Meet Freddy Giorlando | Actor-Producer-Entrepreneur

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

Hi Freddy, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
First off I’d like to thank Shoutout LA for the opportunity to share my story. I’m truly grateful for this platform.

I was born in New York, in Manhattan on the Lower East Side but I was raised in Old Bridge, New Jersey. I had it lucky though because even though I was raised in Jersey and grew up there, my parents, born and raised in NY would always take us back into the city for Sunday dinners every weekend with our immediate family. They all grew up in the neighborhood of Knickerbocker Village. I would spend most of my summers there as a kid growing up, so I would have the best of both worlds growing up in the suburbs as well as getting influenced by the city life. I love both New Jersey and New York City. They each hold a special place in my heart.

This past year during the pandemic I actually got to go back East for 6 months and spend time with my family in Jersey. I had time to reflect and I found myself really appreciating my upbringing in Jersey. I am lucky to have really great parents that gave my two younger brothers and I a great structure, growing up, they kept us in sports and activities. The people we grew up around in our town had great values and integrity about doing what was necessary for their families, loving on one another, and taking pride in the hard work they were doing to provide. My core foundation and principles that I live by I learned from growing up from my parents and living in Jersey. New York taught me street smarts and how to hustle while letting your hard work speak for you.

Being an Actor, Producer and Entrepreneur stemmed from childhood. I would do plays in middle school and high school and at the same time always tried to find ways to hustle a bit. I remember when I was in high school whenever I would travel to the city with my parents on the weekends I would walk to Canal St. downtown and buy fake jewelry and mixtapes for cheap and then on Monday at school sell them for 3-4 times for what they were worth. Also in high school I was a class clown and I would record audio sketchs on CDs and sell them to my classmates pretty frequently. Each sketch I’d plan out and would just improv and edit them, then sell them. One of the biggest highlights for me in school was during my senior year. I did a play called “Bye Bye Birdie” and that show and run gave me the knowing and confidence to pursue Acting as a career years later.

As I mentioned, I’m very lucky and fortunate to have great parents. Growing up, my mother took care of my two younger brothers and I as a stay at home mom while my father went to work. I consider my mother our families rock. She is a strong angelic woman. Her and my father instilled great values in us that we all took later into our lives as adults. My mother always had a strong faith as a big believer and was, and still is, always connected to God in everything she does. She instilled in me spirituality, faith and vision to name a few. She always lead by example exuding loving energy where ever she went and I learned a lot from her. I can definately see I inherit my positivity and faith from her. My father was always a hard worker. He always had a very strong work ethic and he would remind my brothers and I that what ever we did in life, no matter what position we had, to do the very best we can. He led by example as well. My father also had the ability to have a very strong singular focus on what ever he wanted to accomplish and would make it happen no matter how long it took. I get my drive, hustle and ability to stay focused and manifest the task at hand from him. Like I said, I’m very grateful and lucky to have amazing parents and the loving bond I share with my brothers.

When I turned 19, I had my son Anthony who is now a healthy, happy and really smart teenager. He has been the biggest blessing in my life without a doubt. He’s my little buddy. It’s crazy how time flies and it’s even crazier, but also the best, to have thoughtful conversations with him. Crazy because it seemed like it was just yesterday that he was a baby. He surprises me with his intelligence at 13 and even corrects me in our talks, It’s such a trip haha. When I had him at a young age it really made me kick it into gear and take responsibility in my life. It took me some time to get adjusted to being a father for sure, luckily my parents were always behind me to support me through out fatherhood especially in the early stages. My son is the driving force in every thing that I do. Every day when I wake up, I get after it because I know I am living for some one else from minute to second. It’s a drive that only a parent can understand. I want to be a living testimony to my son that anything that you want to do in life you can do it. I love Steve Harveys saying “If you can see it in your mind, you can hold it in your hand.” I really do believe that and I want to instill that in my son by the advice I give to him and by living by example.

