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A Conversation with Star Trek’s Antonio Elias
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Antonio Elias plays Officer Pitts in the summer blockbuter,
Star Trek. Photo: Dennis Apergis
Antonio Elias knew he wanted to be an actor before he even hit puberty. By the time he was ten he already had his SAG card. Community theatre led to film and television as Hollywood called his name. Numerous guest spots on network television series such as Private Practice and Moonlight have opened a number of doors for the rising star actor, the most prominent of which is a supporting role director J.J. Abrams hugely anticipated the summer blockbuster, Star Trek.
Mike Parker – People think acting is all fun and games. Is it?
Antonio Elias – It is a lot of fun. I have a blast. But there is serious work involved as well; creating a character, lots of practice, lots of study. But it is exciting as well.
Parker – I understand you are studying with acting coach Ivana Chubbuck. What have you learned from her that you couldn’t have gotten anywhere else?
Antonio – I learned that there were things that bothered me in my life that I didn’t know bothered me. I’ve taken lots of acting classes and she is great. Her technique is easy to understand. Studying with her is great.
Parker – Okay, so Star Trek has hit the big screen. Are you jazzed?
Antonio – I am. I saw it Monday. It was good. My character was much more involved in the filming stage than what showed up in the final edit, so I’m a little disappointed about that, but that’s just the nature of this business.
Parker – Tell me about your character, Officer Pitts.
Antonio – Officer Pitts is Starfleet officer on the USS Kelvin. I can’t say much about him because we were all sworn to secrecy, but he is involved in some high tension moments when some cool characters get introduced. He was an exciting character to film.
Parker – As a supporting character, how do you bring a little something extra to the role to make it stand out?
Antonio – Every one does something different. I think you have to bring some of yourself to the part in order to really breathe life to it. When you are performing a supporting role, it can’t just be lines on paper. You have to be creative and have fun with it.
Parker – I understand you’ve got another film coming out next year that gives you a bit more screen time. Tell me about Spoken Word.
Antonio – It’s an indie film. You can’t compare it to something like Star Trek. We shot it last year. It is the story of a San Francisco spoken word artist who goes back to visit his father who is dying. It is a very dysfunctional family, a lot of shame and pride that hinders them from relating to each other, but by the end of the film there is reconciliation. I’m proud of it. I think there are some story elements that people can relate to.
The Seven Questions
1. What’s your favorite sound?
Antonio – Laughter.
2. What makes you happy?
Antonio – Being alive.
3. What makes you angry?
Antonio – A lack of gratitude.
4. What is the secret of success?
Antonio – If you know someone who knows that, have them tell me. For me it is in finding joy in everything I do.
5. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, living or dead, who would it be?
Antonio – Ben Franklin. I love history and I think he is a fascinating character.
6. What is the epitaph that is written on your tombstone?
Antonio – “He was a good man who had a positive effect on all who knew him.”
7. When you get to heaven, what is the first thing you want to hear God say to you?
Antonio – “Come on in.”
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Actress/Singer/Songwriter Haylie Duff
Director Ash Baron-Cohen
Dance/Pop Maven Erika Jayne
The Phone's Julia Voth
Cirque du Soleil coach Michael John Ocampo
Miss March’s Alexis Raben
The Script Frontman Danny O'Donaghue
Obsessed Producer Will Packer
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