Meet Paris Moletti

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paris Moletti.

Paris, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Ok. Life story coming up! So before we even get to the “Did your parents love the city?” question lets start with a little ancient history. My parents wanted me to have good judgment and were fans of Greek Mythology, they read about a character in Homer’s Iliad who had raised such prized bulls the Gods took notice and called on him to settle a pretty touchy debate. That was Paris. Anyway, before you start thinking “so he’s Greek”, let me tell you that actually I’m part Filipino, part Italian (there are other parts too but it’s easier this way).

I was born in Billings, Montana – my family gathered there for a reunion so really I haven’t been back since. I moved to Australia when I was three years old and though there were moves in between, the important one is that we moved to Queensland when I was 10. I had always loved cartoons and putting on silly voices, and acting ran in my family – my grandparents were famous Filipino actor couple Jose Padilla Jr and Arsenia Francisco – so to boost my confidence a little bit I was put in an after-school drama program shortly after starting at my new school.

Drama was something that flowed in and out of my schooling, even up to when I graduated from high school. When I started university I thought it would be wise to invest in my “backup plan” which would have been a double bachelors degree in IT and Multimedia; but after the first year I realized it wasn’t where my passions lied and that it would be a waste of my time and my parents’ money. At the end of that year, my family and I took a vacation to New York and after some initial hesitation, I was enrolled in my first formal acting program with the New York Film Academy (NYFA).

I returned to Australia the following March and continued my studies with NYFA at the Gold Coast campus. Eventually, the intensive study culminated in a trip to the Los Angeles campus at the end of 2015; and the following November I packed my life into a couple of suitcases, said goodbye to the place I called home and boarded a plane to Los Angeles.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I won’t lie. It’s definitely been tough, though my social media might suggest otherwise. Of course, financially, there have been struggles and thankfully over the last few years, I’ve managed to make things work (especially with some help from my parents!). As you might expect, moving to the other side of the world doesn’t make for the smoothest of transitions; although it wasn’t too much of a culture shock, life in LA took some getting used to. The traffic, the people, the food – all of it familiar, but none of it quite the same, which if you’ve never experienced it, is sort of like living in an alternate dimension.

When I first arrived, it took months before I found work, acting related or otherwise. Not quite the “moving to LA” story you see in movies. Gradually things took a turn for the better, I met more and more like-minded people and eventually, even some of those not-so like-minded people offered words of encouragement.

Luckily I’ve been gifted some really fantastic opportunities as an actor like taking to the stage in front of friends and family in Hollywood, filming pilot episodes, web series’ and feature films, performing in shows across California and interstate with the Murder Mystery Company, and meeting and working with people from Disney and Dreamworks along the way! Every day I remind myself how lucky I am to be living the life I used to look forward to.

I’d say I’m still waiting for the day I can say “I made it”, but if this keeps up the wait might be shorter than I think!

Please tell us about your work.
Like many that move to LA, I’m an actor. Specifically, though, I’m pursuing a career in voice-over animation (cartoons) so that I might be able to pay forward some of the joy and happiness cartoons have given me over the years. That being said, I love performing in any medium and welcome any opportunities to do so!

I think what sets me apart from a lot of others is the blend of cultures that have influenced my life – having Filipino/Italian heritage, being raised in Australia, constantly visiting family around the globe (we’re talking Hong Kong, Philippines, England, Italy, Australia, America) and even embracing martial arts through my teens with Kung Fu and traditional Chinese Lion Dance.

I hope I can continue to learn from all the opportunities that come my way in the future and keep doing what excites me; performing!

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have loads. But really simply, my favorite childhood memory is waking up early on a Saturday morning and watching my all my favorite cartoon shows while eating fruit loops. I think memories like that are the ones that formed who I am now and spurred me to go after my goals so I can make memories like that for others.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @molettiman
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/molettiman/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/molettiman

Image Credit:
Joanna DeGeneres
Isaiah Shinn
Lake Winfield TV
Murder Mystery Company

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