Christos Vassilopoulos with Zalman King on the set of "Kamikaze Love"

Erotic cinema maestro Zalman King, known for “Nine 1/2 Weeks” and “Red Shoe Diaries”, had just completed his latest film a few months before his death. In his final movie, titled Kamikaze Love, the lead actor is Christos Vassilopoulos.

Vassilopoulos came to Hollywood a few years ago from his native Greece, and had the luck to work with Zalman King but also the misfortune to lose one of the best directors he ever worked with, just a few weeks after the completion of their collaboration on the film. King was impressed with Vassilopoulos’ work and there is a high chance the two would have worked together again.

The late director had written an e-mail to Christos a few weeks before his death:

“Your performance was everything I could have wished for. You are a serious talent.  I’m writing some new stuff that I think you’ll like. Can’t wait to work with you again.”

Unfortunately this had to be the first and last movie they would ever shoot, but as Vassilopoulos says in an exclusive interview with the Greek Reporter, “Zalman will always stay in my heart, as he will also stay in every person’s heart who had ever met him.”

When did you first learn about this wonderful director and how?

I never knew who Zalman King was. But I knew as a young boy the super sexual 9 1/2 weeks, Wild  Orchid and many more of Zalman’s films.Everybody, even my parents were talking about all these sexual scenes and I would dare to say, that a lot of us as teenagers fantasized with Zalman’s films. In my opinion, he changed the definition of sexuality, worldwide! Especially in the era of mid 80′s.

Photo Courtesy of Christos Vassilopoulos

Greek actor Christos Vasilopoulos just completed a new film called Kamikaze Love. The movie which was written and directed by Zalman King. Christos stars in the role of Jack, with Malena Morgan as Victoria.

According to Christos Vasilopoulos, “Kamikaze love is expected to be ready in four months, and it will be released on international DVD, as well as in theatres in Greece.”

He continues, “shooting with Zalman King, ‘the Maestro of erotic cinema,’ was a tremendous experience for me, considering the fact that I auditioned for a small part, and Zalman gave me the lead role in his film. He is known for directing such films as 9 1/2 Weeks, Wild Orchid, Two Moon Junction, Red Shoe Diaries and many others, so I felt honored to be in his last film. We worked for a little bit more than a month in Malibu, and I can assure you that this erotic thriller will look great!”

On working with Zalman, Christos states, “Zalman is a director that knows what he wants from his actors, and at the age of 72, he still has the best energy I had seen on the set. He is full of passion,and once I happened to be behind the camera to help my parntner with her take, I realized why they call him the ‘Maestro.’ That shot looked amazingly beautiful!”

For more information on Christos’ new film, check it out on IMDB.com.

Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler – in an exclusive interview with the Greek Reporter – talks about his upcoming projects, discusses the possibility of participating in the “300″ sequel and reveals his love for Greece. He tells us that although he hasn’t read the script yet he will have a meeting with the director of the “300: Battle of Artemisia” soon to discuss possible involvement in the film. Butler also reveals his love for Greece and says that the island of Santorini is his favorite Greek destination.

In an exclusive interview with Greek Reporter Nick Cassavetes, the Greek-American actor, writer and director talks about his new movie “Yellow” and his Greek heritage.

Yellow is a dramedy centered on Mary Holmes, a young woman with a drug habit and a myriad of other problems. Cassavetes has also directed “My sister’s Keeper,” ”The Notebook” and “Alpha Dog”Gotti among other films.

Nick Cassavetes

Cassavetes was born in New York City, the son of actress Gena Rowlands and Greek-American actor and film director John Cassavetes. As a child, he appeared in two of his father’s films: Husbands (1970) and A Woman Under the Influence (1974). After spending so much of his youth surrounded by the film industry, Cassavetes originally decided he did not want to go into the field. He instead attended Syracuse University on a basketball scholarship. His athletic career was effectively ended by an injury, and he decided to rethink his aspirations, ultimately deciding to attend his parents’ alma mater, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.

The award-winning director in an exclusive interview with Kimon Kalamaras talks about his new movie “The Descendants,” working with George Clooney, his experience at the Thessaloniki Film Festival and his 13 Greek cousins that he met in Greece!

”Bring me the Greek”, Alexander said from the other side of the line. ”Sorry, I didn’t hear you”, I mumbled .”Bring me the head of the Greek” he repeats steady and crystal clear, with a sense of humor and the ice breaks immediately. But, that is what Alexander knows very well. That is what he explores in his films. Stories of human beings trapped into their selves, into their emotions, isolated, trying to learn breaking their own ice within, to reach happiness.

At a first glance your films remind us of the magnificent Hollywood. But the themes are closer to the American Independent Cinema, I guess. Can you comment?

Well, you say two things. You say old… excuse me but did you use the word magnificent?

That’s correct.

That’s fantastic! Thank you. But that to me doesn’t say independent, it says studio films but of the great period you know, 30′s, 40′s, 50′s, 60′s and 70′s. You see I am very influenced by the American films of the seventies. That’s when I was a teenager and going to the cinema you know two times a week and seen all those films that now we consider masterpieces. At the time they were just movies. You know these were American movies. Now we see, ”oh the seventies’ new Hollywood films, what a classic period ”. But those were precisely the films that I wanted to make and which, as American cinema changed, to get in the late seventies and the eighties, and became much more blockbuster oriented. Those films which used to be standard American films suddenly became art films, which is too bad. And then had to become independent films. So if that’s the tradition of films that you see mine in, then I thank you, and you are correct. Those are the films that I try to make.

After making a movie have you ever felt that the audience may overlook the depth of your film for the superficial and less artistic part?

Well you are asking at a way for an arrogant answer. Of course the arrogant director will say ”yes, I make comedies, I want films to be entertaining”. Even Kurosawa said first and foremost films should be entertaining. But yeah, I think comedy should not be a mask for a detraction from serious themes underneath. Now, I ‘m not going to take my films very seriously myself. Because I am always trying to improve and to learn from film to film. But yeah, I would like to think that there is a certain depth in my films, which of course I want each time and as I grow older -I am 50 now- to become more deep. Unless I am just making a fun film and there is nothing wrong with just a fun film to give people a good time.

In the film Paris je t’ aimes we saw you as Oscar Wilde and at the end as an American stunned by the beauty of Paris. How deep are you influenced by European literature and in
general by European culture?

Well, look, I am American which comes from Europe, I am Greek American which comes from Greece. In university I studied History and Literature, specifically Latin American literature. So, I always accuse myself of not having read enough, because there is so much to read and there is so much classic literature and history that I have not read. Even if the books are sitting on my selves, in front of me right now, which they are, unread you know, we all have that. But I am also, maybe in my work, very influenced more by world cinema. And you ask about ”Paris, je t’aimes”, you know, it’s a nice little short film, five or six minutes, but, and this I realized only later after making the film, it was very much influenced by David Lean’s ”Summertime”, a 1955 film where Katharine Hepburn goes to Venice. Have you seen that film?

Unfortunately no.

Oh, I recommend it highly, and in fact David Lean said that was his favorite film, of his films. Yeah, I watch movies from all over the world and from every period. So movies are a big
influence on me, too.

Your films negotiate subjects such as loneliness, isolation and the conflicts of human relationships. How contemporary is this trend for existentialism and do you find fertile
ground for such an inner search, to blossom in a country like USA?

So I don’t know about a trend. I mean that’s not for me to say, that’s really I think for critics or observers, to observe trends. Because I work, I think all artists work in a vacuum. At least
consciously. Maybe their part of the collective unconsciously, because of the way the wind of culture are blowing, and how those winds blow through the artist and then blow through
collectively many artists. But being individualist are unaware of those things. I think those themes you mention are extremely universal. And of course an American audience
could respond, but those are universal themes, my God …isolation, desire for connection, desire for family. You know you see those things in films from the beginning, in literature from the beginning. I know I would like to see more such films in the United States because I don’t see enough human films coming from the United States. You know human films instead of blockbuster which are like cartoons. Which is fantastic but not at the exclusion of all other types of films. Every year we have in the United States five to ten at the most, films which are interested in a human level and which receive significant distribution. And a few films from other countries. That’s fantastic but it’s not enough for me. I want more.

Favorite directors that have influenced you?

Yeah, now of course Kimon it’s difficult for me to say that they have influenced me directly, but the directors whose work I have studied, even simply to learn principles, which then I apply in my own specific way, would be Kurosawa of course, Antonioni, Fellini to a degree, Billy Wylder of course, Anthony Man, he’s directed for example many westerns, beautiful westerns in the 50′s. Sergio Leone, I ‘ve watched his films many many times, and then many others. You know when you watch a lot of movies as I do it’s..oh and Bunuel, Bunuel is my god. So it’s not so much that their work directly influences you but it’s like you have a kind of mental spice rack. You have a mental selection of spices. It could even be one line or a dialogue, or one scene or one shot, those kinds of things.

How challenging was your collaboration with George Clooney which apart from a superstar is a director?

Oh, it wasn’t challenging at all, it was easy. He’s fantastic. He makes things very easy for the director because he has directed himself. So, those are the best actors, because they understand the directors’ problems and they know how to make things easier for the directors. I had the same experience with Jack Nicholson. He was wonderful.

The plot of the Descendants unravels in Hawaii. Are you aiming at even a greater twist of plot than that of your previous films?

Well, no, it’s not a twist of plot, I would say and it’s not so much plot but, look, when I go to make a movie there are two major considerations. One is the story. What are the emotions of the story, the feelings of the story the specifics of the story. A story which can be told anywhere. Then comes the question where. Where are we going to make this movie. In that degree I think more like a documentarian than a narrative film maker, because I want very much to show very accurately the world of the film. In this case the aristocracy of Hawaii. So that is what is going on in my mind.

Press is talking about Oscar nomination, if not an award, for the Descendants. What are your expectations?

I don’t have expectations, I have hopes, I have aspirations which is the people to like the movie. You know, if they don’t that’s ok. You know I had fun making the film. If some people enjoy watching it then I am very happy. I am happy to give them entertainment experience and maybe thinking experience. All these things about oh, box office, or Oscar, you know it’s nice but then again it has nothing to do with me. I enjoy making the film. Now, of course I enjoy to receive compliments, I enjoy the people really like the film. But in my brain there is always the thought, ”I am glad you liked the film because it helps me do more films”. My goal is the act of making films. That ia what is very enjoyable to me.

Should we expect in the future a triple Greek American collaboration between you, Phedon Papamichail and Zach Galifianakis ?Or maybe Jenifer Aniston instead of Zach?

It’s difficult for me to say in advance what the script will require and what sort of actors. So I don’t know. I don’t think in general I would like to work with Zach Galifianakis or with Jenifer Aniston. I don’t think that way, or Dimitri Martin, he is another comedian, he is Greek. No, I don’t think that way.

Few days ago you were in Thessaloniki for the Film Festival. Is there something that you took back in USA after that visit, emotionally speaking?

Well there were two things emotionally. One was of course to be there during the crisis. So it was a very superficial trip. Only three days, you know. But, even three days is better, is something. At least I could walk down the street and talk to people and hear anecdotes, hear little stories about how they are thinking about the crisis and how the crisis affecting them. Which leads me to the number two thing I took away with which was that thirteen of my cousins came from Greece, from Aigio, they came in Thessaloniki. It was beautiful, so yeah, they came to see the movie on Friday night and then Saturday afternoon we had a very long lunch at a taverna in Thessaloniki and it was very beautiful for me. I was so touched that they came to see me and support me and have that time with me. And of course when we looked into each others eyes, there’s the understanding not just of the culture but of the family. And it’s beautiful when you see the DNA transcend time and culture. Very beautiful and I loved it very much.

You came in the worst week for Greece. There was no government etc.

Yes, but how beautiful that I came on the worst week. You know it’s funny how I have a very different life as an American than I would have as a Greek. I am not saying better or worst. I ‘m just saying different. But it’s interesting how in times of crisis my DNA is activated. It makes me feel very Greek and very connected and interested, very interested.

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Ivana Chubbuck is the founder and director of the Ivana Chubbuck Studio and creator of the cutting edge and widely adopted Chubbuck Technique. There are 16 ongoing classes at the Ivana Chubbuck Studio in Hollywood, ranging from introductory to master classes. The Studio maintains a focus on producing and nurturing working actors in a rigorous professional environment. It is Ivana’s mission to empower her students with the tools to become successful and to make dynamic, empowered choices in their work.

Some of the actors Ivana has worked with during her 30-plus year career include Academy Award winners and nominees: Halle Berry,  James Franco, Brad Pitt, Jake Gyllenhaal, Elisabeth Shue, Terence Howard, Catherine Keener, Terence Howard,  Charlize Theron, Jon Voight,  and Djimon Honsou.

She’s also worked with:  Jim Carrey, Chris Pine, Eva Mendes, Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biel, Beyonce Knowles, Siena Miller, Gerard Butler, Kate Bosworth, and many others.

In Athens
On December 21 from 13:00 till 17:00, Greek actors will be able to get a taste of how it is like to work with Hollywood’s most renown acting coach at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation. In the line of Act and Re- Act: Master Classes which is a new initiative on the fields of Education and Arts, Cacoyannis Foundation will host Chubbuck for a unique lecture, including film clips, and group exercises that will help in more thoroughly understanding the Chubbuck Technique — a technique most of contemporary cinema stars work with.  All you’ll need is a notebook and pen. To learn more about the vent and rsvp click here.

The Chubbuck bible
In October of 2004 Penguin Books published Ivana’s book, The Power of the Actor. The book became an instant success, spending weeks on the Los Angeles Times top ten Bestsellers List. For more than a year it was the number one selling book about acting at Barnes and Noble. Currently her book is being adopted for use as a textbook in many colleges and universities across the country, as well as having been translated into a number of languages around the world, including Spanish, Hebrew, Romanian, Italian, Danish and soon to be  Portuguese.

The book has changed the lives of thousands of actors and it is considered the bible for teaching acting students script analysis and character development.

Ivana has also been a guest master teacher at The Juilliard School of Drama in New York, teaching a selected group of premiere fourth year students. She has also taught workshops around the world, including: Australia, Denmark, The Netherlands, London, Israel, Canada, etc.

Ivana Chubbuck was honored by The Russian International Film Festival (she is of Russian decent) with a lifetime achievement award for her contributions to the film industry alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, William Friedkin, and Francis Ford Coppola. She has worked with the directors and the stars of three movies that got selected into Sundance Film festival, that’s 3 out of 12 selections — and there were thousands of submissions.  

From the inside
Chubbuck is known for her talent for reading people, all their utterances and body language, in their finest unaware detail. Her teaching is based on deep, full-body listening. Her deep, almost creepily empathic, intuition sees right through the person she has opposite her. She reads her students like a text. She takes in what you say and how you say it. She watches your eyes, you shoulders, your hands. Even when she has an idle conversation with you, it’s never idle.  “The words say one thing but behaviour never lies,” she says.  She expounds, there’s no right or wrong in acting, just less effective or more effective choices.  Ultimately, it’s about discovering and exploring the truth of being a human being.  Her techn    cique draws from behavioral science and psychology.  “If you’re going to recreate real human behavior, you have to go to the source of being human,” she says.

She is also known for her passion. She has a forceful way about her, fierce and aggressive, and she’s physical and raw in her teachings. Her acting classes bear a lot of similarities to self-empowerment seminars. She cannot put up with victims or moaners. She’s a doer and she demands from her students to be doers as well. Every actor, she says, must know what the character’s objective is in a scene—to win someone’s love, respect, sympathy, compassion, power—and then must have determination even ruthlessness about achieving and thereby WINNING the objective.

How did all this started in the first place? What drove you to become an acting trainer?

I found that I loved being the nurturing force behind a performance much more than being the one in front of the camera (or on the stage).  My students growth, awards, stardom, or what have you, is what makes me swell with pride in the same way a mother sees her children’s advances.

How quickly did you find your stride as a teacher of acting?

I believe that a great teacher never stops learning. Understanding anything, especially in the arts, is an infinite journey. I continue to explore and grow as I teach.  If I ever stop, I will lose my effectiveness as a teacher.  Therefore, as excellence is what I strive for, “my stride” will be the bar that I continue to raise in order to be the best.  And when that happens, to be even better.  It is my obligation as an educator.

How did you decide to teach a masterclass in Athens?

I love the art of acting, and where better to teach acting than where classical theater was born.  Without theater, and all that the early Greeks brought to this art-form, we wouldn’t have cinema.  Movies are, after all, theater conceptualized in a different medium. AND, interestingly enough, The play that first got me enthralled with theater was Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles.  So bringing my technique to Greece is bringing it all back to the root of my passion.

What’s your general philosophy of teaching? Tell us a bit about your famous Ivana Chubbuck Technique.

Most techniques espouse that the end result in a great performance is to solely find the truth and to really feel the characters pain and trauma.  I don’t think that’s enough.  I mean, who wants to see someone immersed in their pain? The result is often self-pity.  We don’t like to be around those kinds of people for free, why would be want to pay money to see them perform?!  In my technique, I take personal pain and trauma, not as an end in itself, but rather as a fuel to impassion the need to overcome and win.  This is the recipe for a truly dynamic character.  My technique makes the performer try to succeed in spite of, and because of huge obstacles that the character faces.  This gives the performance catharsis.  It also allows the audience to feel hope, as they are watching a character who shares the same pain as the audience member, actually do something about it (rather than wallow in it) and ultimately win with it.  To CONSTRUCT is always better than to destruct – and so much more enjoyable to the audience and the actor.

How are your classes are structured? How much time is spent on doing actual scenes, and how much on overall philosophy?

It’s all scene work.  First we take the character, and figure out why and what he/she needs out of life.   How that character manifests those needs, regarding information garnered from their behaviors and dialogue.  Then we figure out how that relates personally to the human being who is playing the role.  In this way, instead of playing the character, the actor BECOMES the character.

In one of your previous interviews you quoted one of your students, Rob Schneider, who said that your sessions are like therapy but without the cure. Tell us a bit about this parallelism. What’s same? What’s different? And what about the cure?

Therapy helps the patient to be able to cope with their feelings and to allow them to have a life unencumbered by their past traumas.  In acting, those same traumas are used as colors to paint a compelling picture on the canvas that is theater or film.  Thus, acting, using my technique, allows the actor (writer, or director) to CREATE with the pain, not just complain or sit with the pain.  Which is much more satisfying for everyone.

What’s your goal when working with an actor?

To push them beyond what they believe is their limitations.  All great art is created by thinking outside the box, to never say that you’ve done all you can do.  There’s always more to explore and discover about the character, and therefore yourself.  To create something that isn’t merely good, but to create something that is spectacular!

In a previous interview of yours on Hally Berry you said “I asked her if she was ready to push the envelope,” what did you mean by that? How did Berry manage to push that envelope and win an Oscar?

I asked her to truly deal with and use in her work her darkest and scariest fears.  Using this is frightening for an actor, as it forces them to deal with it, not only as the character, but in real life as well.   Halle’s a fearless actor, and “went there” creating a gritty and raw portrayal of a woman in heightened emotional jeopardy.   It’s difficult to deny a performance that is coming from such a deep place, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts acknowledged this by giving her the Oscar.

What does it take to make it in today’s Hollywood?

Two things: 1 A strong work ethic, 2 taking risks in the choices you make as an actor.

Can a good acting coach take a so-so actor, and change him into a star?

Yes.  Just because you start “so-so” doesn’t mean you have to remain that way.   With hard work, study, and fearless choices an actor can become great.

Have you worked with Greek actors? What’s your opinion?

Greek people are very expressive and passionate.  This is an excellent combination in making an amazing actor!

Gilles Marini Photo Courtesy of Greg Hernandez, Wikimedia Commons.

America may know actor Gilles Marini from such television shows as Dancing With the Stars, Sex and the City, Brothers and Sisters, Modern Family, and Switched at Birth, but what they may not know is that he is also a gifted baker and pastry chef! Back in his early days, he used to work in his father’s bakery in France. On November 26, 2011, Gilles Marini chatted with Markos Papadatos about being a part of Nick Katsoris’ latest children’s book, Loukoumi’s Celebrity Cookbook; moreover, the talented actor opens up about one of his favorite childhood recipes.

On the acting profession, Marini remarks, “I am very passionate about my job. It’s very important and I take it very seriously. It was never my intention to be a celebrity or to become famous. I am doing this job, because I love acting to the core!”

Marini is one of fifty celebrities who have contributed their favorite recipes in Nick Katsoris’ newest book Loukoumi’s Celebrity Cookbook that came out in November 21, 2011.

“I love Nick Katsoris,” Gilles Marini exclaims. “It’s a great book. It comes from the heart of Nick, and it’s great for people to give this book a chance. It consists of recipes from people in entertainment, music, and newscasters sharing their recipes. What Nick does is amazing! It’s for a great cause and he works with great people. I love the Greek community here in America, since they help each other out.”

On being a part of Loukoumi’s Celebrity Cookbook, he states, “it’s a massive honor since this book helps children, so it was a no brainer for me to doing something that really matters. I was very much honored and I was thinking about what dish I could choose that children could make with their parents. It was awesome to be a part of it.”

The proceeds of the book go to such charities as the St. Jude Research Children’s Hospital, as well as Cat Cora’s nonprofit organization, Chefs for Humanity. “I love helping kids in need!” Marini reveals. “I was always connected with kids, even way before I was an actor. I love being surrounded by children. It keep me young, healthy and it keeps me grounded. Everyday people are always telling me that I am blessed to have such a nice house, and I tell them that none of these things matter.  I am extremely fortunate, because both of my children are healthy, and they have nothing that can stop them to be happy and successful in their life, and just because of that, I am one of the luckiest people on Earth! What else do I need? In this world, there are hundreds of thousands of young children that are suffering from something, and that kills me! I admire people like Nick Katsoris that work very hard to help these children out. Angelina Jolie is also a big activist, who has done a lot! We need more people like that!”

The recipe Marini chose to contribute to this Loukoumi project was “Pain Perdu” which translates into “French Toast.”

According to Marini, “‘Pain Perdu’ is really the poor man’s dish. When you have bread that was lost because it wasn’t eaten the same day, people used to throw them to the pigeons or the chickens. After a day or so, the bread gets very hard, and you cannot eat something that hard, so the French people created ‘Pain Perdu.’ It means the ‘lost bread,’ where you re-invent that piece of bread. It consists of a baguette, which is the most famous piece of bread that you could buy in France. Usually, ‘Pain Perdu’ is made for breakfast, and in France, they really wait for the bread to not be usable anymore, and then they make the dish. I remember my father and my mother making it for me.”

“I love to put fruit on the ‘Pain Perdu.’ I love to put granulated sugar, along with raspberries or blackberries and blueberries, and they go really well with it. It’s an easy dish and it is fun for kids. You can teach your children how to make it,” Marini adds.

“My daughter loves to make cakes. She is five years old and she is very independent, and I will only assist her to open the oven at a certain temperature and I only help her with the heat. Everything else, she does herself. My father taught me how to cook, bake and how to be a pastry chef, without weighing ingredients. I know the concept in my mind and it all comes naturally to me, especially when I make cakes and bread. I try to teach that to my kids,” Marini adds.

“My son, Georges, is twelve years old. He is a very athletic kid and a sweetheart. My son and daughter both love to cook, and my wife Carole, is fantastic with it! Carole is making food all the time for us,” he shares.

“It’s always important to try new things in life, that way you discover things! Before I was on Dancing With the Stars, I never danced a day in my life, and I jumped on that show and I was initially nervous, but I tried my best! I am always a big believer of trying, and if you try as hard as you can, you will find a way to be good at something,” Marini says.

Judging from his exquisite dancing performances on Dancing With the Stars, Marini is living proof that all this is possible. Marini is one who could do it all: act, dance, and cook!

Recently, Marini was a part of the Emmy-award winning show “Modern Family.” “Having the chance to work on ‘Modern Family’ was very cool! It was heaven to be on that show. That was one of my biggest highlights of 2011,” he reveals.

Marini is slated to appear on Hot in Cleveland on December 7, 2011. “This is my first sitcom, so it’s pretty awesome,” Marini admits.

When asked about what he was most thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday, Marini underscores, “to be with my very close friends and to have my family around the table, I am very grateful to them this Thanksgiving. God gave us the chance to be healthy and to have each other. Hopefully, next year will be the same! I just want the people around me to be happy and healthy.”

Loukoumi’s Celebrity Cookbook is expected to have its LA Premiere on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at the Barnes and Noble at the Grove in Los Angeles, California. This event begins at 5 PM, and features a book reading, signing, and more fun activities.

To learn more about Gilles Marini, visit his official website www.gillesmarini.com, and be sure to check out Loukoumi’s official website www.loukoumi.com.

Actor, singer, and musician Constantine Maroulis, who was recently honored by the Elios Society in San Francisco, talks exclusively to Greek Reporter about being a single dad, his Greek heritage, and his role in the upcoming film “Rock of Ages.”

Christos was born and raised in Athens, Greece. He came to Los Angeles a couple of years ago. He states “In 1999, I was in New York, where I took summer courses at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. My acting coach is Ivanna Chubbuck, who has worked with such esteemed actors as Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt, Jim Carrey, among many others. I’ve been working a lot in Greece for the last thirteen years and I wanted to make the transition here in the United States. My passion about my craft and work lead me here.”

Regarding his latest film Geocachers, Vasilopoulos remarks “it’s the first action film that I did here in the United States. It was shot a year ago in Nebraska and it’s complete now. It’s ready for be sold on the American Film Market in October. I hope that it will find distribution in Greece too. For me doing an action film here, it would be great to have a red carpet premiere in Greece and show what I did here as my first step in the United States.”

“It’s a classic action film. It deals with four guys camping outdoors in the forest, and coming across a high-tech box that costs a couple of million dollars. The good guys find the box and a gang of bad villains are after them. The film is a lot budget indie film that was shot really nice. The production was amazing! It looks actually really good. One hour and thirty minutes pass really quick. It’s a fast-paced movie. I’m playing Hector, who is one of the villains,” he adds.

On his proudest professional accomplishments in acting, he shares “I’ve been in business for fifteen years. Everybody thinks that I started on TV, but in reality I started on stage when I was seventeen years old. That was when I joined the Drama School of Athens and I was a member of the National Theatre of Greece for four years, and after eight years TV came into my life and I played Lefteri in Erotas. A lot of people think I’m an actor from TV, but I’m a theatrical actor. I’ve worked with a lot of big actors in Greece that have been forty years in the business, and did some big productions n Greece, and my first feature film in the United States is one of my proudest moments as far as my craft is concerned. For a guy that nobody knows here in the United States, I’m starting from zero, and I feel that people can recognize your talent in what you can do, as far as acting is concerned. I’m proud of the film I did. I’ve also performed in some of Greece’s ancient theaters such are Herodeon and Epidaurus.”

Regarding his recent marriage to Antonia Ventouras-Vasilopoulos, he exclaims “I’m a happily married man! We got married in Kefallonia, which is one of the most beautiful islands of Greece. We had our first marriage in Las Vegas, but we did our traditional wedding ceremony in the village of Fiskardo, Kefallonia.”

“Fiskardo is quiet and it’s so cosmopolitan. It has all these boats in its port, and it’s nice and clean. It does not have a lot of bars, nor clubs. The food is amazing and the people are very nice. It’s like an oasis,” he acknowledges.

For the Greek-American youth who wish to make it in acting, “I always talk about the way it has worked for me. For other actors it might work completely different. Do what you feel and follow your instinct. Never give up. Feel free to make mistakes, since you just learn from them, and that will take you a step further. Most importantly, do not be afraid to lose. Don’t care about what others have to say and always fight for what you want to do. You should have an idea about your craft, and know that it’s not about your publicity; it’s about the acting, and how far and how deep you want to go. The right way is to start from zero and be motivated.”

Vasilopoulos reveals that his dream acting partners include such acclaimed Oscar winning-actors Daniel Day Lewis and Meryl Streep. On his alternate career choice, if he weren’t an actor, Vasilopoulos states that he would have liked to have been a rock star.

As an actor, Vasilopoulos notes that it’s important to stay in good physical shape. “I am an athlete. I used to be part of the national team of Greece in Tae Kwon Do. I also think that acting is not about studying a lot. It’s about extending your whole personality in all sectors and fields. There is a lot of competition here in the United States, and you have to be in shape and ready. When the chance will come, you need to be there 100%. You have to exercise, work out, and study. You have to have your acting coach and dialect coach. Especially in LA, it’s the last level in the game. You’re playing a video game and you are at the top level of that game and you are just fighting with the monster. You need to have all the equipment and all the qualifications. The more you have, the sooner you will be hired to play a part,” the Greek heartthrob says.

In addition to his acting, Vasilopoulos is also one of the jurors of the Lady Filmmakers Film Festival, and he also filmed commercials for Gamestop, one of the largest video game store chains in California.

On the Greek-American community, Vasilopoulos says “all the Greek-American immigrants that came to the United States have the genes from Greece and our culture goes back to the BC years. Greeks are smart people. Greeks always have the ways to make it, one way or another. We are hustlers, in a good way. It doesn’t matter if it’s acting or trading, this is a land that everything happens and you can make a lot of money and take your craft to the next level. A lot of prominent Greek-Americans have made it here.”

For his dedicated fans, Vasilopoulos concludes “I would love to hug and kiss them and say a big thank you for all these years that they have supported me. I have a lot of loyal fans on my Facebook page and my official site. I haven’t shown them yet what I can do. I have a long way to go. Thanks for believing in me and my talent. I’m not going to let them down!”

For more information on Christos Vasilopoulos, please visit his official website.

Tell us about the new movie “The Maladjusted” that you are preparing as a director.

“The Maladjusted” is a comedy I co-wrote with a friend, Elias Dancey.  It’s based on my experiences here in Alexandria, Va with my high school friends.  The premise for the story revolves around 3 guys that have hit their 30′s, but continue to live their lives as if they were still 20 years old. The main character, Robbie Petras, is struggling to find himself and to fulfill his aspirations of becoming a writer.  I guess you could say it’s a dramatic comedy with an emphasis on the comedy.

One of the messages of the movie if I am not mistaken is about the changes we go through and the feeling of growing old. What is your theory on this?

You are right, it is very much about the changes everyone feels they should make at a certain point in life. For some it happens very early and for others it comes much later and much harder.  It’s a time in a person’s life that big decisions are made like, should I get married? Should I give up the childish dreams and go get an office job? What the hell is a 401K?  I think if I had been making this movie back when I was actually going through this change, it would probably be much darker and not a comedy at all.  In retrospect, I can look back on it and laugh.

One of the actors that you will be working with him on the movie is George Katt who is also of Greek Descent. How is it working together with him so far?

I’m very happy to be working with George Katt. We met a few months ago during casting and I immediately cast him in the lead as Robbie.  I felt very much that there wasn’t a lot of explaining I needed to do regarding the character (Robbie is a Greek-American guy like us).  George just understood it. I’m very eager to get on set with him and the rest of the cast. We also cast Tiffany Shepis, who is Greek-American and a superb talent!

What is your relationship with Greece? When was the last time you went for a visit? (and if you have what are the things you like most about Greece)

Both my parents are Greek and we would spend almost every summer in Greece when I was growing up. At 13 we moved to Greece where I spent 1 year in Athens and attended the infamous Varibobi High. Then about 2 years in Ioaninna.  I love going to Greece to see my friends and family, spending the entire day on the beach (psarontoufeko!) and of course the food.  Last time I was there was in 2008 with my wife and child visiting Lefkada, where she is from.

Tell us about the experience you had filming Zombthology, a film that won also an award at Louisville Fright Night Film Fest.

ZOMBthology was a fantastic and fun experience. I got to work with some great filmmakers and actors. This shoot is also where I met my co-producer, Josh Davidson, for The Maladjusted. As sick and twisted as that movie is, it was a great learning experience in the world of feature films and festivals.  I can say that I am done with zombie movies, but I am not done with horror.

How did you decide to become a director?

I can’t really say for sure. I remember as a kid I wanted to be a writer or somehow tell good stories.  I think when I first saw “Stand By Me” in the theater when I was about 10 or 11, it grabbed me in a way that turned me on to movies. I was always into movies, but that one for many reasons, got me thinking about movies and writing in a different way.  Later, when I was 19, I took a summer filmmaking course at NYU where I learned the basics of filmmaking and the intense involvement a director has in the story telling.  The core of it is, I just like telling stories.

Tell us about your hobbies and things you like doing at your free time.

Where do I start? I have more hobbies and interests than I have the time to appease. I’ve had more jobs based on my interests than I care to admit.  However, my favorite thing to do is to hit the mountains, find a nice stream and spend the entire day fly-fishing.

What are your future plans?

I don’t have anything set in stone, but if all goes well with The Maladjusted, I want to jump straight into my next project which is heavily based on Greek characters and culture. The script has been in the works for a while and still has a ways to go. In the meantime I’d like to keep producing some smaller projects and maybe doing a bit more acting.