Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Badillo.
Hi Christopher, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I never really thought I would ever become an actor. In fact, my journey to the art of acting and filmmaking, now looking back on it, may have been really unconventional compared to some. All my life, I always found interest in many things. I was a very hyperactive yet curious person, which is perhaps why I tended to find myself delving into many different interests. It began with playing soccer, then I was drawing comic books, after that I was interested in martial arts, then learning about history, and so on and so forth. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I found myself in a skateboarding club ran by, surprisingly, one of my math teachers. I enjoyed being part of that club. I made many friends in it and had lots of fun visiting different skateparks in the area and competing in tournaments.
One day, however, I decided to bring my digital camera to one of our events in an effort to film all my friends performing their skateboarding tricks. That was perhaps, even without me realizing it at the time, my first experimentation in filmmaking. I took all the footage I got from that day, brought it home, and edited it into a film short. I can still, to this day, distinctly remember the feeling of accomplishment I had after completing that short. I felt as if I finally found my true passion. I thought to myself, “I want to do this more!” So, the following year in high school I enrolled in my first drama and video production classes and I immediately fell in love with the art of storytelling in theatre and film. I chose to pursue it as a career after graduating from high school in 2010 and began attending MiraCosta College. I have been able to have been a part of its many training programs including training in classical and contemporary theatre, movement training, voice and diction, as well as theatre production. It was there I was able to develop my skills as actor and storyteller and soon, I began to transition into film acting and writing. Since then, I have been blessed to been a part of many film productions in the years following, both in front and behind the camera, and am currently pursuing my dream as an actor and stuntman specializing in motion capture performance.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It was definitely not a smooth road for many reasons. Perhaps the challenge I had to conquer first was stepping into a completely new environment. As I said before, I never imagined myself as an actor, so to step into the theatre world for the first time, was daunting to say the least. I suddenly had to learn how to dive deeper within myself and become comfortable with being vulnerable and open in a capacity I never had been in my life before. What made it even more intimidating was that I often found myself on stage with contemporaries who had been pursuing acting for almost, if not their entire lives. I often found myself questioning whether I was capable of pursuing this art form. But as challenging as it was, I kept with it because there were also moments where I felt my passion for acting stoke a fire within me. I eventually was able to become more confident in my skills as I progressed and began to enjoy more and more the art of acting as my nerves calmed and I became more “loose” on stage. It certainly helped as I was balancing a life of school, work, and auditioning and rehearsing for projects. The other challenge, as I’m sure most actors will relate to, was dealing with rejection. As I transitioned into film acting after college, I had to work hard to establish myself as an actor within the industry. I found myself being turned down from many projects in the beginning, and again, questioning my self-worth. But as I auditioned more and more, I began to get more jobs and began to learn the business. I was blessed to become a part of bigger productions over time and make connections with people both on and off set, many of whom I have worked with on multiple projects. Acting, like almost anything else, is a business and to learn how to remain resilient in both the industry and life is one of the great challenges I take pride in pursuing every day.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an actor, writer, martial artist and stuntman. I am trained in both classical and contemporary theatre and film acting. I am perhaps best known for my work in the STAR WARS fan film, “Dark Fury.” “Dark Fury” was one of my first productions as one of the lead actors and I was fortunate enough to use my martial art skills as the fight choreographer for the film. It is perhaps the project I am most proud to have been a part of. I think what sets me apart from most others is that I not only act, but I’m also a writer. I have written many screenplays, including one that has won an award in the San Diego 48 Hour Film Project entitled, “You Know why You’re Here.” I also am a Shaolin Kung Fu martial artist specializing in hand to hand combat who has been able to bring his know-how to choreographing fight scenes.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I like most about our city is its environment. San Diego is a beautiful city that brings not only the benefits of the beaches and city together, but most of all the people. San Diego is a city with a very diverse community from all cultures, ethnicities, and identities creating a colorful tapestry of people. I am always learning something new whenever I meet new people. The wealth and diversity of life experience you can find in San Diego is something that always helps to widen my view on the world and see things in a different light.
Contact Info:
- Email: christopherbadilloinfo@gmail.com
- Website: https://badillos210.wixsite.com/christopherbadillo
- Instagram: instagram.com/chrismbadillojr
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/skatelineproductions
Image Credits
Melanie Green, Roberto Suarez, Querriel Madarang
