Stuntman and actor Joseph Almani is originally from Florida, but now calls Los Angeles home. After moving around multiple times as a self-described military brat, he enrolled at the North Carolina Actors Group and because of his love of martial arts and gymnastics he also began classes at the United Stuntman’s International Stunt School. His first role was a soldier in a film called, “Battle Scars” by filmmaker Danny Buday which took him to Los Angeles. He was discovered by Kathy McComb Management and signed to the Nancy Chaidez Agency.
Soon, Almani was cast as a series regular on a French series called, “Alesi: Ground Zero “ and he played a character named Daniel for ten episodes. Almani tells me that he tends to be cast for intense, dramatic roles like military personnel and authority figures like cops and lawyers — but he is yearning to play the opposite spectrum, “like a struggling homeless person, or something comedic,” he explains.
It seems that the industry will be giving him the chance to stretch his acting muscles as well: he just got cast as the lead role in an upcoming romantic comedy where two lawyers fall in love. Because he has signed a non-disclosure agreement, he can’t say anything more about the plot or the production company. He is still a lawyer, but at least he gets to flex his comedic chops…romantically.
Where are you from originally?
Mostly east coast, but I’m an army brat so I moved around quite a bit. The longest I lived anywhere was Baltimore for 10 years.
When did you come to Los Angeles?
I came to Los Angeles in 2011 and I packed up my Jeep and my girlfriend and I drove across the country in our little jeep packed to the brim. You couldn’t fit a shoe in the back seat we had so much stuff. Had never been to California until I got here.
What inspired you to be in the industry?
I was raised on films. My mom always loved movies, so I had exposure to a little bit of everything, from classics to going to the movies several times a month. She would explain why characters made choices in the scenes but I didn’t know they were actors. I thought they were real people and wanted to understand them. Naturally, when I discovered it was a job I wanted to express myself through film.
What are some of the projects you have worked on in the past?
Mostly independent features and television. I’m looking forward to a series I did that is being released in 2019, called Alesia: Ground Zero.
What are your current projects?
I am currently filming a romantic comedy with a brilliant cast. This is my first lead role so I’m excited to have that experience. It’s a lovely film and we are proud of it.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Five years? God, I don’t know if I can tell you where I’ll be in one! I suppose I will be doing more of what I’m doing now; working with talented people on meaningful projects. Oh and a studio. I want a giant space to make all the crazy things I imagine.
How do you feel the industry is changing?
There are so many platforms and formats for productions now. I’m not sure the industry as a whole knows what do with it yet, but some people I’ve met are doing amazing things with film. With new developments in AR and VR tech, along with streaming capabilities, I think the next several years are going to blow our minds when it comes to content and how we view it.
How does it benefit you as an actor?
It’s hard to say, but it’s definitely creating an endless market for storytelling. I think actors have more opportunities than ever. Our jobs and how we do them is changing as well. I’m very excited to see what the future holds.
Interview by Giovannie Espiritu
