'Ma' star Gianni Paolo feels that comedy would be his go-to genre, but wants to show people he can do everything
For 23-year-old Gianni Paolo, 'Ma' was a "crazy" experience and one that was new to him as he hailed from a theater background. The Tate-Taylor directed psychological horror film is in theaters right now and is enjoying a good run with critics praising its horror elements and cast performances. The film follows a group of teenagers who befriend a lonely middle-aged woman who allows them to party in her basement but later on find themselves being terrorized by her.
This is Paolo's big screen debut and in an exclusive with MEA World Wide (MEAWW), the actor discusses his experience working on 'Ma', his character in the film and landing a role in the superhit crime drama, 'Power'.
"It was a new experience," he recollects. "TV is more of a 9 to 5 and when you're in a movie, you're the odd one out." Paolo also admitted that Scotty Landes' writing made him say yes to 'Ma'. "What made me say yes was the writing, I read it and fell in love," he said.
Paolo plays Chaz, a fun-loving character who is in for a good time and is one of the teens partying in Ma's basement. In fact, Paolo also adds that his character and his bunch of friends were responsible for discovering Ma's basement. "He's a bit crazy, I could see a lot of me during my high school," he adds.
Paolo may be relatively new in the acting circuit, but has already been signed up for 'Power,' the crime-drama series that tells the story of a ruthless drug dealer under the name, 'Ghost,' who wishes to get a break away from the criminal world in order to support his legitimate business interests as a nightclub owner. The hit show debuted in 2014 and will dish out its sixth season premiering on Starz this August.
'Power' season 6 will see Paolo playing Brayden, a spoilt rich kid. While Paolo admitted that he couldn't really reveal a lot about the upcoming season, he hinted that his character would bring with him a dash of humor. "There's a lot more comedy in my character," he added.
Given a choice, Paolo felt that comedy would be his go-to genre when it comes to acting, but he definitely wants to keep his options open.
"Drama takes a lot out of me, which I love," he explained. " Comedy is so much fun on set and off it, and does not take so much out of you. I see my career in comedy as a better job. But, I definitely want to show people I can do everything."
For an actor who loves Leonardo DiCaprio and Jake Gyllenhaal and aspires to be like them in the future, he sure has made some impressive strides in a short period of time.
(cover photo credit: Micheal Duenas)