Alex Barone On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
Stay pure. Stay true to who you are. This doesn’t mean don’t change but do everything you do (especially in this entertainment industry) with the right intentions.
Be bold. Make an impact. Be the best version of you. Why blend in when you were born to stand out!?
As a part of our series about creating a successful career in TV and Film, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Alex Barone.
Alex Barone is quickly making a name for himself in Hollywood. After being selected for the ABC Discovers: Talent Showcase, Alex has landed several roles in Television & Film including Dopesick (opposite Michael Keaton), The Rookie (opposite Nathan Fillion), and How I met your Father (opposite Hillary Duff). Alex also landed a big role in the upcoming Netflix thriller Luckiest Girl Alive, an adaptation of Jessica Knoll’s 2015 New York Times Best-Seller of the same name, starring Mila Kunis and directed by Mike Barker (The Handmaid’s Tale). Another supporting role in John Ridley’s upcoming film Shirley, (opposite Regina King).
Alex is also known as the host and creator of the Crypt TV Docu-series, “A Little Different” which was executive produced by Eli Roth. Additionally, he is the co-creator and star of the comedic web-series “The Tommy & Bobby Show,” developed with creative partner, Kurt Yaeger (Sons of Anarchy).
Alex — who was born with the congenital condition Fibular Hemimelia and underwent 43 surgeries early on in his life — is passionate about advocating and empowering performers with disabilities in the entertainment industry. As such, he is actively involved with the organization Camp No Limits as a mentor/speaker to children and teens with limb differences.)
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up sort of in the countryside of Maryland in a Baltimore County region called Jacksonville. I grew up there with my parents, brother, and two sisters, and we’ve always had a really close and tight family. I was born with a condition called Fibular Hemimelia and underwent forty-three surgeries growing up between the ages of seven and seventeen. I was so much different than all my peers and everyone I grew up with, which really led to a lot of pain- mentally, physically and emotionally. However, without those experiences growing up, both good and bad, I wouldn’t have the same grit, passion, and motivation that I do today. Looking back, it certainly was a spark to follow acting and filmmaking years later. And that’s lit the fuel to my fire and taken me to where I am today.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
As I mentioned, I was born a little different and endured several surgeries growing up. I spent a lot of time on the sidelines. A lot of time spent watching and envying my peers at school who got to play recess and run around and who weren’t in any physical pain. I was very much an introvert and a nervous wreck when it came to talking about my condition or showcasing it everyone else. I was so insecure that in fact, I always wore long pants to cover the scars on my leg (no matter how hot it was outside), and always hid my hands in my pockets. I hid my hands in my pockets so much that one day my mom sewed the pockets shut on all my pants. I was so angry with her then but thank her so much now for encouraging me to face my insecurities and put myself out there. It was high school when I took a theatre class as a random elective. I grew up watching movies daily, especially when I was stuck in bed because of having surgeries, so film/tv were always magical to me. I discovered in the theatre class that acting felt like a way for me to escape my own insecurities, and put myself in someone else’s shoes, which took the focus off from me personally. In return, the more I acted the more self-confident I became in myself and my body.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career? It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Hmm. This is the first thing that comes to my mind and would probably be considered a mistake to do (or a big no-no) by most entertainment industry people, but for me was a win! Okay so here’s the story… After spotting Director Eli Roth standing in a line one time, I tapped him on the shoulder, introduced myself, showed him my hands and said, “Mr. Roth I’m a huge fan of your work and would love for you to use my hands any way you’d like down the road.” He thanked me for introducing myself and told me I had cool hands. Soon after, he contacted me and asked to meet. We collaborated on what we could do together and ultimately came up with an idea for a TV- show called A Little Different, in which I hosted and traveled around SoCal meeting unique individuals who have chased their dreams despite having a major difference or abnormality. The show had a total of six episodes, millions of views and made a huge impact. It was inspirational, edgy and a major learning experience for me in the world of entertainment. Sometimes being bold and putting yourself out there like I did when I met Eli works and sets you apart. Be you, and don’t be afraid to make your move! Now, what that a mistake or not?
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
These past few years, despite Covid times, have been exciting career-wise for me. Since 2019, I did the ABC Discovers: Talent Showcase, being selected out of thousands of applications to perform in their showcase with 14 other actors. After the showcase, I have landed several roles in Television & Film including Dopesick (opposite Michael Keaton), The Rookie (opposite Nathan Fillion), and How I met your Father (opposite Hillary Duff). I am most excited about my role in the upcoming Netflix thriller Luckiest Girl Alive, an adaptation of Jessica Knoll’s 2015 New York Times Best-Seller of the same name, starring Mila Kunis and directed by Mike Barker (The Handmaid’s Tale). Being a part of this project with the cast, crew and filmmakers was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me and I’m beyond grateful to have worked with all of them.
