Books – Joseph A Federico

Joshua Scantland: Acting and Me

January 3, 2020January 10, 2020
by josephafederico

I am where I am today because of two things: I insisted on taking the road less traveled and I am consistently surrounded by exceptionally supportive people. I came from a place where we didn’t have much and the plan for my life was to be a laborer like my father and his father before him.

By the encouragement of very supportive friends and teachers, I decided that I wanted to do something different; it wasn’t an easy path or decision to make, but I took it. I took the more challenging road. I became one of the first in my family to go to college and eventually became the first doctor in my family. Each step of the way, I had people that believed in me and gave me a chance.

How did I become an actor? Oh, right. Well, when you forge uncharted roads, you tend to take detours. I spent much of my life trying to figure out what I wanted to do, so I spent a lot of time trying everything. I’m not even going to try to list them all here, but I had a great time with it all. Now, I constantly find ways to do as much as I can, because this is now who I am. After much searching, I finally found medicine and absolutely fell in love with it. I’m drawn to hybrids, and medicine is a hybrid of many things, much like acting.

As the scientist in me grew, so did the artist. Long before I loved science, I loved the arts—literature, music, film, and performing arts. If medicine is my passion, acting was my first love. I was a shy child who somehow found comfort in being the class clown—always getting myself into trouble.

In high school, teachers encouraged me to take theatre classes to channel my young energy. So I did, thinking it was going to be an easy pass. Little did I know how much I would love it—it had become a catharsis for someone like me.

The theatre director at my school recognized my passion and encouraged me to try out for school plays. I’m so glad that he did, because it set so many things into motion for me. I was shocked with how comfortable I felt on stage, being a shy kid and all.

Since that time, I’ve continued acting minimally during college and medical school. However, I stepped away from it to focus on school, research, and work. Eventually, I’d begin to feel like an unfinished novel; I was proud of what I had, but there was more to be done. I had to return to my essence.

I decided, despite my own personal hesitations, to silently pick up acting again. I never truly stopped acting, but a part of me had let it go long ago when the tunnel-vision of academia superseded everything. I was worried that colleagues and family would disapprove, so I kept it a secret; none-the-less, I had come back onto the scene with more determination than ever before. I was going to give it everything I had!

I was scared. There were so many thoughts that were a barrier for me. What if I had to choose between the two lives? What if I took a bigger bite than I could handle? What if I fail? But, I decided to proceed despite those thoughts.

With determination, I took acting classes, recorded myself acting, and then put myself out there—hustling to find work despite working 60-80 hours a week. I was told the process would be hard, there’s no lie in that, but I was never told how amazingly supportive people would be. I didn’t have to look very far before I found a gold mine in the Midwest, with exceptional talented people who are consistently willing to help one another. It’s been such a blast.

Since taking that first step, I’ve accomplished much to be proud of. I landed talent agents with offices in Indianapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Louisville—and they believed in me!

This past year, I got to act for up-and-coming directors from Los Angeles, be on set with Jesse Plemmons, auditioned for roles in big films such as “Cherry” (almost got to work with Tom Holland!), co-star in an independent feature film, and lots of opportunities to support local artists with my talents. I couldn’t ask for more.

Some of these opportunities were obtained by my agent, but much of it I sought out on my own. Someone may say, “Audition? That’s not an accomplishment.” It certainly can be, simply because that means you made the cut somewhere so that the director is willing to look at you while you talk, and as an actor, you have to learn to relish in that moment.

One of the first questions I get is, “How do you make time for it all?” It’s always the same answer…exceptional time management and self-discipline. I would give my evenings, nights, weekends, and vacation time just to have the opportunity to act.

Some of those projects were low budget productions, so it would virtually be volunteer work, all in the hope of creating something impactful. There were times where I would be “on set” for many hours in between work shifts—I would work 12 nighttime hours before going on set for 12 hours just to get back to being on call for another 12 hours. This is the level of dedication it takes to make it work.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always like this, but I’ve had to get creative with how I manage my schedule. And when I get on set, I try to be the hardest working and most punctual person there, I come well prepared and I am always kind and courteous to the other cast and crew, because I know how hard they are working on their grind. I respect their dedication and I want to honor that.

Not everyone has this level of discipline, and that’s okay, but I think it’s important to have if you want to master any craft. I think I developed this sort of discipline from my military experiences and being the first in my family to go to college—this forced important habits at a young age. Not everyone needs these types of experiences to find discipline, but I was a reckless kid, so I needed the structure.

It didn’t take long before my efforts were being rewarded—with more work. For a working actor, “more work” is worth more than gold. I kept finding work because someone else remembered me from a different job. Whether it was me being easy to work with on set, the level of dedication I had in the craft, or because I went the extra mile for people—associates kept recommending me.

So, how do I make it possible? Well, I truly don’t, but the teamwork aspect does. Cheesy, I know, but there’s truth in it. Every aspiring actor or medical student who asks for advice, I always tell them that you can never go wrong by putting people first.

When you go around seeking to be generous, people see that and give it back threefold. But you can’t anticipate getting something in return, because not everyone will and people know when you’re doing it for repayment. You have to do it because you want good things to happen to good people.

The New Year has just begun, and I already have seven projects lined up. This speaks for the potential that other people see in me and I am motivated by it. I work because they believe in me, and in turn, I believe in others.

Whether it was a poor kid trying to break the mold by getting into medical school or getting to audition for big names, someone gave me a chance! I wouldn’t be where I am today if someone didn’t give me a chance to show myself. I carry that with me every day, and I use that when we are selecting physician residents entering our program or when someone wants me to work with them on set.

