Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hugo Salazar Jr. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hugo, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

Technically, whether good or bad experiences, you’ll ALWAYS win. You will always

Hugo, 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?

I got myself into this wild ride that is my industry, I would say, on a whim. Also, at one of the most pivotal points in my life. At the time, I’d already graduated with an undergraduate degree in Psychology, has spent several years as a Pre-School Teacher, and was currently enrolled in Pre-Requisite classes that I was going to need to apply to graduate school to pursue a Masters in Speech Pathology. Being Bi-lingual (English & Spanish). I wanted work specifically in the Department of Education, helping children with Speech Impediments as well as work with those coming from other countries on their accent reduction.

I was already somewhat interested in the arts and would find myself researching projects that were coming up, the actors involved, etc. One day I came across an audition for a very interesting role.

After sending the initial email of submission, I honestly did not think I was going to be called in for the audition. I’d never done anything professionally. While I had “only” done the College plays, as well as High School plays and dance shows, I am happy to report that it still was an impressive amateur resume!

To my utter shock, I was called in to audition!

Ironically enough, the role was for a character raised in the middle east over 2000 years ago. That meant I was able to take the current information I was studying in my linguistics class and apply it to recreate the accent for that character. And THAT was a whole lot of fun to do!

I show up, audition with my strategically constructed accent, along with some decent acting chops. AND I BOOK THE JOB. On top of that, 1 episode had turned into 15 episodes. I had 15 episodes of script for this character to prepare. The weeks leading up to the shoot proved to be one of the most explorative times in my life, digging into this character, researching the time he lived in, the culture, motivations, etc.

I show up the day of the shoot, go through hair and wardrobe, and get into some of the most extravagant wardrobe I have ever seen. I have family that are expert designers and have made clothing, purses, etc. I feel I know quality when I see it ;)
Not to toot my own horn, but the feedback from the director, producers, and even the rest of the cast was incredible and very heartwarming.

Being so grateful, it was hard to say goodbyes on set and head home, but I did. One of the most memorable moments of my career.

And THEN my life officially began, as I arrived at the biggest crossroads in my entire life. I was hooked. I knew I had to be an Actor. It was a fear I had for so long, a suspicion that gnawed at me throughout moments in my life. But my suspicions proved to be true. If I’d ever have the chance to do something artistically on a professional level, I, I would not look back.

I thought about continuing to pursue this craft while continuing to prep for graduate school. Logistically, however, I did not see how doing both would fruitful, if I wanted to get to a professional level, that is. So I decided to do one of the craziest things in my life (at the time), and leave my studies to pursue this industry professionally.

And THAT was an interesting conversation to have with my parents over dinner. But when I told them my decision, they were fully supportive. Shocked, but fully supportive.

About a decade later, I am happy to have worked in Television projects, film projects, commercial projects with Emmy Award Winning professionals and amazing human beings of all walks of life. My appearances on the screen span Telemundo, Netflix Latin America, NBC, Amazon Prime, ESPN, Investigation Discovery Network, Travel Channel, EWTN Network, Colombian Television, Bollywood Films, as well as Off-Broadway work with Tony Award Winner Robert Kalfin.

4 years ago, however, things continue to evolve for the better. The Producing bug bit me and I realized I wanted to take more responsibility in the process of storytelling. Just as much a crazy motivation as what I felt years before when I wanted to be an actor. It seems I was going to take another jump as crazy as the one I did years before.

I did, Salazar Productions was born. A small but strong company but I knew we were meant for great things. In the coming years, we had created in the areas of Film, Commercial, Documentary, and Social Media.

Some of our notable projects include: Our last commercial which premiered at New York Fashion Week 2023 (February), our recent horror film which is currently on its 4th Film Festival and 14th Award, as well as being the Casing Office for Supporting and Day Players for “The Elevator”, currently on Amazon Prime, starring Oscar Nominee Eric Roberts.

One thing I feel sets me apart from other individuals with their own production company is my experience as an actor as well as someone who came from outside the Industry. Since I was an actor first, I feel my approach to any project is very different from others that come from other areas of life to being a Producer. Not better, not worse, just different. Different in a way that will give a certain kind of insight and development each project I approach. Also, there is much affinity I have for my production crew and their tireless efforts to help me bring these projects to life, and I feel that comes from being an actor first.

On the other hand, some of my clients are not film/industry at all. Some clients want a video for their company. Others want content for their social media pages. Since I worked in other areas like being a Brand Ambassador for so many types of Clients and Products, and sales work in many areas, I developed my own style of building rapport with them as well as trust.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Now this will sound crazy, because whether I am working as an actor or producer, I make my living out of it and we all need to make a living. I get that.

But the moment the final product is created is a very magical moment. The moment the product is created is the win.

Let’s just think about how fascinating this concept is.

There are ideas, concepts, a script etc., with words on a paper. That paper may have characters, description of places, etc. We take that script and attach a cinematographer to shoot it. But then we hire performers to play the characters on that paper, with their insight, training, and skill. But yet we need a director to bring about the right performances. Oh yea, let’s not forget hair / makeup / wardrobe people to make everything look good. But we also need a production designer to design the overall scene we are looking at. Also, production assistants to assist with everything overall. I know I might be missing a few positions, but you get the idea.

It’s shot, goes through editing, music is added, and then you hit play. All the components we put together since the initial sit-down with the script all the way through the editing room is right before our very eyes.

THATS CRAZY. And I love every moment of it.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

From the beginning of my career as an Actor & Producer, I have tried to develop the best work ethic possible, not only to make my company as strong as possible, but to bring that to the creation of projects I would work on with other individuals.

Simply put, it’s a care factor. Which is why It was actually wonderful to see so much support I received when I announced the birth of Salazar Productions. Support from so many people from different points in my life and career.

Most importantly, I cannot mention work ethic without mentioning those that are responsible for me having instilled that work ethic I bring to everything in my life. Starting with my parents, they showed me what hard work, determination, and perseverance really is. We immigrated from Colombia, South America, when I was only about 3 years old, and they’ve gone through everything to ensure I lead a happy and productive life. My father is now retired after decades of expert work in many trades, and my mother is the Head Certified Surgical Technician for NYU Langone Orthopedic.

Then all my coaches / teachers throughout my career. I trained for years in the Korean Martial Art of Tae Kwon Do. I trained and did well enough to fight Nationally in the sport, building a record of 17-4 and 1. My Teachers were Grandmaster Moon S. Lee and Grandmaster J.W. Suh (national and international level competitor).

My high school gymnastics coach, the great Ken Achiron. He has worked in the National, International, and Olympic level in this sport. In 3 short years, I became one of the top high school gymnasts in New York City.

My College Springboard Diving Coaches. I had a wonderful career as an NCAA Division 1 Springboard Diver in college and. Vivian (Alberty) Velazquez – 2004 Atlanta Olympic Games competitor for Puerto Rico, and Harry Klug – 1964 Olympic Trials Competitor.

When you see me jumping through all kinds of hoops to keep the show on the road, all the people mentioned above are HUGELY responsible.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.SalazarProductions.co
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/hugosalazarjr?igshid=eos0rtln1tkh
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HugoSalazarJrOfficial/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugosalazarjr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/hugosalazarjr
• Other: Hugo Salazar, Jr. IMDB https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3321561/?ref_=ext_shr Salazar Productions Instagram https://instagram.com/salazar.productions?igshid=iajjlmitzyh4 Salazar Productions Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SalazarProductions1/