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First of all, why don't you introduce yourself to those of us who
might not already know you?
My
name is Vinicius Machado, born and raised in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. I
moved to Orlando Florida when I was about twelve years old. I have lived
just about everywhere between Miami and Orlando when I lived on the East Coast. I was originally a soccer player and was pursuing that to the
fullest as a way of living. That is, till I had to audition for one of the
school plays in my high school as mandatory by my drama class. Needless to
say, I got the part, though I didn't want it. I fell in love with the
stage and have never turned my back on it ever since. I became an actor,
just like that. I let go of my soccer dreams and don't regret it one bit.
I have worked on numerous prime time television shows, Hollywood
blockbusters, commercials, voice overs, industrials, etc. My resume is
continually being updated as a reflection of my dedication to the
business. I'm also a producer and established working writer in the
industry as well. However, the greatest role I am proud to say that I have
been afforded to play is that of being a father to three beautiful kids
and a loving husband to my wife. That's me in a nutshell. You have recently starred in
the movie Beautiful & Twisted - what's that one about, and what
can you tell us about your character in it? Beautiful &
Twisted is actually premiering the 31st of January, on Lifetime at 8/7
central. It's a Sony Pictures
production that I'm so humbled to have been a part of.
It tells Ben Novack Junior's real life story. And how he was
brutally murdered by his wife's hired assassins. The story doesn't end
there though. Their lives stood as a testimony and as a message to all of
the elites of the city of Miami in that era. It provoked big spenders to
think twice about their spendings, or on whom they would disburse their
fortunes. It's a thriller of a ride with Rob Lowe, Paz Vega and Candice
Bergen leading the film. I play the main assassin hired by Ben' wife to
murder him. I got to spend a lot of time with Paz Vega and I just have to
say that she is a total sweetheart and a phenomenal actress. Had one or
two scenes with Rob Lowe, and he was likewise super cool and chill to work
with. I got to meet and talk with Candice, but didn't get to do a scene
with her. She's inspiring to be around. So ambitious and a strong advocate
for change in the world. Learned a lot on this set. How did you
get involved with the project in the first place?
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I have
garnered a momentum for myself in the industry for the past year or two.
Though I have always worked. There's not been one year where I didn't work
to some capacity in this industry. Though it has varied from year to year,
the amount of work. But that's a rare thing to say that you always have
worked. So I count myself fortunate that way. I say this to say, that
within the past two years, something changed for me. I began receiving
offers and being noted in a different light. Don't have to audition for
everything anymore. I have earned an astounding reputation with my recent
work during these years and I have been granted several opportunities this
way, by offers. What that means is that they like you or believe in you to
the point that they will just offer you the role. Sometimes you still go
in to see them, or make a phone call to talk to them, but it's not the
usual excruciating process of auditioning. Well, such has been my case
here with Beautiful & Twisted. I'm not afraid to read against anybody
for a role, A list names included, but let me tell you, everything changes
when you begin to receive offers. It's no longer about fear or
fearlessness. Suddenly your focus shifts to branding yourself and your
image. What
can you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? The
best. Chris Zalla, the director of the film would sit down and have lunch
with us. Usually they are busy and overwhelmed, they sit with the
producers and discuss big things. But we would discuss life in a foreign
country, and growing up in different sides of the nation here and how that
affected our view of the country as a whole. I bring this experience to
say that this was the overall feel on this set. Everyone was personal and
humbled this way. We were on the beach for a few days. I remember waking
up from a nap in my trailer and literally we are parked two feet from the
sand, so I would not only be staring into the surf coming in but I could
walk on the sand and intake the beauty as a way to prepare myself mentally
for the scenes, some of which were extremely brutal, physically, but also
emotionally. On the last day at that location, I decided to jump into the
water at the end of the day and then went for a jog on the beach. Now,
that's how you end your filming run on a location, lol. Not all sets work
out that way, but for Beautiful & Twisted it did, and I loved it.
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Most
people might know you from playing Nomar Arcielo on Power - so what
can you tell us about that show, and of course your character? Power
is produced by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. I have followed him
since God knows when. I really think that he is a creative genius. How he
came from literally nothing to being the millionaire that he is today
blows my mind. I was most thankful to have met and gotten to know him. The
first time I met him, he gave me a hug. Seriously. Told me how great I was
doing Nomar and all. It's inspiring enough to be a part of something
he's producing, but then to receive such treatment from him personally,
again, I'm dumbfounded still. Nomar is a pedophile to put it plain. He's a
member of the Soldado Nation gang who is dating his boss's fourteen year
old daughter secretly. This info is being used by the FBI to blackmail
him and coercively get him as their counter Intelligence on the streets.