Because I’m in medicine, the next question I usually get is, “Where do you go from here? Do you plan on leaving medicine, do you want to be in Hollywood?” Well, the honest answer is, I hope to foster a growth within both and find a way for my lives as a clinician and actor to co-exist.

It sounds silly, but I was partly inspired by Nike’s campaign “Are your dreams crazy enough?” Don’t ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they’re crazy enough. I legitimately started to ask myself, “Are my dreams crazy enough?” When I realized the answer was “no,” I decided to take up acting again with more sincerity than ever before, despite being very busy already! It brings balance to my life.

I wanted be sure I was fulfilling my craziest and wildest dreams. I want to be in Hollywood, but still have a place in medicine. Is that possible? I don’t know, but I won’t know until I found out.

But I believe that I can because I have seen how generous people can be.

For more information on Joshua Scantland, click here.

Uncategorized

Talking About Being on Television

August 23, 2018
by josephafederico

Many years ago, I’d met a young man named Scott; he was a regular at a local club I used to frequent during my “wild” days. He eventually settled down and began dating a fine young lad by the name of Mike. So, long story short and into the realm of synergy we go, I eventually met Mike’s mom, Doreen.

I drove to Doreen’s humble abode in New York State one fine afternoon, flowers in hand, to discuss energy and life path choices, and we really hit it off. She was such a beacon of light and positivity, that she did wonders for my self-esteem at the time. And little did I know that Doreen was well-connected to all walks of life – from world travelers to queer artists and everyone in between.

Skip to present day – a few months ago – and I received a group message on Facebook. It had been from Doreen, and she copied two other gentlemen. She gave a short, sweet and somewhat vague introduction, then left the conversation shortly after. It was her style to set an intention then leave the group to do what they may.

One gentleman, I never connected with, and the other was Eric Faria. He immediately private messaged me on his own regarding his line of work – which is in television and running a talk show – and wanted to know more about my debut novella and also inquired about me being an upcoming guest.

Having labeled 2018 as “the year of continued opportunity,” I immediately jumped at the chance to reply with a “yes” and gave Eric detailed information regarding my first self-published book. He responded quickly and set-up a conference call to discuss it further.

About two weeks later, Eric called me and we hit it off right away. We shared our special stories about how we’d met Doreen – the proverbial glue that cosmically brought us together – then he conducted a pre-interview in order to learn more about what I’d bring to his talk show as an upcoming guest. Well, it went swimmingly, to say the least. All I had to do then was pick a date and time of my appearance. I was ecstatic – not only at the thought of being on television, but also because I’d been given the chance to take advantage of a unique opportunity t0 share my newly-evolved, authentic self with people I’d never met before.

If you know me, you probably know the story of how I was on the once-popular children’s television show, “Romper Room,” in the 1980s for my third birthday. I was a special guest that day, and thanks to the technology of the day and to my brain for filling in the gaps, as we humans tend to do, I recall it being pretty fucking special. I mean, come on, it was the day of my television debut.

And, if you read one of my older blogs, you would have gone on another journey with me – one that took place last summer… a journey of being in my first feature-length film. That was an experience to say the least… You really should check it out sometime – both the blog and the film.

Right, so, yes… Once I solidified plans to travel to Mamaroneck, New York, I began working on preparing for my spot on “I Am” with Eric Faria. My assistant interviewed me in the style similar to how Eric interviewed his past guests. It did wonders because there was no way I would have gotten through a full hour of taping without some preparation. And let’s face it, I always like to put my best foot – in this case, best face – forward.

The day of the taping of the show came and I felt like a star. I got a fresh haircut and gave myself a manicure. I even took it very easy that Friday, assuring I ate light and sat by the pool to get last minute sun for that extra glow. I was beyond ready.

Later, I left for New York with plenty of time to spare, just in case I got lost. The trip over the G.W Bridge wasn’t too treacherous; I had RuPaul, Jennifer Lopez and other pop stars to keep me company along the way. By 6:50pm, I made it to the studio. I took a deep breath, pushed the “lock” button to my car, and walked away with pride.

The nicest people greeted me and led me to the green room. There, I cleared my throat, checked my hair, and conducted facial exercises to assure I’d speak with exceptional diction. Then, Eric came to greet me and walk me to the studio itself. It was just about go time.

Once I was in my chair, staff powdered my face and mic’d me up, then did a soundcheck to assure the acoustics were where they were supposed to be. Before I knew it, I heard a woman say, “Three… two… one…” She pointed in my direction and began rolling. On went the plastered smile and I shoved the nervous butterflies away for another day. “Hi, I’m Eric Faria…” were the last words I remember coherently hearing for the better part of an hour.

GULP.

Before I knew it, the second of three segments had been in the can, and we were about the film the final one. Now, I’d been fine up to that point… but, for some reason, time slowed down during the third segment, and I became aware of my surroundings. “Shit, I’m on television. Don’t freak out,” I told myself several times. I only had a few minutes left before the camera crew yelled “cut.” I snapped out of it and finished up with gusto.

I blinked and it was over… one full hour of discussing Voudou Juice, publishing, and the ins and outs of being a writer. What a trip. The staff took my mic off, I posed for a few promo shots with Eric and was sent on my merry way. To say I was riding high the next few days would be an understatement. I was proud of my accomplishment, my preparedness and, well, even prayed that the editors would cut out a bit of my on-screen awkwardness.

My video and podcast should be released soon for you all to enjoy. If my words touch at least one person out there in TV land, I’d consider it a great success.

Signing off…