We had the good fortune of connecting with Forest Quaglia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Forest, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After years of working d jobs, I made the jump to entrepreneurship. I’ve been in the renewable energy field for some time and recently began the exciting adventure of filmmaking. I started out as an actor but found my self writing down ideas for movies and characters which eventually led to writing a series of short films. The Hollywood hustle to stardom is one of the most competitive and challenging career paths I know of. After the relentless grind of a struggling artist, I figured I can create my own opportunities instead of relying solely on others. Since then I’ve written and produced three films and have another feature film in development, all which I star in. I launched my production company and have big plans for the coming years at Forest Quaglia Studios.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am an actor, writer and producer in the film industry. I’ve been working professionally since the end of 2019 when I booked my first substantial role as the lead in ‘The Bootlegger’. A Docu-Drama about the prohibition era and a Robin Hood Style outlaw. Since then I’ve been studying, practicing and auditing constantly. The pursuit as an actor in this industry is incredibly difficult. Coming from a background with no resources or advantages my only option was good ol’ fashion hard work and relentless hustle. It’s easy to get discouraged because ninety-nine percent of the time you’re being faced with constant rejection. The only way forward it to be optimistic and more importantly learn to enjoy the process, not just the end goal. I began enjoying the opportunity to perform and audition for my peers and started treating it as a hobby. Now it’s more of a fun process and its that much better when I do book a great role. Now that I’m a filmmaker myself, in-between bookings, I can channel that energy into creating my own movies.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Anywhere with good food and a nice view works for me. I do enjoy the city but I’m more of a nature enthusiast. I spend most of my free time with friends playing sports, hiking mountains, going to the beach or adventuring outdoors. If I was going on a week long trip, I would get a plane ticket to somewhere that I haven’t been before. By day we would sight see, adventure, visit national parks and explore; maybe get lost. By night we would eat good food, have a coupe drinks and vibe out.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been elevated and supported by so many people throughout my journey. I’d like to start with my father, Frank Quaglia. He’s a writer who recently published a book titled “Mumblings of a Mortician” He’s also written many screenplays, books and creative works. He helps critique and guide me along the way. I’d also like to mention my mentor, David Gere from Shadow Vale Productions. David and his business partner Chelsea Vale have been champions of mine. We have worked on multiple films together. Most recently, they brought me in to play the role of Brayden in the film titled ‘Drowning in Secrets’ Directed by Jacob Cooney which releases on Friday, March 18th 2022 on the Lifetime Movie Network.

rsonalForestQuaglia

Website: www.forestquagliastudios.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/forestquaglia

Twitter: https://twitter.com/forestquaglia

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Forestquagliaofficial

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBzQNYlZfzYco47qCX6YPhQ

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