Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Enzo Zelocchi

 

Enzo Zelocchi is a jack-of-all-trades who’s taking his career into his own hands. Instead of waiting for opportunities to come knocking on his door, the actor, director, producer, and writer is creating them for himself. The result? Two viral trailers that broke records.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Enzo about his career, learning to trust his gut, and we learned more about the two projects that audiences are dying to see!

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Enzo: The universe pushed me towards it. I started modeling when I was thirteen. It slowly, but consistently pushed me towards that direction. Shortly after, I started doing commercials, and then I booked a TV show. After that, I became a TV producer. Sometimes when things are meant to be, they’re meant to be.

PC: When you look at your career, who or what has had the biggest influence on your career, either personally or professionally?
Enzo: Personally, definitely my auntie, who is like a mother to me. She recently passed away. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be doing what I am today. She believed in me more than anybody else, more than even myself. I owe her everything.

On a professional level, directors like [Martin] Scorsese and Steven Spielberg — their films move and inspire me. They inspire me to create and push myself. Those are two directors, but I have a whole list. Also, the powerful performances of actors like Al Pacino, Christian Bale, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Jack Nicholson, to name a few.

PC: In addition to being an actor, you are also a producer, writer, and director. How has your work behind the scenes made you a stronger actor and vice versa?
Enzo: When you have the chance to wear many different hats, it gives you a better understanding of the process and the difficulties every person can face. Once you understand what a director needs, what a producer needs, you understand as an actor what you can do to make their lives easier and to give the performance you need to give.

PC: With so many different facets to your career, is it ever a challenge to balance all of it?
Enzo: You have to make a commitment to your craft and sacrifice a lot in terms of your personal life. It is a choice that I made, and I do not regret anything. It definitely is a challenge to balance it all, especially when you’re working on multiple projects.

As an actor, you’re all in it. You’re living in the character. You’re building their memories. You’re a thousand percent in it. As a producer, you’re thinking about the business, the finances, and putting it all together. But it’s always fascinating when you can find the right balance and ability to get it all done. It’s a life skill that’s very important for any artist.

PC: You have a couple of really exciting projects coming up. Are there any that you can chat about at this time?
Enzo: Absolutely! The First Secret is inspired by Ian Fleming’s James Bond. I was inspired by the character and developed him into the first Hispanic superhero in the history of Hollywood. We started shooting it last year. Because of COVID, we had to stop because we were supposed to go back to London. We hope to resume as soon as possible, but at least we were able to put together a trailer that we released in March of last year. It received over twenty-eight million views! It was the second most-viewed video worldwide at the time on Instagram.

Another project that I am working on is called The Source. We cut a trailer for that as well. It left a lot of people wondering, “What the heck is this?” I really wanted to create the wow factor with the trailer. That was my big goal. We were able to get over two hundred million views. It broke records.

People were questioning whether it was the right time to release it. They were urging me not to. But when you follow your heart, there is nothing you cannot achieve. That is what I learned in life. Listen to your heart. Believe in yourself. Don’t listen to your fears and keep going!

PC: You wrote, produced, and star in The First Secret. How early on in the process did you realize you wanted to wear all those different hats?
Enzo: At the beginning, I had to make a choice: Do I wait for a phone call or do I do the calling? As actors, you often wait around for the right opportunity, the right script, the right character. You can wait for years and years. I thought, “You know what? Life is short. I have no time to waste.” I started writing and setting goals.

I always write with the brain of a producer. I was like, “What is my budget? What is the best way to make this story work to fit this budget, location, cast, everything.” That is how I normally start my process. I started to create my own opportunities. You can’t wait for your chance. You have to create your own opportunities.

To keep up with Enzo, follow him on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Actor Enzo Zelocchi Showcases Role-Model Mentality With NewHealthcare Project

 

How important is it for those who achieve dazzling success in the world of entertainment to take their positions as role models for today’s youth seriously? For multi-faceted rising star Enzo Zelocchi, an American cinema actor, director, writer, and producer, the importance of being able to inspire others couldn’t be more critical.

Throughout his career, the creative has showcased a dedication to strong values, industry equality, and throwing his weight behind positive messaging. Recently, the actor decided to add another feather to his cap and mastermind a game-changing healthcare technology platform that aims to democratize access to wellness in the United States as the “Amazon of Healthcare”. If being the right kind of role model counts, then in Enzo Zelocchi, we find a true pro.
To know more Read the Full Post Here. 

Take A Closer Look Into Enzo Zelocchi’s Masterpiece: “No War”

The plot of “No War” centers on a CIA contractor who travels to Ukraine in search of Russian weapons of mass destruction and, on the way takes a young Ukrainian girl with him after finding her while fighting Russian soldiers. In light of the dire conditions, he puts everything on the line to get this tiny child to safety.

Notes From the director:

Regarding the undertaking, Zelocchi had this to say about it: He believes “No War” to be a miracle. He says: We were scheduled to film a project involving zombies, and when I saw all of the locations and equipment that were available, I was very excited. I decided to try something different. I put up this project with just a few days of pre-production time and virtually no screenplay ready to go. Taking into account all the challenges, I was shocked with how things turned out in the end.

The directing principle of — show, don’t tell- is something that Enzo Zelocchi strongly adheres to in his work. There is not a single boring moment over the whole movie. The production design is inventive, and the film is incredible thanks to the astute directorial choices mixed with some action moments that are beautifully filmed and very exhilarating. The chaos of battle is shown vividly on film and serves as a superb background for the telling of a very human story. The film never becomes too political and it never loses sight of its intrinsic aim, which is to place the overarching storyline at the center of the narrative at all times.

