Check Out Lucia Tarantino’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucia Tarantino.

Hi Lucia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have always been fascinated with stories. As a young girl, my father would tell my brothers, sisters, and me stories of when he was a boy in Sicily as well as share his childhood parables. When I was seven, I wanted to be an actress after working on a commercial as background. But coming from an area where becoming an actress was thought of as foolish, my dream of acting got buried. Still, a tiny sparked lived. Eventually, that spark caught fire, so as an adult, I packed my bags and headed to Los Angeles.

I studied at the Playhouse West, where students were encouraged to create their own projects. So that’s what I did. I wrote and starred in my first short film, “John Doe.” Since then, I have continued to write and act on my own and other people’s projects.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This has not been a smooth road, but it’s been a fulfilling, fun, and exciting one. I wouldn’t have it another way. The biggest challenge I face is time. I always struggle with the balance of time between work, and my personal life. My son is everything to me, so it’s important to me to know when to put down work to focus on him and my family.

As a child, I struggled with comprehension and writing. It’s something I still struggle with today. I don’t allow it to get in my way though. It just takes me a little longer to write on paper what I see in my imagination.

Sadly, the other challenge is being a woman in this industry and a late bloomer. Hollywood isn’t kind to women who didn’t start in their twenties. There’s a lot of rejection along the way. One of my strong points is that it’s hard for me to take “no” for an answer. So, I keep trekking away on my path. I have incredible support from my family, friends, and my mentor and teacher John Lacy. Without them, it would be more difficult. I am grateful for each of them.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an actress, writer, and producer. I am passionate about storytelling in any form. Through stories, I express my interpretation of the world I see around me. I craft compelling stories that leave audiences captivated, especially with my first short film “John Doe.” It will always be dear to me, my firstborn.

In 2020, I produced and played the role of Monica in “Rosebud Lane”, Directed by John Lacy. In 2022, I wrote and played Adele in “Monster Spray,” and I recently co-directed with John Lacy a short I wrote which is in the editing process. I’m excited to do another rewrite of one of my feature scripts.

Becoming a producer started with my projects out of necessity, and this flourished into helping others create and achieve their storytelling dreams. I delight in being part of a project and building a team, or I should say, a film family. I enjoy connecting creatives and watching the process of making a film blossom into reality. This is not an art form you can’t go alone, it takes a village and I relish in creating that village!

I’d say I’m most proud of actually accomplishing the doing. I do it. I get an idea, and I see it through to the end. It doesn’t happen overnight. It often takes time to get to the finish line, but I cross it. It takes determination, perseverance, and authenticity. I bring myself to every project. I possess a sincere ability to respect others, who they are, and what ideas they bring to a project. This I believe is the foundation needed to build working relationships, and genuine relationships are important to me in my work life as well as my personal life.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Oh, there was so much to learn from Covid. It wasn’t easy with an active eight-year-old; I learned that quickly. But Covid was a great reminder of what’s most important in the world. The essential things are health, family, education, and art. Everything else is icing on the cake. In a world where we are always on the go, it taught us to slow down. There’s a fine balance between achieving what you set out for and being present. Covid brought back that balance. To make time for those you love cause one day they could be gone. But what I learned most is that during difficult times it’s okay to just be still and process what is happening rather than keep going. You can always get back on track when you’re ready.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @luciatarantino
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucia.tarantino/
• Other: imdb.me/luciatarantino