IN CONVERSING WITH THIS EAST COAST NATIVE, WHOSE DOWN-TO-EARTH DEMEANOR COMES FROM GROWING UP VERY FAMILY-ORIENTED IN A TOWN WHERE PEOPLE WOULD GO TO SOCCER AND FOOTBALL GAMES AND HAVE SUNDAY DINNERS, YOU BEGIN TO LEARN A LOT MORE ABOUT THIS ENGAGING MAN WITH A MILLION DOLLAR SMILE. “I WAS BORN IN BROOKLYN, BUT RAISED WHERE I LIVE RIGHT NOW IN STATEN ISLAND. STATEN ISLAND IS A VERY BLUE COLLAR TOWN WITH FIREMEN AND POLICEMEN SO OBVIOUSLY IT’S JUST A WORKING TOWN WITH A SMALL TOWN FEEL TO IT. I HAD THE ABILITY TO BE AROUND MANHATTAN, BROOKLYN AND GROW UP IN NEW YORK CITY SO, IN THAT ASPECT, GROWING UP HERE WAS PRETTY AMAZING.”
With an incredible body of work playing guest starring roles and making his mainstream movie debut in the 2008 sci-fi/thriller CLOVERFIELD, his role on SONS OF ANARCHY would make him, as he would like to say, the luckiest actor in the world. “The reason you get into this whole business [acting] is you want to play as many different emotions and different characters as you can. I got so lucky enough to be on one show that spanned over seven years of my life and I have been fortunate enough to play every single emotion. The character [Juice] first started out as just a member of this motorcycle club who would always get into trouble and doing things wrong in a very funny and comedic way. As he got deeper involved in the club business, things started getting more complicated. A couple of seasons ago, the show delved into Juice’s race and heritage and on how it affected the antiquated laws of this motorcycle club. That’s when things started taking a dangerous turn which led to a lot of murderous activity and him trying to make things right which ultimately led him to trying to take his own life. He’s become dangerous by mistake and not by his own fault. I’ve always said Juice is the most harmless, dangerous guy you will ever meet.” With the show going into its final season, Rossi promises a really tense, chaotic and anxiety-ridden season that he’s absolutely honored to be a part of. The audience will not be disappointed with this upcoming thrill ride. 31
When discussing life after and outside SOA, Rossi is already hitting the ground running with his production company Dos Dudes Pictures. Rossi firmly believes that as a student of Hollywood, as we would like to eloquently call it, you have to really get involved in making your own stuff. “I decided to start a production company with my best friend from home who I have grown up with my whole life. We were looking for projects that were meaningful to us and that we felt people could relate to.
Oscar nominated film THE WOLF OF WALL STREET. We made this film in my hometown of Staten Island with Karen Allen as my mom, Michael Harney from ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK as my dad and Ashley Williams as well stars in it. It’s just a tremendous cast of people and we got to shoot with the whole community coming together in the dead of winter. We will be hitting all of the circuits and the festivals when we complete it. We’re really proud of this film. We also have some
I want to show the kids and the youth of the world that you can have everything you want, but you’ve got to step outside your comfort zone for a minute. I love the “giant tent pole” of movies, but sometimes it’s nice to go back to character-driven, story-driven films or even television shows that focus on the relationships of everyday life and not having these tremendous car chases or explosions.” The first film under the Dos Dudes Pictures umbrella that will be coming out this year will be the film BAD HURT. “It was a play before call Bad Hurt on Cedar Street and we made this play into a film. We partnered with Emma Tillinger Koskoff, who produced the
television shows in development and we already have our next film ready to go so we should be, hopefully, starting pre-production in January. Exciting times. With his now newfound experience he has gained over the years, you can guarantee that Rossi, as well as his production company, are on their way to making their stamp in the entertainment industry. When Rossi is not on his daily grind filming and producing, you will catch him squeezing in some exercise. “I’m pretty crazy about fitness and
September 2014 - BELLO