Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Russ Russo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Russ, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
I do all my acting classes On Camera , so that in real time my actors can see what a tip , trick or technique can do for them right away to up their level immediately as an actor .
Russ, 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 had asked my Mom when I was a teen if I could try an acting class . She took me to an agency nearby in New Jersey where I grew up as a kid and on the wall were headshots of the kids from ‘ Home Improvement ‘ , of course they wanted thousands of dollars for me to take pictures and to do to their classes in order to represent me for toothpaste commercials and it turned out they were just another scam agency just trying to make a buck off of the dreams of a teen . So , there went that quickly . Fast forward , I was 21 and in between jobs and girlfriends and my younger brother would ask me to go into NYC to meet with agents or managers in the Acting Industry . We did and they mainly would provide ‘Extra Work’ , so , nothing legit . My brother then decided to form a rock band instead , but something about acting still intrigued me and one day while driving to a record store , I stumbled upon a Blackbox theatre and began learning in a two year program while doing various plays during that time . Those early plays including portraying Sanford Meisner’s originated role , Moe Axelrod, in Clifford Odet’s ‘ Awake and Sing’ were some of the most incredible learning experiences I had in the craft . Mrs. Greene , my first acting teacher, beyond some Shakespeare classes I had done in High School , but never dared to perform in the Musicals or join the ‘Actors’ in High School plays , was a revelation having studied directly under Stella Adler . I was agog and awe inspired being immersed in this world of acting . My 23rd birthday , I decided to set off to NYC and try my hand auditioning for Theatre , Films & TV there . It was the most bohemian existence I had ever led . I lived in an apartment in Bedstuy , Brooklyn with 3 roommates right off the G train . My direct , 20 minute leap into Manhattan , suddenly my World started to Grow. Plays , Films . For 4 straight years , I worked non stop at the craft while holding down a myriad of survival jobs and then I had a nice break with a movie called ‘Williamsburg’ that got me signed by a legit Agent and Manager and swept the Film Festival circuit with a lot of buzz . I followed that with another movie ‘ Blue Collar Boys’ that made me some life long artistic friendships and supported a move to Los Angeles . Once in LA , after 6 years in NYC , it was a whole new atmosphere and vibe to learn , things didn’t happen fast like in NYC and there were missteps and landmines everywhere for an actor both in relationships and in simple interactions . I kept my head down and landed a role in a movie ‘ Donner Pass’ with some Well Known TV & Movie actors and then got a real break when being asked to lead the film ‘ An Act of War’ portraying a vet suffering with PTSD returning to his projectionist job in Coney Island , Brooklyn . It was a stylized , black and white film with some colorized scenes to mark time and it swept Festivals and got me a Manny award at a prestigious NYC festival and landed Top 10 on Netflix in 2017 . After appearing with Jason Sudeikis , Jessica Biel, Maisie Williams , Paul Reiser and Mary Steenburgen in ‘ Book of Love’ and then opposite Ryan Phillippe in ‘Catch Hell’ , it was safe to say the work would continue , a role opposite Mark Pellegrino in NBC’s Revolution and then James Franco’s tv series ‘ The Ultimate Evil’ kept jobs moving along and then the lead of a TV series ‘Chaser’ released to Prime in 2024.
In the interim , after leaving Los Angeles and having two daughters born , founded MC ACTORS STUDIO out of Asbury Park , NJ , a place where actors can come for On Camera work to learn from a professional actor how to take their craft to the next level .
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Actors have always had to be resilient . There is entirely too much time in between jobs and without that resilience , you will crumble . You need to be able to work your craft even when not on set and that was part of the reason MC ACTORS STUDIO was founded .
Have you ever had to pivot?
I think you’re always pivoting and trying to find new ways of making your dream a reality . The dream is to be an artist and being able to do that daily , to be creative and have that be self-sustaining . So , a major pivot in my life was when Covid hit and my first daughter was born right as that was beginning . I began teaching acting online as a way of connecting to the world outside . My actors , once Covid was starting to wane and we had found a way to make it less deadly , suggested at the end of 2021 that I open a Studio where they could perform with one another in person and so in January 2022 . The doors opened on MC Actors Studio.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Mcactorsstudio.com
- Instagram: @actorrussrusso @mcactorsstudio
- Facebook: @russrusssofanpage
- Youtube: @russrusso
Image Credits
Danny Sanchez Photography