Q&A With Michael Vaccaro

Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of Michael Vaccaro

Michael Vaccaro is an actor who starred in “Aunt Cissy”, “Dhar Mann”, “Totally Studios”, “Supermission”, “Runaway Billionaire Becomes My Groom”, “The Princess with the Cursed Mark” and “Child of the 70s” which he also created and produced. If all goes as planned, he will be working on a couple of films very soon. One, an old-school type suspense/thriller, shooting in Germany, and a rom-com, shooting in Los Angeles. Check out his work!

KB: Did you always want to be an actor growing up?

From the very first! I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be an actor. It’s in my DNA! Maybe I was an actor in a previous life, and I brought it with me into this one. I grew up in New York City, and theatre was my first love.

KB: Did you have favorite actors?

Growing up? Oh, yes! Al Pacino was a God for me! I was obsessed. I still think his performance in “Dog Day Afternoon” is one of the best ever put on film. This might be an interesting one…

Stockard Channing. I saw her in a play called “Six Degrees of Separation” at Lincoln Centre, and it absolutely changed the way I thought. Made me realize what an actor can be capable of. I went to see everything she did on and off-Broadway.

KB: How did you get the part as Carlo in “Child of the 70s” and what is your fondest memory of that show?

I created “Child of the ’70s!” Wrote it, got it produced, and did five seasons of it. It’s an homage to the sitcoms I loved growing up in the 1970s – and I was able to get some of my 1970s TV idols to be in it! Susan Olsen who played Cindy Brady” in “The Brady Bunch”, Ted Lange, Isaac the Bartender, in “The Love Boat”, Donna Pescow, from “Angie”, Beverly Sanders from “Rhoda”, Gina Hecht from “Mork & Mindy”, and so many others. Just the fact that I was able to get it made, and then have it up on Amazon Prime, felt like a huge accomplishment for me, something that I will always be profoundly proud of and grateful for.

KB: What kind of show was “Dhar Mann”?

Dhar Mann was a YouTube channel that I was an actor on for a little bit. The channel was in its infancy back then. We would shoot these cute little videos, and I had no idea that it would get as big as it did.

KB: “The Princess with the Cursed Mark”: you played Don White. What did you like about this role?

That was a fun role. Don White was so evil! Such a villain, and I loved playing him.

KB: You played several roles in “Supermission”: Did you enjoy doing this?

Really enjoyed my time on “Supermission”. An easy and fun job, with great people.

KB: Are there people you would love to collaborate with or you wished you had?

So many. There are directors I would absolutely LOVE to work with: Ferzan Ozpetek, a Turkish film director, who now lives and works in Italy. His films are glorious! Almodóvar is a dream, too! Wong Kar-wai, from China. That’s the kind of stuff I want to be doing. There’s a Belgian director, Zeno Graton, who I would love to work with. Khalil Ben Gharbia is an extraordinary young actor. Also, Jules Ritmanic and Félix Maritaud. I also admire Tom Hardy tremendously. There are a bunch of famous actors I’d like to work with: Angelina Jolie, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Gael Garcia Bernal. My dream is to work in Italy – there’s a series called “My Brilliant Friend”, based on a series of books, I would very much like to do something like that.

KB: I give you the lead in a comedy series and you can pick 2 co-stars: Who would you pick and why?

Besides all the people I just mentioned, I have many actor friends I’d love to do a comedy series with. Noah Fearnley & Félix Merback – check them both out. They’re great.

KB: What are you currently up to? I see that you are involved in many things!

Well, if all goes as planned, I’ll be working on a couple of films very soon. One, an old-school type suspense/thriller, shooting in Germany, and a rom-com, shooting in Los Angeles. This business is so unpredictable, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Follow Michael on Instagram: HERE

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