I thank God every day for my son, my family, my friends and loved ones. They are what matter most to me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started out as an Actor in New York about a decade ago taking classes, studying the craft, and doing theater. Doing theater while studying in New York gave me a really strong appreciation and discipline for the art form. The comradery you have with your castmates on stage or on screen is an important thing and something that the theater taught me earlier on. The process of storytelling is a collective effort and yes, you do have to bring your character to life, prep up, and be as truthful as possible but that the character is one of a whole. We are all doing our jobs to embody our characters to step into the project and in collaboration with one another to tell a story that is bigger than ourselves. The process for me resembles life. I feel like we do the work on ourselves to become better individuals so that we can bring value to others and help out the people around us while properly stepping into the role God has written for us so that we can spread our light and come together with other like-minded folks that have been doing the work to impact the world in a positive way.

I’m proud of just being able to say I’m living my dream. I’m blessed and I am grateful for sure. After a few years of Acting in NY, I ended up getting an agent and booking a small role in the HBO TV Pilot “Vinyl” that was directed by Martin Scorsese. I got to meet and work with one of my film heroes. That experience right there affirmed to me that vision board dreams do come true. After auditioning for some time in NY and getting the experience as a professional actor. I decided to move out to LA which was about 4 1/2 years ago. At that time I got into Producing. I ended up working together with a few friends Rob Alicea and Scott Rocco and Produced and Acted in a TV Pilot called “Adulthood”. Stepping into Producing showed me that I did not have to wait around for anyone to give me an opportunity. I can just create it at will with a team of great people.

With the knowledge and experience, I gained from Producing that TV Pilot I knew I had value to offer as a Producer with experience I had in getting that project off the ground. So going into my second year of living in LA, I decided to Produce and play Biff Loman in the Arthur Miller classic “Death Of A Salesman” with a great team of individuals. That was the most challenging and rewarding experience of my career so far. At the same time I was doing that my buddy Cottrell Guidry ended up hiring me to help promote one night every week at the lounge he was DJing at called “Breakroom 86”. I ended up turning that Thursday night into a weekly industry mixer called “The Creatives Mixer” that was consistent for two years prior to the pandemic. I was hosting and curating the evening for casting directors, agents/managers, actors, and a lot of industry to come in and have a good night out. What I learned in this industry as I got more involved is how important building genuine relationships are. It is a matter of doing the work as an artist to bring to auditions but also getting out there and networking and seeing how you can help and provide value for others. I don’t look for anything in any way and I approach a new conversation, leaving it thinking on how I can help out or connect an individual to another. As I said, it is about operating from abundance and helping people out. We all will get what is coming to us in God’s time.

After the pandemic hit I got the great opportunity to help Jason Kyle and Lee Aronsohn launch their company “The Creator’s Writing Room” where I currently serve as a Producer of Digital Content and Marketing. It has been a really great experience. From doing research to help them build out their own company, I came up with the idea to take my knowledge in digital marketing and strategy and launch a service to help artists elevate their brand awareness on social media by getting them plugged into a digital community called the “Creatives Engagement Group.” Social media is a huge component of a person’s brand now and it is important to continue to fire on all cylinders to get you or your project out there with social media as an artist. Another reason I decided to create the service was that most of my opportunities in LA have come from me promoting myself or my projects on social media. So now with C.E.G. the member now has an opportunity to get that support with the community of other artists that have joined that are like-minded and driven to succeed.

Last year during the pandemic I launched my production company “Shicken Productions” which is a TV-Film/Events and Digital Marketing Company. I figured with all that I was doing in those spaces it made sense to have a brand and company I can grow and build. Since then Shicken has become marketing partners with The Micheaux Film Festival and NATAS (Daytime Emmys), I launched C.E.G. under the Digital Marketing Umbrella and we wrapped out our first TV production called “Content Is King” which is a short-form Docu-Series that highlights what is means to be an independent content creator in this day and age. The project features interviews from Taryn Manning, Vanessa Rubio and Austin Pendleton. We are excited to see what is in store for that project in the upcoming future. We are currently up for consideration for the Daytime Emmys ®.

