We were lucky to catch up with Marco Labate recently and have shared our conversation below.

Marco, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I like to think that my learning process started the moment I watched my first movie as a kid. That feeling you get after leaving the movie theater: wanting to be the superhero you admire or the cool guy with the witty answers, it all drove me to seek knowledge in human behavior. I wanted to understand why people acted or reacted the way they did, and I carried this curiosity throughout my life to this day. I’m pretty sure this helped me in learning how to act. Empathy is a big skill in this industry, and you can learn it for free!
I think that being able to relax a little more on stage or in front of the camera early on would have helped me a lot in the process. I was always very worried about how I would be perceived. The fear of being misunderstood was a big challenge that I had to overcome, but being in a theater conservatory, constantly exposing myself to the same fear helped me mature in ways that no other experience could. It helped my grow as a human.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello, I am Marco Labate, an actor from Brazil, now living in Los Angeles. I began my journey into acting by making this crazy move from studying business at Insper in Brazil to pursuing an associate degree in acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. This shift was inspired by a conversation with a friend who shared her own aspirations to go abroad and pursue acting, sparking a realization in me about my deep-seated passion for performing and storytelling. I’ve always been drawn to creating and editing videos to entertain others, but it was this pivotal moment that made me realized I also wanted to be in front of the camera. At the Academy, I immersed myself in the world of acting, connecting with fellow international actors and participating in plays and short films. This environment not only nurtured my passion but also allowed me to collaborate creatively with friends, including producing my own short film. Growing up in Brazil, where filmmakers are often overlooked, I always felt like an outlier. Despite initially pursuing a career in business, once I became aware of my true passion in entertainment, I knew I had to follow my heart and do everything to achieve my dreams.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A few years ago, I was in business school back in Brazil. I had been accepted to one of the best universities in my city and was looking forward to learn how to manage a company and get a beautiful diploma by the end of it. I started struggling with motivation when I realized that I wasn’t really all that passionate about the topics I was studying. At the same time, I had just become friends with Gica Pucca, a Brazilian actress who was planning to move to LA to take acting classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She told me her plans at a party we were at and told me I should go too. She had noticed that my true passion was in acting before I even did, and she was absolutely right! That idea seemed like a joke to me at first but it really got me thinking, but not for too long. The next day I was already in their website looking up how to apply, and that’s what I did. It’s wise to advise against impulsive decisions, but this one felt like an awakening more than an impulse. What came next was a journey of self-discovery, meeting people I could finally relate to and of pure joy.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I aspire to tell stories that, while inspired by previous works, will be a moving force for the next generations of filmmakers and artists. I love the idea of innovating storytelling techniques and bringing something different to the table every time, something refreshing to the eyes and ears. I believe that, by doing that, more people will be able to find stories they relate to and can learn from, while also having a blast in the movie theater.
I also have the dream of being able to improve the Brazilian movie industry even further. I think we have so much great stuff to talk about over there and so much artistic potential to show to the world, all we need is support. I want to help great Brazilian artists become even greater and get the recognition they deserve.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marcoamlabate.wixsite.com/marco-labate/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcolabatee/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-labate-676aa7271