The Fan Carpet Chats To…: Johnny Solo Discusses Acting With Hollywood Greats And Embracing His Greek Heritage
Look out for actor and producer Johnny Solo in two high-profile TV shows later this year. He will appear alongside Hollywood royalty – Jodie Foster and Annette Bening – in the Netflix biopic ‘Nyad’, about the marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, and has a recurring role in the hit comedy show 'What We Do In the Shadows'. It’s a far cry from his degree in economics and earlier corporate career – here he talks about how he traded it for the acting life, his love for producing, and why his Greek heritage is so important to him.
Tell us about your exciting upcoming projects.
I’m in a huge Netflix biopic, ‘Nyad’ as Aris Nyad (who’s Greek!). It stars Jodie Foster, Annette Bening and Rhys Ifans, and is directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (Academy Award Winners for ‘Free Solo’). I’ve also got a recurring role as Nico on the huge Disney/Hulu hit comedy TV show, 'What We Do In the Shadows', starting this July.
How did you get into the film industry?
I went to New York University and studied economics. I met so many actors and directors there, and I fell in love with their artistic lifestyle. I was in awe of their courage for pursuing their passion. So I started taking acting workshops at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, and eventually worked with some amazing private coaches long after I graduated from university. I was working at a corporation while studying until I quit my job and started auditioning for roles. One of my first jobs was a major film, ‘Man On A Ledge’ starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks and Edward Burns. After meeting Eddie, he added me to the cast of his independent movie, ‘Newlyweds’, where I starred as Miles. It was a big success and became a Tribeca Film Festival favourite.
Photos appear courtesy of Todd Estrin and Emily Lambert
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