Everyone Must Read! my interview with Nick LaMantia.

*Nick LaMantia, one of Pittsburgh’s brightest and most promising talent. I was first exposed to his talent after purchasing a copy of Everyone Must Die!, an independent slasher flick that he starred in. A quick glance at his resume reveals that Nick is a drama-thriller juggernaut, the owner of his own production company, and a writer – among many other things! With his return to the horror genre coming later this year in All Saints Eve, I figured now was the perfect time to introduce all of you to this fine young man. Read my interview with Nick LaMantia below!

H: Let’s start at the beginning when you were just baby Nick LaMantia. Do you remember if you wanted to be a fireman or police man, or was being an actor always in your foresight?
N: Growing up I wanted to be a sports broadcaster. I breathed hockey and Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Penguins play-by-play announcer Mike Lange. At one point in my life, I had all of the Stanley Cup Winners and runners up memorized. I’m sure it’s hidden somewhere in the recesses of my brain.

H: Describe to me your first acting experience, was it in a school play, commercial, short film, etc?
N: My first play came when I was in the seventh grade. I played E.E. Cummings and Mark Twain in the school play about writers.

H: When you were honing your skills as an actor, who did you look up to the most? Who inspired you?
N: Robert DeNiro, undoubtedly. From Taxi Driver to Godfather: Part II to Goodfellas to The Score, a little-known heist thriller with Marlon Brando and Edward Norton, DeNiro brings a subtle gravitas that I can only hope and dream to bring to a character one day.

H: Your first big break came in 2007 when you appeared in eight episodes of the Spike television series, “The Killing Point.” Was this vindication for you that you are a capable performer? What was it like working in such close proximity with Donnie Wahlberg?
N: To me, that was just the beginning. I was and still am a green, learning actor. My role in the show was small (I don’t know how I have a credit…haha), but I did shoot for almost three months on the project. Working and watching both Donnie Wahlberg and John Leguizamo was a treat. Also, Frank Grillo, of the new Captain America: Winter Soldier was awesome on set. A few times over the course of the shoot, Frank and I had some pretty interesting conversations.

H: I notice that you’ve worked primarily in thrillers and dramas throughout the beginning of your career. What is it about those genres that most entices you?
N: I think mainly it’s about connecting to a role. I like roles where I can transform in a physical sense. In getting away from looking like “Nick,” I can connect more with the character and make decisions more on a visceral level for him rather than me. Thrillers and dramas allow me to play multiple styles of characters, so I think the depth of the characterization is what has drawn me to them.

H: 2012 came around and that is when I was introduced to you in the form of Everyone Must Die! What made you jump ship for a moment to tackle a lead role in a horror film?
N: I think it was opportunity. Here is a cool, little story that takes a fun twist on the horror genre. I read it, auditioned a few times, and next thing you know I’m in West Virginia shooting for a week.

H: I’m a behind-the-scenes tidbit whore. Is there a funny or interesting story from set that you would be able to share?
N: I often work as a fight coordinator on film projects. One particular fight scene, I screwed up the choreography. The other actor, a quite nice fellow whose name escapes me, was playing the killer at the time, and he clocked me square in the jaw. It was totally my fault and an accident, but it was a sweet shot and made it in the final product.

H: I’ve read reviews for Everyone Must Die! which really tore the film to pieces. Even my review was somewhat mixed. How do you respond to the negative reviews?
N: Everyone has an opinion. What those guys did, with the budget they had and equipment available to them, is something to be commended. Steve, our director, understands that genre. You can pick his brain for hours, so when people do react negatively, I invite them to talk to Steve about it. He knows the genre inside and out. If it is negatively they share, we can all grow from it.

H: Besides being an actor and having an awesome Facebook picture with a porno-stache, you also founded your own production company Nickel 17 and have written/directed/produced four titles under it – Voz, Soliloquy, Assertions, and Confessional. When did you decide to take on multiple hats and create your own business?
N: Nickel 17 Productions was founded in 2009. The mustache pic is a small cameo part I had in the comedy feature film Finding Beans as the newscaster Clive McClendon of “Clive Live at Five.” For me, though, it has always been about writing. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Media Communications: Writing from the University of Pittsburgh, and I honestly feel that, as actors, we all have a voice to share. Being a writer, I can put that voice to paper. I love directing too. That allows me to combine both audio and visual components to tell a story through wonderfully talented actors.

H: 2014 is your return to horror with your appearance in All Saints Eve. What can you tell me about this movie and your role in it?
N: I play a character named Vince, who is one of the leads in this ensemble of a film. Vince is cocky. He’s cool. He’s like the group’s leader as they travel through a haunted house. It is directed by the wonderful Gerry Lively of the Children of the Corn series and the classic Friday. It co-stars Marc Macaulay of 12 Years a Slave and “Burn Notice,” Nicole Shipley of Atlantic Rim, and Katrina Darrell of “American Idol,” amongst other local, talented Pittsburgh actors. I worked my entire time on set with Nicole and Katrina, two lovely individuals, but I sadly didn’t have any days with Mr. Macaulay.

H: What did you learn from Everyone Must Die! that helped you in All Saints Eve?
N: There was one scene in Everyone Must Die! that was about twenty-three pages. I learned how to constantly be creating moments for directors over the course of a long scene, so they have a lot of material from which to choose in the editing room.

H: What’s next for Nick LaMantia in 2014 and beyond?
N: I’m doing a lot of behind-the-camera work. I’m current in development on a few projects as producer and some as a director. Not necessarily with my company, but with other companies as an independent contractor of sorts. I just finished up my last draft of the feature film script Vanity, which is a psych thriller with some dark humor points throughout. I’m also acting whenever the opportunity arises. I would rather be the cat that gets the early bird that stole the worm, so I like to be involved everywhere in production.

H: Favorite horror film?
N: Hate ’em. Haha. They scare the bejesus out of me. Ask my girlfriend. But I would have to say The Strangers.”

*Thanks for taking the time to talk to me, Nick! I appreciate the time and offer you the best of luck in all future endeavors.

For more on Nick LaMantia, please visit: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2803895/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1.