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

Hi Mark, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

“More often than we care to admit it, we don’t get what we want because we quit early or we didn’t take the necessary risk to get it” -Matthew McConaughey

In my life I’ve tried not to shy away from taking risks and if you ask my mother, she might tell you I’ve taken a few too many. Taking risks has been essential to my personal and professional growth especially as I navigate my career as an actor. Risks are really just choices that give us a chance. A chance to be bold, to be courageous, to believe in ourselves, and to grow.

Three years ago I was working in customer service for a software company right out of college and still living with my parents. I could tell I needed a change, I was just unsure if it was a change of scenery, change of career or change of heart. (Spoiler: it was all three) I decided to pack up my Toyota with everything I owned and move in with my best friend in Charleston, South Carolina while he finished his masters degree. I had never been to Charleston in my life, but with my dreams of acting still in the back of my mind and blossoming film industry in the Southeast, I figured at least I’d be closer to the action. I took a risk.

Risks don’t have to be dangerous, in fact I think it’s more productive when they aren’t about conquering something dangerous, but instead conquering a fear. They also don’t all have to happen at once. I worked remote for the software company for another 4 months after moving, and it was a year after that when I signed up for my first acting class since high school. Small (and sometimes big), calculated risks are the reason I continue to grow, challenge myself and keep moving forward.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born and raised in Binghamton, New York which is about three hours northwest of NYC. Growing up I really struggled figuring out what I wanted to do and who I was going to be. I had lots of interests but always got bored or lost interest after a while. Most of what I was drawn to was on the creative side of things so I attended Alfred University in Western NY where I earned my BFA with a focus in ceramics. I graduated during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, which was not the easiest time to get out into the workforce especially with a fine arts degree. Luckily, a friend of mine was able to help me get a job at a local software startup company so I was able to save up some money while the world was shut down. Over the next three years I really looked inward to try and understand what it was I really wanted to do in life. I tried lots of different jobs and I failed a lot. One thing kept coming back though. Acting.

It’s always been my dream to be an actor. I can remember being maybe four years old reenacting scenes from power rangers next to the tv with my mom. I never really knew if I would be good at it or if I’d even like it until the first time I stepped on stage for my high school production of ‘Footloose’ my freshman year. I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since. I was accepted to Pace University for their acting program in NYC and had every intention of continuing my acting career and following my dreams. Plot twist, I didn’t go. I think deep down I knew what a career as an actor was going to cost and as an 18 year old kid, I don’t think I was ready for those sacrifices. Sometimes we all are guilty of holding ourselves back with the thought of “not being ready” but in this case I know I wasn’t, and that’s okay.

So much of my creative career has been about timing and I feel really good about where I’m at right now. I found a great coach, Shelby Busey Jennings, at The Class Acting Studios in Summerville, SC and also am enrolled in The Hollywood Winners Circle with Wendy Alane Wright. Without both of these programs I would still be dreaming of being an actor instead of actually doing it.

The biggest thing for me right now is telling good stories whether that’s through acting, directing, producing or writing. Bringing good stories to life is what drives me as an actor.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I have lots of goals, and as I navigate my acting career they are constantly shifting and adapting which I think is important in all careers. Setting goals was always a bit challenging for me growing up in the sense that I’d write down these goals, but that’s where it stopped. I knew what I wanted to accomplish but I never knew what steps to take to get there. My grandpa gave me a great piece of advice about this and I think I owe a lot of my successes and growth to this particular tip.

He said “Once you have a goal it’s simple, every decision in your life is either on the path to reaching it or it’s not.”

I’m paraphrasing a lot but this was a really key moment in my life. I didn’t need to have a concrete roadmap on reaching my goals like I thought, I just had to ask myself if what I was doing was helping me get towards my goals or was it taking me off the path. I spent the early part of my life struggling to meet the expectations of others, or at least what I thought they expected of me. I realized I made a lot of decisions based on other people and not myself.

My main focus and goal, which has been a somewhat recent development, is to tell good stories and stay true to myself. I think as long as I’m doing those two things, I’ll feel fulfilled. It’s broad, but I’m okay with that for now. I want to work on projects that inspire me and hopefully inspire others. My whole life I’ve wanted to be an actor so to even have to opportunity to do it and work with such incredible, talented individuals is such a blessing that I’m immensely grateful for.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

There’s a lot of things, but the main thing is why do I do it. It’s not something I expect everyone to understand, but they don’t have to. There are lots of things in life that we don’t understand. I think many people, including myself, were brought up with the notion that there’s somewhat of a roadmap to follow for “success”. You go to college, find a partner, get a good job with good benefits and a little time off, maybe raise a few kids, take a few vacations, put your thirty years in and retire. I want to emphasize that I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this roadmap and I often think about the things I might miss or have already missed because of the path I’ve chosen. Realizing that I might have to sacrifice some of these checkpoints on the “roadmap” was and still is at times a hard pill to swallow. I’d be lying if I said I never felt selfish or guilty for living so far away from my family and pursuing this dream. This isn’t meant to be a guilt trip though, I’ve been blessed to have so many wonderful experiences both acting related and beyond that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

We all make sacrifices in life, the most imperative thing is to find the thing that makes the sacrifices worth it.

I want to stress that although I was brought up with this traditional mindset, my family gave me a lot of space to be who I was going to be from a very young age and that space to grow has allowed me to create my own roadmap. It allowed me to make my own decisions, form my own opinions, and cultivate my own life and happiness without feeling the pressure to be someone I’m not.

There are always going to be people who don’t understand why you do what you do, no matter what path in life you take and that’s okay. My best advice is to surround yourself with people who support you, bring out the best in you, elevate your skills and push you to be a better human being.

Why do I do it? I ask myself that all the time and each time I come up with a new answer. Above all, this is who I am and when I wake up in the morning or I lay down at night, I’m happy. I am an Actor, and it’s the best job I’ve ever had.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialmarkgallo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markgallo.actor/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/markgallo

Image Credits
-First Headshot for the story: Chris Lonsberry Media -Collage of 5 headshots: Chris Lonsberry Media -Behind the scenes of ‘The Road Agent’ around a fire: Jason Vaughn -On set for ‘The Road Agent’ with Director Brian Liepe: Shannon Wise, Wise Photo Co. -Color grading tests for ‘Bones’: Sean Morgan -Group shot on set for ‘Bones’ by Shelby Busey: Chris Lonsberry Media -In scene study class with Paulina Torres: Shelby Busey -Behind the scenes in the monitor for ‘AA’ by Jackson Nichols: Paulina Torres -Framing up the shot for ‘Home Improvement’ by Trinity Hutzler: Trinity Hutzler