excellence make me a distinctive presence in the industry both in the USA and Europe.

Any big plans?

In the future, I plan to expand my range as an actor by engaging in more film, TV, and theater projects that are close to my heart. One of my exciting upcoming projects is adapting a famous black-and-white Italian film for the stage in NYC. Additionally, I am writing several screenplays, creating opportunities to bring my unique & personal ideas to life.

I aim to collaborate with like-minded individuals and those with different perspectives, fostering artistic collaborations across multiple languages. My goal is to build artistic communities, working with French and Italian cultural institutes in NYC to realize these visions.

I will be spending more time traveling between Europe, the USA, and Central/South America to develop projects and advance my acting career. An exciting venture on the horizon is co-directing a film I am currently writing, which we will be shooting in France in the coming months. Additionally, I am collaborating and writing a feature film with various exciting people that should be shot and based in New York city. More to come..

My journey is marked by resilience, a broad cultural lens, and a commitment to storytelling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lucafontaine.com
• Instagram: @lucafontaine
• Other: IMDB PRO: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm8026686?s=0ec7ea61-1c55-96dd-f166-71f02e4581c2&site_preference=normal

Image Credits

Donatella Basso