I have been keeping an eye out on For Nothing. I love back East mob movies and shows, and it has an amazing cast. What was it like filming with them?

 Filming with the cast of For Nothing was amazing! This project is based on a series of three books. Two of which are out already. The writer, creator and producer of this iconic series, Nicholas Denmon, is now a friend of mine and has been since we met each other on the set of Wolf Hound in 2018. Denmon is also an actor, amongst being a successful author. To meet and work along side iconic actors such as Michael Madsen, Daniel Baldwin, and Robert Funaro , was truly an honor. They were so nice and even complimented me. I cannot wait for the series to get picked up, so that I can work alongside them even more. There are also so many other actors involved in this project that I was not filming with on my day, that I’m looking forward to meeting and working with as well, if this proceeds on to a full time series.

You have several cool roles under your belt, but the opportunity to be a part of For Nothing is an amazing opportunity. Was there ever a moment of realizing  that this is next level?

Yes. When I arrived in Buffalo, at my hotel The Aloft. The very same hotel Madsen, Baldwin, and Funaro were staying at. I was like “Wow, this is how it feels to be Big Time”. Also, finding out that Netflix, HBO, and Amazon Prime had shown interest in the series upon start of filming.

What was the funniest thing that happened on set?

There were a few things that were funny on set….basically hearing all of the stories from filming back in the 80’s and 90’s from Michael Madsen and Daniel Baldwin. They had some great stories they shared with us. But, I’d have to say the funniest time on set is when actor, musician and Buffalo native Mr. Joe Giambra spit all over the table when he yelled out one of his lines during our taping of the “Big Table” meet scene, between the Buffalonians and the New Yorkers. We all kept it together until they yelled cut and then all of us started busting out in laughter. Seven tough guys laughing hysterically (laughs), it was an awesome moment.

You recently played Aaron Hernandez: ID Murder Mystery, which I love those shows, by the way— I am sure you already knew of the case before playing the role. Was there a different type of pressure to portray someone very known in the public eye already, as opposed to playing someone with a little more freedom to shape?

Playing Aaron Hernandez in a documentary was a different experience for me, for sure. There wasn’t any dialogue though, due to it being a documentary so that did relieve some of the pressure. I remember when all of that happened, but I did not pay too close attention to all of it. But after I got the role I went back and researched the case and watched footage of him to try and mimic his movements and facial expressions. I was really impressed with how they edited that program. I liked how they would show live footage of Aaron Hernandez and then go to me to show the reenactments and vice versa. I’m hoping they do a feature film on him now, and that I may be considered for the role. Hint, hint. (laughs)

You come across as such a friendly and good-natured guy, yet you tend to play hard and menacing roles in general, is there anything you do to get into that mindset to get the correct composure to pull it off effortlessly?

No acting project is done effortlessly. I’m my own worst critic, as most people are, especially still being somewhat new to the industry. I always want to do and be the best I can. As far as me getting into these particular mindsets for the menacing roles that I play….I focus on times when I failed in my life and was angry at myself and also times where people have done me wrong or disappointed me. It’s funny because people that know me, know I’m just a big teddy bear. Takes a lot to really make me mad. I mostly get mad at myself though for stupid mistakes or bad decisions. But I use my past disappointments in life to get into some of these mindsets.

You have worked with and met many people, as an actor and as a previous bartender for Wahlburgers—I saw that you got to meet Mark Wahlberg. Did you ever meet Donnie? What are they really like in person? Did you ever get any acting tips from them?

I did help with the opening of Wahlburgers in Greektown in Detroit in 2016 and worked there for three years as a bartender and supervisor. I finally met Mark Wahlberg in March of 2019 in California when there were a few of us that went there to work an event for Mark on his Wahlburger Food Truck. It was right after I filmed my Aaron Hernandez documentary in Tennessee, in which I mentioned to Mark and we chatted briefly about it. He even did a video with me to wish a friend of mine happy birthday, and said that I resembled Aaron Hernandez in the video. It was pretty awesome, and he was so kind. I really didn’t get to talk to him too much about acting due to it being my first time meeting him, I didn’t want to bombard him with questions, and he was also in a hurry, but he did take time to chat and ask how our trip was from Michigan to Cali and took pictures with me and the other employee that I was with. Unfortunately, Donnie was there twice at Wahlburgers in Detroit, and I just missed him on both occasions.

You were recently in the Eminem music video, “Darkness”. How was that experience? What is he like?

Yes, I was fortunate enough to be casted in an Eminem music video ,”Darkness”, back in November and it aired in January.  Really intense song and music video about gun control and the horrible shooting that happened in Las Vegas in 2017. When I received the call from Ryan’s Casting, located in my hometown of Michigan, they didn’t say who the performer was. It was super hush hush. I found out while on set and was extremely excited. Eminem, aka Marshall Mathers, was not there though. Apparently he had shot his scenes a few days before my scene. It was a bummer to hear as we are both from Detroit, Michigan, and I really wanted to meet him in person. Maybe one day.

How did it feel differently prepping for a music video versus a film or show?

 Music videos are very different than films. Normally, there is no dialogue and sometimes you have no idea what the song is about until you get to set. Which is how the Eminem project was. I do like doing music videos, because I love to see the finished product. I’m an 80’s kid and want my MTV back! (laughs) I love music videos because they tell a short story through music. When I started out in acting, I did this music video for a local band in Michigan, Typhon, titled “Your Cries”. It was a heavy metal song and they had me half naked in an Indian outfit running through a park with an ax , and I cut a guy’s head off. Yes, I did that! (laughs) And it turned out really well. One of the first times I saw myself on screen and enjoyed it.