He's a rat who will do whatever he has to in order to escape his
predicaments. However, he is trapped beyond escapability and has no choice
but to juggle life and death with each breath he takes. Playing Nomar was
a grand opportunity for me. I'm stereotyped as the drug dealer, gangster
often, though I have and can play other roles. It's just that in Hollywood
we have a saying that goes like this, 'if it's not broken, don't fix it'.
Nomar was different then my stereotypical gangsters. He was a pedophile, a
man in love, at the end of the day a human being, not at all one-dimensional. This afforded me the privilege of showcasing another color
and range within my abilities, which has not only worked in many levels,
but granted me benefits beyond the monetarily sense in the industry. Nomar
in a sense has opened up doors that were closed to me within the casting
world. The show itself is a stellar movement. It encompasses so much of
life in a raw and tasteful manner. People love it so much because they
relate so much to it. That's how heartfelt and brilliant the creators of
it have approached it. That's how I felt being in it, like I'm a part of
an excellent thing happening. So grateful.
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What
do you draw upon to bring Nomar to life, and how much of Vinicius Machado
can we find in Nomar? Of course you always put as much of
yourself into it as you can. After all, you can't dis-attach yourself
entirely from your roles. That's why I believe that every role you play was
meant for you in a sense. With that said though, it's called acting for a
reason. It's a skill we have to put on and then put off. Nomar is so
different from me in so many different ways. I did a lot of listening to and
observing pedophile documentaries, confessions, etc. I learned a lot
about behavior, humanly speaking by doing so. It not only enriched me to
be able to bring Nomar to life, but by studying these people, I was able
to understand humanity better and the world we live in. As weird as this
may be. I also used a lot of music to dress him and carry him through. For
some reason music stuck so deep here with him. Heavy metal rock and roll
and rap. None of which I'm most fond of musically. So, there goes some
comparison for you. Again, how did you get involved
with the project ... and what's it like working alongside 50 Cent? It
took me about a month to get this role. I went from putting myself on tape
as a chance for the role of Julio, then to going in physically for the role
of Ruiz. Then for the role of Nomar. They saw something they liked and
kept trying to fit me in where best suited. I did not expect this at all.
This is actually the first time in my career where I have experienced such
love this way. The rule is you get one chance, if you don't fit the role
they brought you in for, that's it. You don't get to come back for
something else. I don't even know what else to say here other then just
thankful beyond words. Let me say this about 50 Cent since I already spoke
about him in one of the questions above. He is a show on his own. What do
I mean by that? There's a difference between being rich, having money
and then being wealthy! 50 Cent can lose all his money and he would never
be broke. He would never lack opportunity or work. He's not only driven,
but the man is an workaholic. His drive and passion is what sustains him.
I never forget what I learned from talking to him, merely, that this has
nothing to do with talent, but it's all business. That's what a lot of
actors don't understand. I can't say it any more plain. If you want to
succeed in this world, you have to grasp this key principal. Dilligence. Another
very recent project of yours is Wild for the Night - now what's
that one about, and what can you tell us about your character in it?
Wild
for the Night is another thriller, scheduled to come out this year
sometime. It's about this guy pursuing the truth about what happened
to his sister. With a whirlwind of twists and life changing scenarios
shaping his character in the process. I played Aldo. A gangster. The right
hand man to the biggest drug dealer in town. Aldo is also suffering from
early stages of tourette syndrome. So I got to stretch my stereotype
further by having this shade to him. This film was also offered to me.
The film was shot right here in Los Angeles and it is as edgy and dark as
the city it is based on.
