We were lucky to catch up with João Gabbriel recently and have shared our conversation below.

João Gabbriel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

I hope to be remembered as someone that was never afraid to be themselves, I believe that film should be personal and unique, although I understand that lots of companies are more willing to invest in Intelectual proprieties and projects that are already established between audiences or are clear, easy sells, as this ensures their investment is protected and offers near-guaranteed return. I am more than willing to risk an idea than I’m passionate about, or to take an unorthodox approach to something familiar.

I believe that there’s no place for pride in film, I was brutally rejected more times than I can count, but I never changed my outlook in the industry and never stopped improving in my craft. Even though it’s an extremely competitive market, I am never afraid to reinvent myself and try again.

João Gabbriel, 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 was born in a small town in the south side Brazil, as a kid I’ve always been in love with entertaining and performing dramatic stunts such as movies and music, nevertheless martial arts played a huge role in my life like: Karate, Muay Thai and a more tactical branch of Krav Maga called Kapap, I also used to play in a small band, although, we played live very few times and broke off relatively quickly due to time arrangement difficulties, many of my friends kept telling me how I stood out when it came to standing presence and expressivity while on stage. So adding to my love for movies and performing to audiences as well as camera, I felt like acting was a job I could really relate to.

I recently graduated the New York film academy for acting for film, where I was trained in a variety of stage and film acting techniques. From many forms of scene study to stage combat.

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

I never did well in school, I was always frustrated with the lack of mental challenges public education offered. School, to me, was all about memorizing transcripts, and getting the “Right Answers”, on generic “tests” that required no creative problem solving skills whatsoever.

With film, I get to be rewarded for thinking outside the box. The more personal, the better. It’s not about correct or more efficient, it’s about showcasing something that people can relate to or allowing them the freedom to understand a different perspective within the world we live in.

When I got to set to act in my latest project, Last Round, I was ecstatic to see the crew I assembled working on a project that I wrote. It was through this experience where I found the true power behind writing my own dialogue. There’s simply no better feeling than to authentically express oneself, through art.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I feel that the venture of any artist is about self discovery as we embark on a search for our own truth.

As an actor, the entire journey is intrinsic. Our progress cannot be measured like other creatives (such as painters, where we can visually see when the art is complete). We let go of emotional blocks and self consciousness to further understand ourselves. It’s an existential route where all satisfaction is internal.

When I Performed Julius Caesar at the Komisky Theatre, the audience saw a two hour long show, while my experience was much deeper than that. I went through a three month discovery arc in order to fully understand my character’s in and outs, all within the same shared two hours of entertainment.

Most times art won’t pay off instantly, but the persistence to reinvent oneself constantly is what makes everything worth it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joaomarianou/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo%C3%A3o-gabbriel-kurtz-de-oliveira-mariano-da-rocha-3a83781a6/