Daily Inspiration: Meet Sean Szatkowski

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Szatkowski.

Hi Sean, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, I’m Sean Szatkowsi an actor, comic, producer,…& I guess writer? Who was born and raised in Chicago’s Western suburbs and within Chicago itself. I also lived in New York & Boston before making my way back to the West Coast. But, I spent a good portion of my youth living in farm country and the city getting to have quite the perspective on walks of life. I was always a bit of an outcast growing up so the arts were always a natural calling outside of sports, even if the arts weren’t always available where I lived. Always found a way to act, though, confident my parents would joke in partial truths “act out, more like it”.

I’ve had the great fortune of starring in a number of films, shorts, & plays of the last couple of years including a supporting role in “You, I, Everything Else”, starred in the romantic comedy “MEL”, the thriller “Paramnesia”, suspense short “Venge”, and was recently selected to be the lead in a couple upcoming shorts and films I’ll have to remain mum on at the moment. It has also been a whirlwind year of various plays like “A Streetcar Named Desire” as Stanley Kowalski, “Monstrosity” to also add to the journey.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t know if life or even pursuing the arts was ever smooth. From an early age, I was bullied quite egregiously, which certainly wasn’t fun, but gave me the opportunity to dive into books, movies, shows, video games, plays, & music to escape from reality… I didn’t have a friend until I was 20 as hard as I tried to fit in, even the arts I enjoyed like mythology, anime, and cartoons were derided. The isolation certainly shaped my artistry, having to be the hero of your own little worlds in your head clearly led to wanting to embody such nuanced characters, but it also reaffirmed my desire to keep putting the golden rule at the forefront.

I always thought a bit more differently than most, maybe it’s me being of Bohemian origins that sort of made me stand out, or just the walks of life I’ve lived, or whatever maybe I was too honest and upfront about who I am as I live life with passion. But did stand out as an all-state wrestler and would eventually work my way into being a solid infantry Marine with 3rd Battalion 5th Marines who I deployed within Operation Enduring Freedom or standing out in the advertising industry. Fitting in was just never in the cards as while the numbers and performance were there I just never got to “belong” to a group. Acting changed that.

Life would come at me fast and furious, following a harrowing deployment and leaving the Marine Corps I would eventually hit a wall face-first in life. I struggled with issues related to my service, with no one and no support in sight, I fell hard, “rock bottom”, but somehow ended up in the city that tends to be a place that most end up bottoming out at in LA to being the place I needed to be the most. I don’t know how on earth I dragged myself from living under an overpass on Sepulveda Boulevard while maintaining a corporate job, showering at the beaches, and surrendering my service dog to acting and producing films.

Even though I was at “rock bottom” work colleagues saw my expressiveness and felt I could find an outlet to heal & grow. So like teachers of my youth, they pushed me to audition for IDSA, a British drama school here in Los Angeles. I happened to get in and started finding my purpose, along with some small success in award nominations from performances. I would never have guessed acting would eventually becoming part of my healing thanks to Sam Miller former Head of Acting at IDSA, now with Green Shoes Arts in London, telling “You’re truly something with this, go for it professionally” or Max Barsness & John Markland of the Markland Studio pestering me years before I would even say I’m an actor to come into the studio, where they brought out the real or more full version me and back to my roots in the craft.

It took a lot of life “teeth pulling” but I feel very fortunate the universe arranged it all, the failures and the triumphs, as the guy who never fit in found his village after finding the path he needed.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Well, I’m currently producing the upcoming film “By The Grape Of God” a hilarious and warm comedy written by Kevin Hickey winner of Best Screenplay for Paris Short Film Awards. We are currently in pre-production, have casting calls out, crew call, & are in talks with investors & corporate sponsors so it’s really an exciting time.

In between that, you may occasionally find me doing open mics, honing the craft of stand-up and enjoying the process of starting from nothing and building something.

Outside of being an artist & veteran, I spend a lot of time volunteering & working with charities like SoCal Bulldog Rescue & Real Time Rescue. These two organizations helped my dog and I when we were homeless. Taking my Saad (sod) in for 4 months while I figured out a place to live while living under that overpass on Sepulveda. SoCal Bulldog Rescue helps out the particular breed primarily & Real Time Rescue helps Los Angeles & the surrounding area find homes for people without housing along with their pets. Helping those without homes is a big passion of mine and something hopefully we can bring awareness with empathetic action to. That’s why I’m in the arts anyways, to bring a little more empathy and action in helping others.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory was running around in power ranger costumes with my siblings trying to save the world, or turning into to Balto with my cousins and playing wolf, or something involved with the purity of making someone laugh, or playing sports with family, or just tucking myself away on some couch reading a book. But maybe there’s also the bit of the troublemaker in me like when I got some classmates to move the church couch from one bathroom to another.

Pricing:

• I would love for people to donate to our GoFundme: www.gofundme.com/f/ByTheGrapeOfGodMovie

Contact Info:

• Website: imdb.me/szatkowskipsean
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/szatsean/
• Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/bythegrapeofgod/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/bythegrapeofgod/

Image Credits
Max Barsness for the Markland Studio @heretosaveyouall on instagram, Zachary Iziah Smith for character/theatrical shots @zacharyismith on instagram, self for BTS shot, Vasu Kalra @iamvasukalra for High Hopes picture.