Actor Gianni Sallese, is making waves across TV, film and plays in New York City; from the grand sets of FX’s American Love Story to the intimate stage of New York City’s Chain Theater and with his baritone voice on the Darkstead podcast.
Sallese, committed to authentic storytelling, recently shared insights into his diverse acting career, craft, and views on the evolving landscape of the performing arts.
Born and raised in Toronto, Sallese’s journey into acting began early, fueled by a passion for storytelling. His dedication led him to intensive training at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), an experience he describes as an “actor’s bootcamp.” This foundational period, coupled with his Honours Bachelor with Distinction in History and Political Science from the University of Toronto, equipped him with a keen understanding of narrative, research and character development that now defines his performances.
Sallese credits AMDA for providing him with an invaluable “toolbox” to approach any role. “It definitely was an ‘actors bootcamp’ that really brought my talents to life. I found it very much a ‘you get what you put in’ place,” said Sallese. He emphasizes the lasting impact of instructors who pushed him to continuously refine his craft.
His process begins with meticulous text work. “I was committed to really reading and re-reading the script and the character and the context. Once that’s done, you kind of need to forget it all,” he explains. This paradoxical approach is central to his philosophy. “The character doesn’t know what’s going to happen to them, so it’s a matter of then forgetting all of the work and research you’ve done and living in the moment. You need to ‘trust that it’s all there’ which is very scary, but one quote an acting coach of mine has always said, ‘hold on tightly, let go lightly.’” This blend of rigorous preparation and courageous spontaneity allows Sallese to inhabit his characters with depth and authenticity.
Sallese recently lent his talent as a background actor to Ryan Murphy’s popular FX series, American Love Story, an experience he found both exhilarating and enlightening. “That was so insanely cool. I got some really decent screen time; I liked how I looked in that tuxedo I wore on set.”
Working on a production of this scale offered a unique perspective on the industry. “That set was like a well-oiled machine, again a notable difference from the indie shorts and features I’ve been on, which also have an amazing beautiful energy, but this was a different kind,” Sallese notes.
The sheer scale and professionalism of the set reminded him of a bygone era. “Being on these large professional sets reminded me of like those classic shots of old Hollywood with just these enormous sets of hundreds of actors working long exhausting hours.”
His experience on such a grand production also fueled his broader commentary on the future of filmmaking. Sallese voices a strong concern regarding the current discussions around artificial intelligence and computer-generated imagery for background actors. “I know there is talk right now of some people thinking ‘oh we can use AI or CG to generate background,’ and I think it really takes away from a real honest human element in filmmaking, which highlights real people with real stories.” For Sallese, the presence of real people on set, even in background roles, contributes an irreplaceable authenticity to the narrative.
Earlier this year, Sallese took on the challenging lead role of Leo in Cheap Culture, directed by Terrell Stratton at the esteemed Chain Theater in NYC. The play, written by Christopher Atchison, Tristan Mesmer, and Terrell Stratton, delves into complex themes of “culture vultures, whiteness and art, selfishness, and family.”
Leo, a character Sallese describes as “a treat, really a gift of a role to play,” offered a compelling arc. “You watch my character Leo go from a fish out of water, really uncomfortable and unfamiliar, to feeling a kinship and connection with everybody there, to having his night shattered when he discovers his brother is a snake and a bastard,” Sallese explains. “Then having to be the force that drives the revelation of this truth.”
Playing Leo required a delicate balance. “I have to walk the line of being like a wallflower, warming up, to wrestling with this painful revelation and trying to reveal it, something we clearly see is hard for him to do. Leo isn’t somebody who opens up a lot, and so in this play, we get to see that happen, and playing that is a real tightrope walk,” he said.
Sallese’s technique for keeping the play “chugging forward” was simple yet profound: “The trick is just always be listening, always be on and engaged onstage, Leo is a watcher and doing that actively keeps that energy. It’s something honestly palpable and detectable to an audience too, even if it is hard to fully explain, but it’s there and it keeps the play moving forward.”
Sallese also showcases his versatility as a voice actor, having been a part of the Darkstead podcast since 2022. This thriller/mystery series, set in British Columbia, follows a jaded vampire detective and his over-eager new recruit. Sallese played Officer Ray Marshall, the “wide-eyed out-of-towner and new partner to Detective Nathaniel Hawthorne.”
Ray, true to his name, was “a Ray of sunshine.” Sallese describes him as “positive, excited, and deeply in love with his wife, but the fun about him was that even though he may seem naive or goofy or silly, he is also incredibly competent, and I think it can be fun for audiences to see a good person be good at something and not just be a buffoon.”
The success of Darkstead, Sallese believes, was serendipitous. “It came at a very interesting time; during the peak of the pandemic.” With many people confined to their homes, audio dramas provided a much-needed escape.
“It was a time where I myself was also playing with a lot of radio dramas, and audio dramas, and people, being stuck at home, were looking for many forms of entertainment, and for many Darkstead scratched that itch,” he said.
Beyond the timing, the series’ engaging narrative resonated deeply. “It also told an engaging murder mystery, the fact that the townsfolk were also trapped in this town really reflected many of the listeners’ actual state during the pandemic,” he points out, highlighting its unique blend of “a little bit Twin Peaks, a little bit Twilight, a little bit Columbo, but a bit something entirely its own.”
Sallese also lauds the production’s quality, praising “excellent performances and really dynamite sound editing (again a role I think does not get enough praise).” The podcast continues to enjoy a “pretty dedicated following, which warms my heart.”
Photos of Gianni Sallese taken by Zane Gan (top photo) and Terrell Stratton (second and third photos, taken backstage on set of “Cheap Culture”).
Follow @the_great_gazizi on Instagram.