About the movie, as well as what went on behind the scenes:

During his work on “No War”, Zelocchi assumed various roles. He is not only the lead actor but also the producer, writer, and director of the film. His previous efforts have shown that he can hold various titles while still producing outstanding work. On the other hand, the team that he collaborates with on “No War” assists him in carrying the weight while producing equally astounding outcomes. The film boasts a high production value, as seen by the stunning drone views and the hyper-realistic opening sequence, which takes place inside the cockpit of a fighter jet.

Emilia Nimak, who plays the role of the little girl, is a real-life Ukrainian refugee, and she draws on that experience in her performance. Actors Antonio Gibertini and Attilio Tarabusi are two examples of those who are contributing deeply felt emotions to the production. Finally, Michele Ballarini succeeds in conveying the message of hope and warmth in his roles as editor and cinematographer.

Awards and Acclamations:

Cineddiction Films describes the film “No War” with the thrilling trip and slow deep-dive. Thrilling action scenes and brilliant production design are two examples of how Zelocchi’s passion for expressing the tale rather than explaining it” is made clear throughout the film. Most significantly, it stays true to its promise of a very human story.

How Enzo Zelocchi Used His Savvy Business Skills to Master the World of Entertainment

Though unconventional, Enzo Zelocchi’s career has taken shape in an exciting way. With a natural talent for business and an unmatched level of creativity, Enzo merged his two passions and found great success in the entertainment industry. To him, it’s simple, he explains that entertainment is a business, and models, actors, and other entertainers are a product that have to sell. Putting on many hats during his career seems to be one of the things Enzo loves most about how his life has shaped up; jumping from business to modeling, then to acting and producing, it’s clear that this is just the beginning for the star. Up to date he received over 70 AWARDS in Film Festivals with many nominations.

He began modeling at 13 years old, but it wasn’t until a successful contract in Milan that his career in the entertainment industry really took off. After Milan, he began booking commercials and TV shows as an actor, which is how he discovered his natural, on-screen talent. Enzo sees acting as a way to connect with his audience, ignite emotions, and drive change. People watch shows and movies to really feel something, and it was that realization that helped turn him into the creator he is today.

One of his first major acting roles was on an Italian TV series where he played a villain after effortlessly connecting with the director and being cast within one day for the role. As he dove deeper into the entertainment industry, something became clear: he didn’t see his Hispanic and Latin heritage represented well in the industry, especially during the boom of superhero movies, so, in classic Enzo fashion, he decided to do something about it.

The First Secret was one of Enzo’s first major film projects that he built from the ground up. After finding the right inspiration, Enzo created a trailer for the project, despite people telling him a pandemic was a bad time to advertise First Secret. Proving everyone wrong, Enzo’s trailer became the second-most-viewed video on Instagram in the month that it was posted. His messaging resonated with the community he was trying to reach, and this first project propelled Enzo into directing and producing, which he quickly came to love. Though navigating filming during the pandemic was nearly impossible, fans of the trailer can keep an eye out for the full movie in 2022.

Recognizing the power of social media as a business tool in the entertainment industry, Zelocchi has spent time cultivating his online presence, becoming a fan favorite across platforms. With his over 6 million followers on Instagram, Enzo connects deeply with large audiences, often resonating with people who believe that life is what you make it. He believes that his work serves to empower people all over the globe to chase their dreams, and the steady stream of DM’s that thank him for doing just that is a reminder that making a difference in even one person’s life makes everything else worth it.

Enzo has always been a problem-solver; never one to shy away from big challenges or complex problems, he finds his passion for life by diving into the fire. Most recently, he’s jumped into the world of healthcare in the US, tackling a broken system that puts millions of Americans in crisis every year. His company, A-Medicare is building a path for universal healthcare in the US. While it may seem like this endeavor doesn’t quite fit into Enzo’s prior projects in entertainment, it was actually during his work on his 2010 film, My Little Princess, that he learned about the healthcare issues terrorizing Americans.

The film follows the story of a father who is grappling with his young daughter’s diagnosis of terminal cancer. The film weaves in heartbreak, inspiration, and the stark reality of obstacles that families with severe medical challenges are facing in the US. Though the film is fictional, it echoes the stories of so many, and Enzo was moved to address the real challenges of the American healthcare system.

Using machine technology, artificial intelligence, and a unified platform, A-Medicare aims to reduce the exorbitant costs faced by patients at all levels of the healthcare system. It’s a revolutionary approach to solving a problem that decades of legislation and other organizations have failed to properly address. Similar to an “Amazon for healthcare,” A-Medicare will use digital tools to bring patient care to the 21st century.

With a wide range of talents and an unparalleled level of determination, Enzo illustrates that one person can have a massive influence on those around them. Not only has he connected with audiences across the globe by filling gaps in the entertainment industry and prioritizing cultural representation, but he has inspired people of all ages to chase their dreams.

Throughout long hours and years of hard work, Enzo uses personal fulfillment as his compass. He knows that his own happiness, when used as his guiding light, will be what best drives him towards success. Practicing what he preaches, Enzo wants everyone to know that “if you put in the hard work, you can be a successful person. Being successful doesn’t mean you make a million dollars. You could be a successful teacher, or writer, whatever makes you happy with whatever skills God gave you.”

The gift of influencing masses of people isn’t for everyone, but those that have it must use it wisely. People today are inundated with information, media, and other messaging, and Enzo Zelocchi prioritizes positive messaging and motivation above all else. He understands the power he has, but he never exploits those who believe in him. Instead, he jumps in front of challenges, tries new approaches, and offers thoughtful solutions to the world’s biggest problems. We can’t wait to see what Enzo creates in the future because it’s clear that everything he does will be beautiful, powerful, and meaningful.

http://instagram.com/enzozelocchi

www.imdb.me/enzozelocchi

Enzo Zelocchi — Midnight in Paris

Enzo Zelocchi — Afternoon in Paris