Mark Vidano shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Mark , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is a normal day like for you right now?
My day always starts with a cup of coffee. Then I catch up on my emails, looking for the good news that I’ve been booked! During the week I’ll typically have 8-10 auditions that I’ll need to tape. Thank goodness for self tapes! The evenings are reserved for time with my wife, making dinner together and watching something on T.V. Mix in some house work or errands and my day/week is complete.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Mark Vidano, and I took the road less traveled into filmmaking — on purpose.
I came to acting later in life, in my mid-50s, after a long career outside the industry. But I didn’t tiptoe in. I dove into emotionally intense film roles and found myself drawn to stories that leave a mark — stories that move you, challenge you, and maybe even heal something in you.
In 2024, I made the bold leap to executive produce my first feature film, TOUCHED — a deeply personal drama about an estranged grandfather and his special-needs granddaughter. I also co-wrote the script and played the lead role. It was the most ambitious creative work I’ve ever done — and it changed me.
Our mission as a production company is simple: inspire the spirit through thought-provoking cinema. I believe great films don’t just entertain — they awaken something. That’s what we’re doing with TOUCHED, and it’s why I’m excited to collaborate with others who value storytelling that actually says something.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship that most shaped how I see myself is the one I had with my dad.
He was an old-school cop, the kind who showed up early, stayed late, and never made excuses. He didn’t say much, but you knew exactly where he stood. From him, I learned the value of discipline, follow-through, standing on principles and morals along with doing the hard thing even when no one’s watching.
That work ethic stuck with me. It’s shaped how I approach acting, filmmaking, and life in general. Whether I’m on set or behind the scenes producing, I try to carry that same sense of responsibility — to the story, the team, and the people we’re hoping to reach.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes — during the making of TOUCHED, there were a couple of moments when I felt like walking away.
I had spent over four months in pre-production — hiring cast and crew, investing in locations, and putting everything into place. Then, right before we started filming, I lost my job. This was my funding mechanism for the film. My monthly income and annual bonuses.
Everything in me screamed, “Cut your losses.” But I’d already made commitments. People had cleared their schedules. The story mattered. So I pushed forward, funding what I could, pulling from my retirement, and keeping the ship afloat.
Then California caught fire. Literally. Massive wildfires forced us to reschedule shoots, extend filming days, and throw the original plan out the window. We were exhausted, over budget, and constantly shifting. The universe decided it wanted to test my metal and my dream.
But we finished. And honestly? That decision, to stay in the fight when it made no financial sense, taught me more about myself than any acting class or business book ever could.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
Here’s something I believe that not everyone agrees with:
“Do whatever lights up your soul.” This is my wife’s mantra as a life counselor. Put differently “You can do whatever you want in life”….Truly. Great as a motivational poster, but hard to actually put into practice because outside influencers will tell you to be realistic, stay in your lane, or wait for permission. But I’ve found the only person standing in the way, is usually you.
I started acting in my 50s. I produced a film during one of the hardest seasons of my life. And every time I felt the urge to quit, I reminded myself: this matters to me and that’s enough reason to keep going. I remember the day that I pushed the thought of quitting out of my head. It was the day that I asked myself literally “If you found out tomorrow that you had a month to live would you make this movie?” The answer was a definitive “YES”!
The truth is, you don’t need approval to start. You just need to decide you’re not going to die with your best work or drean still stuck inside you.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say I didn’t fail to live my dream and that I inspired them to live theirs.
I hope the story people tell about me isn’t that I was fearless but that I had fear, doubt, setbacks… and still moved forward. I especially hope this is the story that my sons tell and live by. I’m trying to lead them by example.
I hope there is a line in there that I didn’t let age, insecurity, or circumstance stop me from chasing the work that mattered to me. That I refused to settle for the safe version of my life.
I hope they say I lived with integrity and told the truth, even when it hurt. That I was the kind of man who listened. Who cared. Who was responsible and principled. Someone that showed up.
And maybe most of all, I hope they say I believed in second chances. That I lived like they were real.
I didn’t get into filmmaking to build a name. I got into it to tell stories that could leave a mark. If someone out there watches TOUCHED, or anything else I’ve done, and feels just a little more human, a little more inspired, afterward a little more connected…then I did what I came here to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://patriotfilming.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/touched_the_movie?igsh=YnBrcjYzYWRrY2U5
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vidano.Mark?mibextid=wwXlfr&mibextid=wwXlfr
