Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Mawardi
Justin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m an actor currently based in Los angeles. but I was born and raised in Singapore. Frankly speaking, I wasn’t one of those kids who popped out of the womb knowing I would be an actor! Although I loved watching movies as a child, my passion for creating films and being an actor didn’t come until much later. In fact I can pinpoint the moment things just clicked for me, and I knew acting/film was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
My older brother who I very much look up to, excelled in academics. He’s the hardest worker that I know. Watching him achieve academic honors and awards through highschool and college, I was so proud, but I also couldn’t help but feel left behind. Growing up, I struggled in academics myself. I could make the excuse that it was my ADHD that made me struggle, but if I’m honest with myself, maybe I just didn’t care enough. Academically, nothing clicked for me. I would ask myself, “what about me? Did I earn something on my own that I was proud of? ” and frankly, at that point, nothing came to mind.
While I was an undergrad at USC taking business administration, and as I was approaching graduation, I couldn’t shake off a feeling of emptiness, like I was just coasting through life on auto-pilot. I kept asking myself, “What’s next?” and “Is this what I really wanted?”. On a whim I decided to take an elective class in the cinematic art’s school. As soon as I walked in, everything just clicked for me. I can’t explain why, but it just did. As soon as I graduated, I jumped straight into the world of film. I furthered my education in film, and for the first time, I found something for me that fit, and I started creating what I could.
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?
No, it definitely has not been a smooth road. But that’s just how it is! Very few individuals are blessed with smooth travels navigating “Hollywood”. I didn’t know it starting out, or maybe I was ignorant to it, but the world of acting, was the world of rejection. Starting out, it was hard not to take every “No” or ghost personally, and as time went on, every rejection created a lingering doubt in my mind. This desperation was exasperated by the fact that I was an international student, meaning my time is limited. Every rejection stung more, each rejection felt like my dream was getting pushed further and further away. Did I make a mistake? Did I “start” too late? What if I fail? But alongside it, came an even bigger desire was born. To ‘prove’ to myself and others that this was what I was meant to do.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As an actor, I remember a period where I applied to hundreds of auditions, waiting and hoping one would come back, but nothing came. As time went on I got tired of waiting, and so I thought to myself, why just wait? I started writing characters and stories that I wanted to play. Armed with a decade old camera, I started creating, putting myself and if I could, friends as characters. But without having the budget to hire anyone who knew what they were doing, every hat was worn by me, myself, and I. I have to be honest, the first few were terrible! But with each “film” I created, I learned things that I applied to the next. And so, while at first these films were meant to help me grow as an actor, by consequence, they also helped me grow as a filmmaker. I’m by no means an expert, but I am proud of the progress I’ve made. Not many know how to make a film from preproduction to post production. Now, whenever I have dry periods between roles, I’m happy that I’ve found a way to keep the ball rolling.
But because I’m quite critical of myself, I find it hard to be satisfied with the things I have done. I always want more, to be better. I wanted proof that I was growing. Recently, I decided to create a film called “Enough for you”, a small short film made with a budget of 600 dollars and a cast/crew of myself and friend Hannah, and for the first time, I submitted to film festivals. Currently the film has been a finalist in 3 festivals, and I’ve won awards in two as best actor! I am very hopeful that more is yet to come!
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
When people watch the films I’ve created, they are always surprised when I tell them I did everything on my own. From the writing, cinematography, acting, and editing. Another thing is that majority of the films I make are done without a budget, which means having to adopt a “guerilla” or run and gun style, getting creative with how and where I shoot! Apart from that, I also know how to play a few instruments! Namely, the electric guitar, piano, and the electric bass. Also not many know that I also stream on the side. I stream on a platform called Twitch. Apart from gaming, I would also create “convergent” films exclusive to that stream, and my viewers would always get a kick out of them!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmawardi/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JoosedTin
- Other: https://www.twitch.tv/joosedtin
