Interview by Roman Portnoy
Photography by Ryan West
Andrea Scarduzio is an esteemed actor who attended the Lee Strasberg Institute on a full scholarship and was in the wildly successful “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”. You can currently catch him playing the the antagonist in “The Equalizer 3” alongside Denzel Washington.
Andrea, fans are excited about “The Equalizer 3.” Can you give us a sneak peek into your character Vincent Quaranta’s role and how he fits into the storyline?
My character and his brother are “running things” in the region Robert Mccall happens to settle in. When he grows fond of the place and the people, he wants to help them out and make things better, he first clashes with my little brother. When that goes down, Vincent gets pretty pissed and everything escalates from there.
Tell us about your experience working alongside Denzel Washington. What was the dynamic like on set?
It was absolutely amazing, Denzel would do a scene in so many different ways and constantly surprise me, I never knew what he was going to do and come up with. That keeps every take fresh and gives directors a vast choice in the editing room. It was really amazing and inspiring to see a legend work out his magic.
What initially inspired you to pursue a career in acting?
I was 5 or 6 years old, I watched Conan the Barbarian with my mum, I was so fascinated with Arnold and his role. I remember my mum explaining he was an actor portraying a character. I was hooked, I thought it was really cool to be able to be different people in different scenarios.
What type of character do you find most intriguing to portray?
Well, a villain was definitely on the list, but generally speaking I’m intrigued by characters that go though an arch and find some sort of redemption, perhaps sacrificing themselves for a greater good. Also, psychopaths are very interesting to me or a character with physical and mental limitations would be a dream role.
Are there any roles or projects you hope to tackle in the future?
I would love to play a pirate, it’s been an obsession of mine since I was a child, or something with swords. I really like period projects, stories about Ancient Rome, Greece, England… Gladiator is one of my favourite films, I would love to be in something like that. Hopefully I will get the chance to in the near future.
As an actor, you’ve had to learn some interesting skills for roles. What’s the most unexpected talent you’ve acquired thanks to your acting career?
For a movie called “Walking to Paris”, directed by legendary British director Peter Greenaway, I had to learn some basics of violin and flute, learned a little Romanian, but the coolest skill I got out that movie was bareback horse riding. I still today go horse riding when I have time, I really love it and I had never been on a horse before training for that film.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring actors looking to break into the film industry?
Work on your acting skills, but also work on yourself. Being in a good class is great, and theatre, rehearsals, but also strive to be a better version of yourself, take care of your body, mind and spirit. Read as many books as you can, have a spiritual practice, yoga, chanting, meditation, whatever works for you. Eat healthy food and keep your body and your mind sharp. You need to be ready for when the opportunity come, the match is not won on the field, but in the thousands of hours of training far away from the spotlight.
If you could play any classic movie monster—vampire, werewolf, mummy, etc.—which one would you choose and how would you put your unique spin on it?
I would love to play a vampire for sure, I did enjoy the Twilight saga, I like a tormented “monster” with a good heart trying not to be too monstrous.
You’re an avid traveler. What are some destinations you are looking to visit next?
I sure am, you know I enjoy Asia very much, I love the cultures, the landscapes, history and the food is amazing. I am looking forward to go back to Thailand, which I enjoyed very much, and some other countries I haven’t visited yet, like Japan and Philippines. It’s a big and beautiful world, so many amazing places to see. Costa Rica and Peru are also definitely on my list.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
