Daily Inspiration: Meet Matthew Montemaro

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Montemaro.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised on Long Island in New York, and my childhood really shaped me to become the man I am today. I grew up being heavy into playing sports — basketball, football, baseball and lacrosse, as well as always being passionate about my artistic development. From early on, my mother would run lines with me for my school plays, auditions and push me into getting guitar lessons. She was always writing herself so that in essence inspired me to write as well. Whether it be short stories, poems or essays, I’ve always been one to express myself through an artistic medium, and with that, I brought a competitive edge dating back to my athletic endeavors.

Upon finding my way through high school, I studied film and TV at Marist College in New York. I knew that I wanted to be in the entertainment world but wasn’t really sure yet how. Simultaneously I began studying at the Stella Adler Studio in New York City for Acting. I’ve always had a deep connection with acting, as it allows you to transform into someone else and time travel to different situations and time eras. For me, it’s the ability to draw from prior emotions and experience unique circumstances in creative and believable ways. I love bringing characters to life adding my own personal identification to them. After pursuing acting and beginning my production career at NBCUniversal in New York, I made the move to LA when I was presented with a promotion at NBCUniversal to work as a production executive. This also gave me an opportunity to further pursue my acting passion. While working, I remained diligent in my acting and writing while studying with Allycia Atania-Jones and Robert D’Avanzo, of whom I owe a lot of credit to for honing my craft. I’ve written a few short films that are in development, too.

Most recently, I’ve decided to move into creative producing, working with McKinsey & Company as a Senior Producer. I will be producing while flexing my storytelling muscles in unique ways. It’s great to be back on set and working with talented actors, directors and creatives while surrounded by some of the brightest minds in business & entertainment.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I learned from my father, who has a very pragmatic point of view on life, that life will never be easy. I have certainly not had a smooth road, but I do consider myself someone who is accustomed to often finding ways to get over the bumps. My mother, who was my best friend and source of artistic motivation from early on began to really struggle with Breast Cancer when I was about ten years old. From that moment on, I turned from just a pre-teenager into a caretaker and support for my Mom who was the strongest woman I knew. It was hard seeing her in pain, and I promised myself from early on that I will do everything in my power to get her through. Being with her through such difficult times taught me a lot about responsibility and the fragility of life. I grew up fast because of it, and it definitely resulted in an emotional and mental challenge to overcome. The reality is that it’s a constant act of overcoming, however two traits that my mother always exuded in her energy was perseverance and resilience; ultimately those two qualities are what I hold near and dear to my heart for motivation to continue my journey toward artistic success.

Today, she is the reason I tick and the reason that I am so certain about achieving my dreams. I channel her in everything I do daily with her angelic whispers pushing me forward.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
First and foremost, I try and be a creative thinker and a connector. What that has translated to in a job is becoming a producer. I pride myself on telling a good story, being resourceful, and connecting the puzzle pieces to create a unique product that provokes thought and meaning. It’s important that I surround myself with the right people and approach my job from a place of respect. I am also an actor; I’ve been fortunate to have been a part of some interesting independent films in recent years. It’s become a passionate hobby that I truly enjoy and hope to come back to when the timing is right in my career. My brain is usually swirling with ideas. I currently have a few big concepts that I am fleshing out, a children’s book being published, a long term book project I am working on, a few songs that I wrote for fun, and my new job that certainly keeps my plate full.

In the end, what I hope sets me apart from others is my dedication to provide a positive impact through artistic mediums –ideally giving motivation and hope to children around the globe who have also suffered with the loss of their parents. It’s not an easy thing to overcome, and I want to be a resource to all that struggle with opening up about it. Once you allow yourself the ability to speak about it, write a song or poem about it, and just confront what happened, you’re then able to move through it in ways that ultimately allow you to grow and shine. My method is generally through a poetic medium if you will. That’s how I try to make sense of this crazy thing called life.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have the biggest support system ever in my sister, Lauren and father, Perry who push me everyday to be my best. I am also surrounded by my beautiful girlfriend Emily, who is much smarter and way more inspiring than me, working throughout the pandemic as a physician assistant right out of USC Keck as a recent graduate. I also have my foster pup Forest and Bernese Mountain dog Ruby who have been my co-workers since working from home every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mmontemaro.wixsite.com/website
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewmontemaro/