In my stalwart dedication to recognizing the supporting cast of Hallmark movies, I was pleasantly surprised to have happened upon Marco Soriano. Recently, Hallmark fans had the opportunity to see him in The Chronicle Mysteries: The Wrong Man (That series premieres in Canada on this month on Bravo.). I reached out to him for an interview, and when I noticed he was only born one day after me (that is truly amazing!), I knew I had to interview him immediately! I am happy to share our recent online chat with my readers today!
Photo by Jim Tai
RH: How/why did you decide to become an actor? What kind of training have you had to prepare you for this career?
Photo by Jim Tai
MS: I love my job. I always knew I wanted to be a performer. I performed all the way through high school, then got my theatre degree immediately thereafter. I have, of course, also taken several acting for film and TV classes. I believe actors are like athletes – if you don’t exercise your muscles, you’re not at the top of your game. A teaching degree followed and I have enjoyed several years of teaching high school drama. As much as acting is my passion, I really enjoy being able to connect with youth. It gives me a different satisfaction that I’m contributing to the bigger picture. I’m a typical Gemini in that I love to have fingers in lots of different pies. I get satisfaction from all the different elements of performance.
I notice that theater is something about which you are passionate. Please tell us about a few of your past favorite roles and why they are memorable. Also, I understand you have written many shows as well. Where do you find the inspiration for these writings of yours?
Angels In America
My experiences in theatre have truly shaped me as a human being. I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities, but a few that have been really profound are playing Prior Walter in both parts of Angels in America, the Emcee in Cabaret and Judas in McNally’s Corpus Christi. I am the co-founder of an Italian-Canadian company called BellaLuna. We were approached to create a show detailing the Italian Canadian Internment during WWII, as part of an apology and reparation from the Canadian government. Creating that show (Fresco) was also an amazing experience. I’ve been lucky enough to tour shows nationally and internationally – it definitely doesn’t pay as well as film, but there is an energy and an immediacy you receive from the audience that I find very fulfilling.
Fresco
I’ve been lucky enough to direct several youth productions as well, and I love helping young actors navigate their way through the work. As a writer, I take all of my inspiration from my life experiences and stories. I come from a long line of animated stories and all of my work is somewhat biographical.
What was your first film/TV job and what are your memories of it?
My first job was on a sci-fi TV show called Andromeda. I was so excited to have booked the role and told all my friends and family about it. You could imagine my surprise when I found out that as part of my costume I’d be wearing a helmet that totally obscured my face! Shortly thereafter came a Disney TV movie called Ladies and the Champ, in which I played a photographer. I had one scene where I was doing a photo shoot with the stars of the show. Marion Anderson (from Happy Days) and Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis were my scene partners and I remember being so impressed that these two huge stars actually stayed to read their lines for me off camera for my close up. They were wonderful to work with and I was so humbled.
Fringe, Rogue, and Arrow are some of the shows for which you are more well-known. Any special memories you would like to share from working on these shows?
Rogue
As I’ve said previously, I really love my job. Getting paid to “play” makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. All of these jobs were amazingly fun, but Rogue was my first recurring role in a series and I was very excited to be able to play a character with an arc and a journey. Although I had had that experience countless times in theatre, my film roles to that point had been more along the lines of what we call day player roles. The first day of shooting was also my first sex scene for which the anticipation was completely traumatic. Thankfully, it ended up being much tamer than expected.
I notice you had a small part in Scary Movie 3. What was it like working on something like that which has a sort of cult following? Any behind-the-scenes stories you might like to share?
Scary Movie 3 was the first really “big” gig that I had landed (as in the number of days and scale of production). I spent eleven days in full prosthetic makeup (which took four hours to apply) and a body suit in the August heat. I wasn’t even able to go to the bathroom by myself. It was not comfortable in the least, but it was a fun experience nonetheless. To this day, that is the credit that most people want to talk about.
It looks like Lucky In Love was your first Hallmark movie. What did you know about the network before making that film? What was it like being a part of that movie?
Jason Burkart, Marco Soriano Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Farah Nosh
I had, of course, heard of the Hallmark Network before then, and was very glad to be a part of that production. I was playing a high-end waiter in a snooty restaurant and like every experience that I’ve had with Hallmark films, the cast and crew were a pleasure to work with. Most memorable for me though was the actual audition. Director Kevin Fair had a real sense of humour. After I did my audition, I offered to try it again with an Italian accent. He agreed, and after that, he asked if I could do it with a French accent, I did and then he suggested German and English and went on like this for a while. It’s not often you get to play like that in an audition. He also had me play “accent roulette” on set for the leads during some shooting down-time.
Interestingly enough, we saw you in the final Murder, She Baked film, and now we have just seen you in the second Chronicle Mysteries movie. What was it like working with Ali Sweeney in both of those? What do you enjoy about doing these Hallmark mystery series?
I adore working with Ali. She is such a consummate professional and a joy to work with. I love that she really takes the time to engage with everyone on set. She is not only the star of these films, but also the producer. You’ll notice a lot of the same faces in these films. Ali fosters relationships with the people she works with and invests in them by giving them wonderful opportunities. Hallmark films employ a lot of Vancouver actors. Oftentimes big blockbuster movies or new series that come into Vancouver to film come mostly precast in LA or elsewhere, leaving only smaller roles for local actors. Hallmark films give local actors the opportunity to sink their teeth into really fun roles and flex their acting muscles.
You’ve done a lot of voice work as well. What are the benefits of voice work and what are the challenges?
Super Dinosaur
I adore doing voice work. The process is a lot more theatrical in a lot of ways. When doing an original voice, you have a group of actors in a studio. Sessions are definitely shorter – you don’t have to deal with memorization or shooting a scene in the pouring rain, let’s say. The only difficulty with voice work is that there is a very tight-knit community that for me personally, has taken a lot of time and effort to break into. In film or television, if you always cast the same ten actors, it becomes quickly apparent, but when dealing with voice, an actor can produce a multitude of different voices and still remain unrecognizable.
Cabaret
Since you already have done some writing for theater, do you plan to do any writing for film/TV? What about directing and/or producing?
To be honest, all of my focus in writing has been for the theatre. I have directed and produced for theatre and am comfortable doing both. As far as film goes, I prefer being in front of the camera, but I’ll never say never…
Any other upcoming works you can mention (stage and film/TV is fine)?
I voiced a super juicy, fun villain in a cartoon called Super Dinosaur that has had a Canadian release but is still awaiting US distribution. Apart from that…, I’m open to the possibilities!
What is your favorite season of the year and why?
I am totally a summer lover. I’m happiest lying in the sun. I think I was a cat in my past life.
Photo by Jim Tai
I am especially appreciative of Marco’s willingness to take some time to share his thoughts, his works, and his passion with my readers and me, and I am quite pleased that Hallmark has continued to feature him in a wide variety of supporting roles. With a range that is diverse and substantial, I look forward to seeing Marco on our screens for many years to come. The fact that he is an educator is something that also resonates with me on a profound level, for I believe an investment in the upcoming generation is an awesome responsibility to which only a minority of people are genuinely committed in today’s society. His vision, skill, and persona are something that can unquestionably inspire us all, and his allegiance to stimulating young people is something that will essentially ensure that we can enjoy creative and proficient performers in the arts for years to come.
If you have not had the opportunity to watch The Chronicle Mysteries: The Wrong Man on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, be sure that you check it out as soon as possible (the next showing is April 7th). If you are in Canada, this particular episode will premiere on April 14th on Bravo, but be sure that you watch the entire three-part series, for this is an exceptional signature series from this fantastic network. Additionally, I would invite you to investigate all of Marco’s works–past, present, and future–by visiting his links below. More than likely, you’ve been enjoying his work without even realizing it, and I know how much Marco appreciates the support of the viewers and fans. Now that we are aware of him and his indisputable talent and generous spirit, I am anticipating all of his future works, and I plan to support him over the course of what will undoubtedly be a monumental career.
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