Name: Nicola Tombacco
Hometown: Treviso, Italy
Current Location: Los Angeles, California
TrunkSpace: When did you know that you wanted to act for a living?
Tombacco: I’ve always loved performing since I was a kid. When I was seven or eight-years-old I used to jump on the table, right after dinner, and start reciting poems for my family. Later, once I got into high school, I had the chance to be part of the theatre group and, right from the first year, the director gave me leading characters. I was scared out of my mind. Acting on stage was only a hobby, which quickly turned into a passion and then into my biggest dream. I ended up performing for five shows throughout all my years in high school, and in all of them I played the lead. Everything changed for me once a friend of mine suggested that I go and do the four week summer program at NYFA. I did it, and it was a blast. That experience for me was the pivotal moment of my life, because right after I came back to Italy from New York I decided that acting was going to be what I wanted to do for a living. Four years ago I was graduating from high school and now I just graduated from AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts with a BFA in Acting.
TrunkSpace: Was there a particular performance or actor/actress from your childhood that you remember being drawn to and inspired by?
Tombacco: The performance that inspired me the most in my childhood was Roberto Benigni’s in “La Vita é Bella.” It was like an epiphany for me, because it made me realize how impactful and life-changing a single performance can be. I mean, he won two Oscars for that. And also walked on top of everybody’s head. Roberto Benigni was and remains my hero.
TrunkSpace: How did you decide to approach your career as an actor? Did you formulate a plan of how you wanted to attack what is known for being a hard industry to crack?
Tombacco: As an ignorant kid full of aspirations, I thought that coming to America would have been the easiest way for me to crack into the entertainment business. Now I have lived in Los Angeles for three years and I have learned a lot. At the beginning, while I was still in high school, I knew that to become one of the best, I had to be in the city where all the best are. So for me choosing a college based in Los Angeles was essential. That was the first step that I had in mind… getting a BFA in Acting and then figuring out the next steps as I went along my journey. Throughout college I learned how this business is shaped, the tactics to get auditions and get agents and managers; however, only now that I graduated I understand how things really work. So now I am focusing on getting connections in the industry, auditioning for roles that would really make a difference in my career (I don’t submit for every little project, I need good credits in order to get the O1 VISA). I joined a theatere company so I could meet even more people — and actually this choice turned out to be fruitful. Thanks to the connections that I have made, I was able to audition for a One Act written by John Patrick Shanley… and I booked it. The World Premiere will be at Theatre 68 In North Hollywood. So I keep on putting my face out there, working on projects that could reach interesting audiences.
TrunkSpace: Was that move an easy transition for you initially? How long did it take you to feel at home and find a good support group of friends and peers?
Tombacco: Coming to Los Angeles was a drastic change. For the first time in my life I was going to live by myself, away from my family and true friends, in a foreign country, ignorant of the language, in a completely different culture, where I felt alone and away from everything that was secure in my life. My family always supports me, but it’s not easy when they are on the other side of the world, when their day is your night and vice versa. It took me a long time to start trusting people, because I felt that everyone around me was so superficial and couldn’t fully understand how I was feeling. Fortunately after my third semester I moved out of campus, in a town-home, with a British guy and a guy from San Francisco. At least now I could have a little bit more freedom and I felt a little more independent, but still, I always felt like there was something missing. My mind was all focused on the school, but my heart was wandering in the air, as if it never really landed in Los Angeles with my body. It took me two years to finally feel at home, and at that time I was on my second to last semester before graduating from college. Everything changed once I started hanging out with some Italian friends of mine, who now I consider brothers. Being able to share with them all my fears and doubts, helped me feeling like I wasn’t alone anymore, because they were having the same exact problems. I had found a new family and my heart had finally landed in Los Angels as well.
TrunkSpace: What has been been your biggest break in terms of a particular role or project thus far?
Tombacco: There’s two projects that right now have the potential to be gold mines. One is a feature movie that I am working on as a Supporting Lead and the other one is a One Act World Premiere. The movie is being produced by the Artistic Director of AMDA — while I was still in college, one day, I received an email from the producer, asking me to do a screen test for a project. They were looking for an Italian actor that looked like the protagonist. The protagonist is one of those brothers that I mentioned before, and we look alike as well…what a coincidence, uh? The movie hasn’t been released yet though. The One Act is opening in two weeks and it’s called “Poison” by John Patrick Shanley. It will run for 26 performances throughout March and April. This is probably the biggest opportunity that I have, because it could potentially attract important audiences, so I just have to bring my A game and things will unfold by themselves.
TrunkSpace: Is there a specific type of role you’d like to take on or a specific genre that you feel more at home in?
Tombacco: My dream role is Rodolpho from “A View from the Bridge” by Arthur Miller. That character just speaks so much to me, and the story itself is incredibly
relatable. My strongest suit is comedy, although recently I have found a deep affection towards dramas.
TrunkSpace: What would you say is the greatest strength an actor/actress can have outside of acting ability itself?
Tombacco: Perseverance. Acting isn’t easy, especially with all of today’s outlets, competition is tougher then ever. I believe that if an actor will never give up, he or she will make their dream come true. Because when one really wants something and one puts all of himself into it, the whole universe will revolve around that dream.
TrunkSpace: What is your ultimate dream when it comes to your acting career? Where would you like your path to lead?
Tombacco: I want to win an Oscar for Best Leading Actor and Best Movie… exactly like Roberto Benigni did. I want to work on a project that the whole world could see and learn and get inspired from.
TrunkSpace: What advice would you give another young aspiring actor/actress who is considering moving away from home to pursue their dream?
Tombacco: No one is born under an unlucky star; it’s only that some people don’t know how to look at the sky. So if you really want to see your dreams come true, you have to believe in yourself more than anyone else that you love. Because you will be alone on your path, you will be crossing a desert with your passion only, and love for yourself as food and water. So never give up, and when you think that the path gets too steep for you, don’t worry… it only means that after that moment, things will finally start to go downhill, for a while. It’s a roller coaster. You just gotta be willing to enjoy the ride and have faith in yourself. And also one more important thing. It doesn’t matter how you look, which language you speak, how old you are, there will always be a special space reserved for you at the end of the path… and no one can take it because there’s your name on it. So if you see other people succeeding while you aren’t, don’t feel discouraged but be excited for them. Your path is your path. It’s written for you. Whether you achieve your goal or not is just on you. So don’t focus on other people, focus on yourself.
TrunkSpace: Where can people (and casting directors) learn more about you?
Tombacco: To learn more about me visit my website (www.nicola-tombacco.com) or my Facebook Fan Page (Nicola Tombacco) or follow me on Instagram or Twitter (@nicolatombacco)
