Rising Star Aaron Dalla Villa On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

What even is failure? We are all going to die one day so go for what you want in life. I guarantee you won’t fail if you give it 110%, and even if you don’t reach the height you wanted, you still succeeded by fully applying yourself. You literally have nothing to lose. Life is a gamble. There is so much opportunity in this world. Get out of bed and GO!

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Aaron Dalla Villa.

Comedic actor, heartthrob, dancer, and action star Aaron Dalla Villa appears as the lead ‘Nolan’ in the Fantasy/Sci-Fi film ALPHA RIFT, now available in Select Theaters and on VOD. Aaron is breaking down Hollywood’s door and featured in projects including the 2019 horror film TRICK, Peacock’s “Girls5eva,” Hulu’s PLEDGE, and FOX’s “Gotham,” to name a few.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Hey Yitzi! Great to talk to you again. I love these update interviews! I grew up in suburban Suffolk, Virginia. While in middle school, I first got into music and then transitioned into dance when I enrolled in the Governor’s School for the Arts. I never thought I would eventually add acting to my talent pool.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

Funny enough, it was a simple sprained ankle. I wasn’t even dancing when the injury happened, in fact, I was hopping over a turnstile in Chicago! Karma immediately got me, but then I hopped on Craigslist (the most renowned source for acting jobs) and found my first gig. The rest is history in the making.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Some roles you know you were just destined to play. I remember playing Treat in the production of “Orphans,” written by Lyle Kessler, and directed by James Bonney (RIP). James and I had such an amazing working relationship, and there was a touch of magic to the whole process. The lady he hired to design the poster had never seen a picture of me and ended up using a random modeling shot of me that she found off the internet! James and I nearly fell out of our chairs when we received the design. Do you believe in destiny?

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?

Early in my career, I definitely made the mistake of thinking I couldn’t be replaced and mouthed off to a director on a student film set. I was fired. I quickly learned that you can always be replaced. I’m grateful for these opportunities to work because there are 1000’s other actors just waiting in line to take your spot.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’m most excited for people to see “Alpha Rift.” It’s my biggest role yet, and I play the lead opposite genre legend Lance Henriksen. It’s a PG-13, family-friendly, action-fantasy movie, and just in time for Thanksgiving! It will be out in select theaters and streaming on November 19th on Amazon!

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?

What even is failure? We are all going to die one day so go for what you want in life. I guarantee you won’t fail if you give it 110%, and even if you don’t reach the height you wanted, you still succeeded by fully applying yourself. You literally have nothing to lose. Life is a gamble. There is so much opportunity in this world. Get out of bed and GO!

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?

How are we going to represent a country without showing all of its citizens? The more stories, the better. They help enhance our culture and create empathy. The reason we fight is that we misunderstand one another and don’t take the time to understand each other.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

-The tortoise won the race.

-Don’t sh*t where you eat.

-Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

-Always get it in writing.

-Read the room.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Don’t get wrapped up in all the bs. Just keep your head down and keep doing the work. Take a break when you need to. We all need some time to recharge.

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. :-)

Redistribution of wealth via cryptocurrency. The adoption rate is moving at lightning speed so I’m pretty optimistic :D

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?

I’m really grateful for the director of Alpha Rift, Dan Lantz. Not only am I thankful for him trusting me to be his lead, but he’s become a mentor figure in my life, as well. We are currently working on another project together (a feature) and will probably work together on many more in the future. He’s just an all-around great dude.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Remember those who were there for you when no one was.” Right now I’m getting a lot of attention. I have to remember that fame is fleeting, and the moment you’re not relevant, many of those people will disappear.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Elon Musk so we can talk about one of my favorite cryptocurrencies $pussy.financial

How can our readers follow you online?

@aarondallavilla

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Thanks for having me again, Yitzi!