ED- We are thrilled at The Eerie Digest to interview actor/producer Mario Guzman to our readers. Mario, tell our fans how you started in acting.

MG-Thank you. It’s truly a pleasure to share this time with you. I started performing at a very young age. As the youngest of seven children it was natural to act out to get the attention of my parents and siblings. I would often do impressions of characters from film and television for them. They were my first audience, and my first fans. My first real “gig” was singing at the local Chuck e Cheese at the age of 7 years old. I remember the experience vividly. When I heard the audience clapping, that was all it took. The hook was in and there was no turning back. By 5th grade I was in my first theater production. By 7th grade I did more stage productions at school and was attending a professional film acting academy. I rode the bus there on the weekends and attended for a couple years at the now famous Bobby Ball film acting academy.  I ‘graduated’ and had the opportunity to audition for Ms. Bobby Ball herself. This was quite a big deal for me. I was so nervous. After the audition she said, “You’re a very good actor Mario, but you’ll never get work with that pimple on your face.”. And that was all she had to say. I was dumbfounded, devastaded and dejected. But I never quit. It only helped form the first layers of callous that got me through all of the numerous let. downs that lay ahead of me in life and career.  In high school I was an extra in “Bill and teds excellent adventure” and was a stand in for Keanu Reeves. I signed with my first talent agent and became president of the speech and drama club.
The eighties were a blast!

ED- What inspired you for this career?

MG-I’ve always been fascinated and intrigued by the art of storytelling. As a child, I watched a lot of t.v., thus fueling my imagination. I loved cartoons like Tom and Jerry, and Bugs bunny. And even though I was very young, I watched Sergio Leone westerns, war movies, The twillight zone, In search of, Alfred Hitchcock, The bionic man, and  Saturday night live on t.v…  Also, horror films like “Night of the living dead”, “The exorcist”, “The Omen”, etc. Were seen with my older siblings.  And of course I can’t forget movies like Star Wars that blew my mind and ignited the creative side like a wildfire. (more…)