What I have learned, realized, and grown into so far on my journey is that with drive, vision, faith, and hard work anything is attainable. I learned that as long as I stay connected to God, stay focused and make consistent choices that align with my mission and purpose here on Earth I will be taking care of. I give this advice to anybody that is reading. Also, having real conversations with myself, digging deep, and being honest with myself has helped me know who I am and raise my level of awareness. Self-Awareness is so important. I continue to do the work every day because I want to continue to get better as an individual and as an artist. To continue to make it happen for myself and for others. There are absolutely no limits at all, only the ones we place on ourselves. I want to encourage every one reading this to keep being great. It is our birthright.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The city of LA is absolutely amazing and beautiful. I can feel the creative energy flowing here. A lot of amazingly talented human beings that have created some of the most legendary extraordinary things have lived here and even though they may be gone from this plane, their energy still remains. It is inspiring to wake up and live here every day knowing that. If my buddies were coming into town I would take them to a few spots. Before the pandemic, I never really went out much. When I did it was to Breakroom 86 where I worked and the other Houston Bros spots Davey Waynes or watch Dave Yaden’s live show at Black Rabbit Rose. I would take them to eat at Dan Tanas because the vibe in the spot is incredible and they got solid Italian food.

One of my favorite things to do in town on my off days is go to the beach or for a hike. I’d take a buddy visiting to Venice Beach or Santa Monica, a hike at Runyon or Fryman Canyon and see where the day takes us. One of the traditions a few buddies & I started recently was going once a week on Saturday nights to grab a pizza and have a pizza night. I’m from the East Coast so finding great Pizza spots is key! Great spots for Pizza are Gracies Pizza in East Hollywood, Prince St. Pizza in WeHo, and Weirdoughs in Noho to name a few.

LA is a beautiful place to work and live. Even if you are having a cloudy day internally there are always blue skies and sunny days to cheer you up. As an ode to one of my favorite movies “La La Land” there is always another day of sun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My success so far and the person I have become is a culmination of a good amount of elements. A major key is who I have been blessed to be able to be surrounded by on my journey. Yes, it is on us to put the work into ourselves to be better human beings on a daily basis so that we can help and bring value to other people. It is also on us to surround ourselves with others that can help lift us up and encourage us on our journey as we do the same for them. It is important to find your tribe and to come up with them.

There are a tremendous amount of individuals that have really helped me in my career so far so I can’t name everyone at the moment. Forgive me. They will also know who they are because I make sure to remind them when I see them how much I appreciate them and how much they mean to me every time we meet and talk. I’ll shout out just a few.

Kazy Tauginas is a working actor-filmmaker but also like a big brother to me. We’re family even if it is not by blood. We’ve been friends for a long time, he ended up staying a whole summer with me when I first moved out here and helped me get through a difficult period in my life. It was divine timing. He has taught me a lot through his advice and leading by example. It’s important to surround yourselves with people who actually care about you in this Entertainment industry. It’s very vital. I’m very lucky to have him in my life as well as other good-hearted people, I have so much love and respect for Kazy and inspired by what he has accomplished in his career so far. He has worked alongside Denzel and Eddie Murphy, he is a constant reminder to me that being a good dude and working hard will pay off. Be sure to check out his film Standing Eight, which helps raise awareness for Lupus that can be seen on Amazon.

Jaime Zevallos is a producing partner of mine. We just wrapped out a project last year called “Content Is King”. Jaime is a really good friend and has been a consistent working actor and filmmaker for over a decade now. He has really helped me and help me along the way through our process for the project. He has given me great life advice and advice about the industry. I look up to him as a mentor and we trust each other. Having trust is so important in this industry especially if you are going to commit to a project that will take a few months. It’s always great to surround your self with people you trust and genuinely want the best for you. There are a lot folks out there that just want something from you. I’m not about that. I operate from abundance and always look to help the next person. We are all on our individual paths and what God has in store for us is tailor-made for the individual so you might as well help as many people out along the way because we will get what’s coming to us regardless. He is always working but be sure to check him out in his upcoming film “My Beautiful Bride”. I’m excited for him!

Jeremy Luke is another great friend. He’s a working actor and one of the funniest guys I know. He actually introduced me to Jaime and has looked out for me ever since we connected. He is truly genuine and keeps it real. He has given me some great advice and still does to this day every time we hang out. He’s accomplished a lot and is still making it happen. I’m really grateful for his friendship and for all of his advice he has given me just in general and about the industry. Jeremy gives back a lot and I admire that about him. He’s a giver and not a taker. He hosts a showcase for Actors every month to help them get repped and really drops really great advice and nuggets.