Do
talk about that shoot for a bit! Working with Benny Boom
can only be inspiring. He is directly connected to my Power family as he
has directed 50 Cent before and works personally with his circle of people
directly. This was my first time working with Benny Boom, but to my
surprise he has shot in places in Brazil that I grew up in and near. I
haven't been squibbed in a while before Power. To be squibbed means that
they put a blood pack on you and then wire it so that it explodes as you
act out getting shot or blown, etc. I knew the feeling already from
experience many times before. But it had been awhile since a role I was
playing required that. Well, I got shot a few times on this one. For some
reason it hurt more than I remember it. Perhaps I forgot. Either way it's
so great when you get to be a kid and get paid for it. Any other current
and future projects you'd like to share? I have
another film coming out this year called Misfortune with Gunnison
Films. I'm also currently shooting two new projects which
unfortunately I will be not able to say anything further about it at this
time. But stay tuned guys on my social media - vmachado82 - and or my
website machadovinicius.com and I will keep you guys posted. What got you into
acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the
subject? Acting fell into my lap. I always say that it's
like a calling. I didn't force it, I didn't necessarily pursue it to the
point of beating myself up if I didn't get it or anything like that. I
simply embraced what was being handed to me. I always worked. People take
years trying to break in and get into it and all. Not my case. I have been
rejected and lost auditions and so forth. But for the most part I didn't
go through that. I booked the first times I needed to book in order to
receive the confirmation to do this. I booked in high school. I booked at
Universal Studios Orlando. I booked within the first three weeks of having
moved to California. That's it, the rest is history. I got basic training
at first and then some intense training and all. I believe in training. I
have continued to train and seek training in different degrees. But
generally, no, not like most. I believe the greatest teacher is the work
itself. Just do that. And do that often. I learned a lot just being on
sets, observing and sponging everything and anything I could.
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What can you tell us about your filmwork prior
to Beautiful & Twisted, Power and Wild
for the Night? Let' me put it this way. I have
been named by American Latino TV as "The fastest rising Latino
talent on television today". My resume speaks for itself. Few of my
credits include Cold Case, The Shield, CSI
Miami, NCIS, Lincoln Heights,
Dark Blue, Sleeper Cell, Eagleheart, Get
Smart, FlashForward, General Hospital, etc. Again to name
just very few. I have worked for just about
every network there is with the exception of the CW at this point. I have
always worked. Besides acting you also
occasionally write and produce your own projects - so do talk about these
projects for a bit, and what is your philosophy when it comes to writing
and producing? It's
all about creative control and bridging the gap between mainstream
Hollywood and the Indie world. My intention and heart is to introduce as
many unknown artists as possible to mainstream. I had help that got me to
where I am at right now. A lot of others growing around me didn't. I look
at them today and I ask myself why. Remember I said that' it's not about
talent. Well, that's one of my goals with my own production company. I
think acting is such a service that with it we can help and enhance our
experience in this world we call earth. To take someone away from their
troubles and inspire them to dream bigger, to view life different, to
touch their spirits in a way that changes who they are. That's the beauty
of cinema and the influence that this medium has. What a precious
opportunity. Why waste it by keeping it monopolized? There's a human
responsibility to our fellow citizens to embrace them and by doing so
contribute to the arts. Thats why I'm so driven to produce. There's untold
stories out there, we just need to open up the doors for them to touch us.
When it comes to acting, you've done it
all, big budget flicks, indies, television - so how do these compare and
what kind of set do you prefer?
I
love them all. I love what I do. I wouldn't change it for the world. I
have been fortunate to have balance between them all. Perhaps if I didn't
I would be saying something different. But I seem to get just enough
television work between my film work, to keep me balanced. How
would you describe yourself as an actor, and some of your techniques to
bring your characters to life?
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I'm
a method actor by heart. Although I realize that most of my work falls
into the character actor type. I dress the part really well. There's
variations to the identity discovery process that allows me to embrace
both types at the same time. I know they say you can only be one or the
other. I'm living proof that you can. Actors (and indeed
actresses) who inspire you? Meryl
Streep. Denzel Washington, Kevin Kline, Anthony Hopkins, and the list goes
on... Your favourite movies? Gladiator,
it's on the top of the list. ...
and of course, films you really deplore? Open
Water. I got so sick watching that. But not because of that alone. It
just wasn't executed properly. There was no story. Your website,
Facebook, whatever else?
vmachado82 on all social media.
machadovinicius.com
Anything else you are dying to
mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
I
love my kids and wife Luz Machado. They are the reason I continue to
thrive and exist. I'm grateful to them for their love and inspiration
everyday I wake up. Their unconditional affection poises me to make
them prouder. I'm forever indebted to them for the purpose and drive
they give me. To my fans, I'm nothing without you. Seriously. There's no
me in this business without your faithfulness. I love and care for you
more then you know. If there's anything I care more deeply in this
industry is you. Thank you. To everyone out there who seeks and dreams
of following my footsteps I have three things to say to you. One, stay
ready. If you have to get ready, then you are not ready. Two, be
prepared. Life happens. Don't ever be outworked. And last but not least,
three, be fearless. Impossible is Nothing. I'm living proof that you can
and you will if you believe. The future is an achievement. Go make
yours. V
Thanks for
the interview!
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find Vinicius Machado at adultvideouniverse.com
