Meet Isaias Badilla | Actor & Filmmaker

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

Hi Isaias, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Finding a balance is very challenging, especially in our profession. I have to pay rent and food first, those are the basic needs that I must meet in order to thrive. I think the most important thing for me is time and how I use it, it’s truly precious. Before and after work I have some free time and even if I am tired I always make sure I am being productive in one way or another, from watching a film to reading a book or even just resting for the show I have the next day. Prioritizing my needs and making sure those are aligned with the goals that I have.

Bussing tables isn’t my passion, but I’ve found it very helpful to find some of it in it. I’ve become very passionate about wines, every time I work at the restaurant I make sure I am learning something new, something that keeps this creative fire on, I think about film ideas and daydream. These jobs take the life out of you, I make sure I stay intact from the minute I clock in, to when I clock out.

The dream is to be able to sustain my basic needs with what I’m passionate about, until then, I need to make sure I find a balance between what needs to be done and what makes me feel alive, what truly gives me purpose.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I believe growing as an artist and as a person are intrinsically connected, one feeds into the other. My approach to acting is something I will always be developing and discovering, my goal is to learn as much as I can from different perspectives and techniques and find my own approach that meets my own ethos. Same with filmmaking, I have never been to film school but I have watched films, and that is my school. Finding my own voice and technique is very important, especially when the work I do as a storyteller is personal and it even works as therapy, helping me overcome my own fears, insecurities, desires, and challenges.

The journey hasn’t been easy and I don’t think it’ll ever be. I like that, that’s where the truth comes out. When there is struggle, there is growth. It gives me way more to work on, especially as an actor. In a very superficial society where someone’s worth is measured by status or money, it’s very easy to disconnect oneself from our own ideas and thoughts. There is a daily effort to stay intact when you’re bombarded with superficiality, greed, and ego.

My connection to my own art goes way beyond the “product”, it is not my goal to tell stories to satisfy the audience and to respect the rules that don’t exist. It is my duty to stay true to who I am, the stories I want to tell, and how I want to tell them. If that means that I’ll be making films with my DSLR or phone, that’s fine with me.

Going to conservatory acting was challenging, especially while juggling with the cultural differences and the huge obstacle of learning a new language. I felt isolated from everyone else, there were a few people who spoke Spanish but it wasn’t the same, no one was from Costa Rica and it was something more than language, it was something else that I’m still trying to figure out. What kept me happy and motivated was reminding myself every day of my purpose, and why I decided to come to this country.

I am excited about what’s yet to come, I’ve been working on myself for the past five years and I am way beyond excited to see who I’ll become, hopefully the best version I can possibly be. Living a truthful life filled with passion, passion for the people I love, the films I make and watch, and the stories I tell as an actor and filmmaker.

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?
Whenever I hear best friend I think about my brothers. I know they love cinema as much as I do so I would take them to my favorite movie theaters in the city: Film Forum, The Metrograph, IFC Center, and Film at Lincoln Center. After watching films I’d take them to the best pizza spot, which is 2Bros haha. I’d get us some cheap rush tickets to a couple of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. I would take them to The Met Opera and obviously to The Met Museum and MoMa. We would have some amazing wine at Vin Sur Vingt or The Ten Bells and then would take them to eat some amazing Spanish food where I work, Casa Mono! We would then hop on the Citi Bikes and ride around the city. Also going to Central Park to connect with nature and maybe even catch the new Shakespeare in the Park production. Last day we would just stay at home conversing, watching films, and talking about them afterward. That would be an amazing week…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents and brothers, and the wonderful friends and teachers I met at The Academy.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isaiasbadilla/

Other: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm9599884?s=c0c58d1d-4f14-ece2-0981-15c5ff8ac8bc&site_preference=normal https://vimeo.com/isaiasbadilla