Jordan Ancel is one of my mentors and a good friend of mine. He is an Entrepreneur, Filmmaker, to name a few, and an all-around badass. He prides himself on “Getting Shit Done” which he does a lot of and he taught me to do the same. I met Jordan in my first couple of years pursuing Acting at an Acting retreat about 8 years ago in LA. Thank God I did. I was very green at the time and I remember him coming into this seminar we attended as the guest speaker and he completely crushed it! He fired every one up that day and he lit a fire under my ass. I immediately gravitated towards his energy. I started working with him shortly after doing one on one personal coaching and the rest is history still being written. He is the person responsible for shifting my focus from just being another actor to treating my acting career as a business. His knowledge and wisdom he has given to me and the conversations we still have are invaluable and a straight blessing. He shifted my mindset to being a businessman in the industry, which has been key to everything that I continue to do and accomplish. He’s always been an advocate for actors and really cares to see growth in the actors he mentors. He has a group on Facebook called Thriving Actor which offers amazing insight and value.

Jason Kyle is another friend of mine that I’d like to shout out. He recently gave me the opportunity during the pandemic to help launch his company “The Creator’s Writing Room” with his partner and Co-Founder Lee Aronsohn. Jason is a hard-working individual with a great attitude and strong work ethic. A great leader. It’s been nothing but a pleasure working with him and learning from him. The Creators Writing Room is a great resource for writers and actors that would like to learn about the industry, storytelling structure, and the business in general. We offer classes and free resources including Jason and Lees show “Co-Pilots” that they do bi-weekly. You want to have people in your corner that want to see you succeed and vice versa. What Jason brings to the company is his invaluable knowledge of the business by actually being inside the studio at Sony and making it happen. Be sure to check us out and sign up on our mailing list. www.thecwroom.com

Lastly, I want to shout out my cousin Scott Rocco. A very talented Musician-Songwriter and Actor. He’s my older cousin and roommate. He’s always looked out for me and kept it real from day one. It is great to have him as a roommate. We are in the office together day in and day out firing up each other and inspiring each other. I’m grateful for his advice and inspired by his artistry. He is definitely going to be one of the greats. As a musician, his sound is for the underdog. It has so much heart. Almost every song he has out can be synced and played throughout TV & Film. That is coming soon. I’m excited for what is to come for him. You can check him out on his Instagram at @scottroccoofficial & on Spotify. His latest single “Wish You Well” just dropped so be sure to tune into the radio airwaves for that.

As I mentioned, all of these individuals have helped me, inspired me, and blessed me on this journey and I am grateful for them. I’m not just blowing smoke. I hope I got across how important it is to surround yourself with good people in this industry. It is vital.

Aside from surrounding yourself with amazing individuals, it is important to be conscious of what you take in and feed yourself. Yes, a healthy diet is key to having great energy and feeling good. That is vital, but I’m talking about what you’re feeding your being and your mind. What thoughts are you having on a daily basis, what books are you reading, what content are you consuming. Being conscious about what I am ingesting has helped me learn and grow as a human being. Two books that have been essential to my growth are “Psychocybernetics” by Dr. Maxwell Maltz and “The Power of Awareness” by Neville Goddard.

Lastly, I want to give a HUGE shout-out to my “Engage The Vision” Family. We are a non-profit organization that mentors inner-city kids in school on a consistent basis. The pandemic has slowed us down a bit being in person but I am looking forward to the comeback when we can be back in with those kids and help mentor and guide them towards a positive path in life. Another shout out to Cottrell Guidry, another talented actor and artist for getting me connected with ETV. I appreciate you, Cottrell! Be sure to follow us on Instagram @engagethevison for how to get involved and help give back. It is important to help the youth and the next generation be their best selves and pass down what we know to the next generation to help the world become better and brighter every day.

Ultimately I just want to continue to do the work every day to get better as a human and an artist. Work with great people. Help people out and impact the world in a positive way. Take care of my family and leave a positive impact that lasts on this earth after I exit. I believe in doing good, being good and good things will happen. God helps those that help themselves.

Website: www.FreddyGiorlando.com

Instagram: @freddygiorlando and @shickenproductions

Image Credits
Photographers: Bjoern Kommerell and Rich Washington