Other upcoming projects include a role in John Ridley’s upcoming film Shirley, (opposite Regina King). Plus, a voiceover role in Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher’s Stoner Cats NFT series, and a role in an upcoming horror film.
I was also the creator of the Crypt TV Docu-series, “A Little Different” which was executive produced by Eli Roth.
Additionally, I am co-creator and star of the comedic web-series “The Tommy & Bobby Show,” developed with creative partner, Kurt Yaeger (Sons of Anarchy). We wrote, shot, and produced 140 episodes (3 minutes each) of this series and have been putting them out slowly on YouTube and social media platforms. We have a whole world built out of this series and plans to expand it bigger!
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Like my man Denzel Washington says, “fall forward.” You have to keep failing in order to keep growing, not just in this challenging career path, but in life. We grow the MOST when we’re uncomfortable. That’s the truth. So, my advice would be to not be afraid of failure. Failure is part of the process. Be more afraid of not trying or wondering what if…
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
It’s necessary to have diversity in represented in film and television. It’s getting better, but we are still far behind with the times. People crave authenticity and something different! I can only speak to my community of performers with disabilities in Hollywood… Even though over 20% of the population has a disability of some sort, most people still view someone with a disability as a sad or weak flaw. If you think about how characters with disabilities are depicted on screen, it’s almost always a saddened character that’s dealing with a ton of depression or struggle, and their whole character is revolved around their disability. That’s just not how real life is. A fireman could have a disability. A doctor or nurse could have a disability. A badass military dude could have a disability. A leading man/woman could have a disability. But we aren’t seeing that quite enough yet. Most people who have overcome having a disability in real life (that I know including myself) aren’t sad or weak people, we are the strongest kind of people that understand pain and have the grit and perseverance to overcome anything. We need more leading men/woman with disabilities on screen to make it more mainstream, bottom line. So, my inspiration for a movement would be to change how mainstream views that specific community, and that’s part of my mission as an actor in this industry is to collaborate with creatives and create that positive change!
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- Don’t get in your head or take things personally. This is so easy to do and will drive you banana sandwich if you don’t let things go. If you treat it like business and give it your all and then just move on to the next thing (audition, meeting, representation, etc.), regardless of the outcome, it makes whatever the outcome is more fulfilling.
- Don’t stop! Don’t stop learning, growing, failing, experiencing new things, diving into whatever, whenever. All the above make you a better person, actor, role model, etc.
- Stay pure. Stay true to who you are. This doesn’t mean don’t change but do everything you do (especially in this entertainment industry) with the right intentions.
- Always stay humble and kind. You never know who is sitting right next to you, thinking of you for something, or who you’re going to bump into randomly. Never judge a book by its cover and treat everyone how you’d want to be treated. Goes a long way.
- Be bold. Make an impact. Be the best version of you. Why blend in when you were born to stand out!?
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I would say travel, develop friendships, relationships, hobbies. Be the best you outside of the industry, so that you can apply all those things and experiences to the industry.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
There are so many movements that I would love to inspire change to, however, to me the one I have most experience with and have lived my whole life is in the disability or limb different community. I want kids who were born different like myself to see someone on the big screen who made it happen and overcame all the same obstacles that they may face. To chase their dreams despite having a difference and hearing from others it may not be possible.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Of course, I must thank my parents and my family. Even though I did grow up different, my parents never let me believe I was different than anyone else. They encouraged me to use my difference to make a difference and to be a light and force. Another major force in my life is my second family, a non-profit organization I mentor with called Camp No Limits. Camp No Limits is a traveling camp for youth with limb differences, and I thrive to be the role model to them that I wish I had growing up. I’ve learned way more about having grit and perseverance from the people at this camp than I get anywhere else. It fuels my fire. I’ve carried them all with me throughout the rollercoaster of ups and downs to get to where I am and who I am today. I have my tribe and I keep my tribe/circle close.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Something my dad said to me once was “now be the role model to others that you wished you had growing up.” This is relevant in my life in so many ways, because growing up a little different than everyone else around me, I vividly remember the sadness, pain, and insecurity I felt. I felt so different than everyone else because I was. I hold this quote close to my heart now and use it to fuel my motivation to inspire others to carry out their dreams, despite their differences.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
That’s awesome! Hmm. Many, many people. I’d love to pick the brain of some of my favorite directors like Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Todd Phillips, Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton. The list goes on. Would love to collaborate with Quentin or any of them on ways to use performers with disabilities in their films. Whether a performer with a disability is casted in a film either authentically as a character with a disability, or, casted as an able-bodied character that has nothing to do with their disability, BOTH would sling-shot how mainstream audiences view the disability community in entertainment. They’re all very smart directors, so I know they’d understand. It’s just raising more awareness. Let’s get that private breakfast or lunch and chat! ☺
How can our readers follow you online?
I am most active on Instagram @alexjbarone
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Thank you very much, likewise! ☺
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color. In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction. Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business. With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