You play a Lieutenant in upcoming Wolf Hound, a movie starring James Maslow and Trevor Donovan, which is based on a real-life Nazi program, I imagine it must have been intense reenacting war stories—can you tell us a bit about that experience?

Wolf Hound is one of the biggest projects I’ve ever been a part of. I was on set for nine days! Shooting in the summer was very hot, especially wearing polyester clothing, which is what they wore back then during world war 2. But I had the most amazing experience in this as Lieutenant Henry Armstrong . Cool name too.…Without giving too much away, I do have a heavy heroic scene in the film, that I cannot wait for everyone to see. The most incredible day on set was when we all got to actually go up and fly in a real live B-17! Simply amazing and honestly I was a little nervous getting on board a big plane that had been on a million missions and had propellers. (laughs) Pilots back then were small too, so it was a little hard to maneuver in the plane being 6 foot 2, 235 pounds. I’m the co-pilot of this wonderful machine in the film. Also, as I recall in high school I really didn’t care too much about history or the wars, but when I got this role, I researched the heck out of world war 2. And it was actually interesting to me, this time around. James Maslow and Trevor Donovan were awesome to work with and super friendly. James even invited me into his trailer and did a Facetime message with me to a friend of mine that has three girls that absolutely love him.  His TV show Big Time Rush and his music. I simply cannot wait for this to be released later this year.

On a personal note, I know you are close to your mom. Was she supportive from the beginning or was she surprised by your choice to get into film and acting?

I am close to my mother because if it wasn’t for her, I would not exist. My mother has been supportive of me all my life. When I was younger I joined everything but never stuck with it, and she still continued to support whatever I did , even if it was short lived. The funniest thing is, when I was between the ages of eight and eleven, my mom took me to an audition for a commercial. She wouldn’t tell me where we were going until we got there, and back then I was super shy and once she told me I got out of the car and ran! (laughs) True story. Her and I laugh about that to this day. She’s also been so supportive that she’s driven me to auditions and gigs ,due to the fact I don’t have a car because I live downtown and it’s too expensive to keep one down here. I tell her all the time I just want to be semi-famous, just enough to the point I can be a full time actor and make an honest living. She tells me, “Screw that semi talk son, go for the gusto, be famous.”

Are there any life lesson that she instilled in you that you live by to this day?

One of the most important things she continues to tell me to this day is, “Forgive yourself, today is a new day, we all make mistakes, let it go and move on.” And her belief in God, and how she has raised me with that same belief. If I didn’t believe in the Big Man upstairs, I’d have nothing. Thank you mom. I love you.

Out of every character you have played, can you tell me about your favorite and why?

This one is hard because I loved Lieutenant Henry Armstrong, and it was my biggest role thus far. But I’d have to say it would be Officer Crockett from “The Patron”. He’s just a big ol meathead of an officer with an attitude, who is crooked as hell. The director, Michael R. Steinbeck, told me how he envisioned this character, and I was like “I can do that, everyone seems to think I’m a meathead and a prick anyways when they first meet me because I work out.” (laughs) I’m really not like this character at all which is why it was so fun to play. Upon reading the script, I happen to be picking food out of my mouth with a toothpick. The director did say this character was a prick, so I felt compelled to have this character with a toothpick in his mouth all the time. I remember being on set with a pocket full of them. (laughs) I poked myself a lot moving around from scene to scene, but it was worth it. I thought it turned out great.

You get called a Vin Diesel look-a-like often! Do you have any embarrassing or funny stories to share behind that?

I do get the Vin Diesel look -a- like a lot, and I don’t mind it at all. I take it as a compliment,  and I actually got to be a stand-in for him in Fast 8 The Fate of the Furious , when it was filming in Cleveland, Ohio. A friend of mine, Donavan Darius, recommended me for the role to a casting agent in Cleveland, and I got it. Unfortunately no actors present, so I did not get a chance to meet my doppelgänger. (laughs) The funniest story with that is while on set, I got out of the transportation vehicle and random people started to run at me, so security took me away until the scene was completely ready to shoot. I was like “Wow, I could get used to this.”

Ex- bartender to ex-bartender I have to ask—do you have a specialty drink and what is your drink of choice?

As a bartender, I have a few go to drinks that I serve indecisive people, depending on if they like sweet or not sweet. My favorite is what I call a Blue Ox, you know, Babe,  the blue ox of Paul Bunyan…its 1.5oz Stoli Blueberry Vodka, .5oz of Peach Schnapps, .25oz of Blue Curacao, and fill remaining glass with Red Bull. I’m not a big drinker anymore but I’ve always been a fan of beer and whiskey. Red and Amber beers especially.

Anything coming up not mentioned that you want us to look out for?

 Half Blood! It’s a new series that will be on Amazon Prime this October. I filmed my first scene of the show on Sunday, March 8. It’s going to be awesome. I’m not allowed to really talk about it much, but all I can say is that it’s like The Vampire Diaries on steroids! (laughs) And no love story, well as far as I know. I’m playing the part of Venator, half human, half wolf. That’s all I can say at this time but please watch out for upcoming promos in the next  three to four months.

Any closing remarks?

In closing, I’d like to say that I’ve had a love for films and how they were made since I was a little boy. When I finally went to school for film in 2013,  at Specs Howard School of Media Arts, I was looking at being a cinematographer. I ended up graduating an actor. And still chasing that dream, to be a full-time actor to this day.