Email:neill@outloudculture.com
Socials: @neill_frazer
Andy Dispensa is an actor, writer, and filmmaker whose journey leading up to his role in1923 is deeply rooted in his Italian-American heritage and love for storytelling. Born in Yorktown Heights, New York, Andy was inspired at an early age by his father, who introduced him to classic films that forged in him a penchant for acting and cinema. His mother also instilled in him a love for reading and stories. He has a large extended family of 18 first cousins and a vibrant cultural background- predominantly Italian, and also German on his maternal grandmother’s side. Early trips to Italy in childhood and adolescence paved the way for a deep connection and magnetism to his roots. He started studying Italian in middle school and continued through college, eventually becoming president of the Italian club at Elon University.
Despite his appreciation for acting, Andy was initially hesitant to step on stage. His only experience was a two time participation in Destination Imagination, a grade school problem solving competition with a theatrical component. It wasn’t until halfway through his time at Elon, while studying broadcast journalism, that he took an acting class for non-majors. The class opened his eyes to the world of the performing arts, leading him to transition to Cinema production as a major. He soon found himself acting in student films, taking screenwriting courses, and learning film history, all which served as the starting point for a vocation. After graduating, he spent a year teaching English in Rome before being accepted into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, a prestigious 2 year drama conservatory in New York City.
Andy’s career spans theater, television, and film. He has performed at renowned venues such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Soho Playhouse, Cherry Lane Theater, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He notably played Pantalone in RagTag Theater’s Commedia Rapunzel, which won Best Family Show at the Off-Broadway Alliance Awards in 2016. On screen, Andy is perhaps best known for his role as Dion in the megahit series The Chosen and as Petty Officer Calvin Lynch in NCIS: Hawai’i.
His most recent role, that of Luca in Paramount+’s 1923, the critically acclaimed prequel to Yellowstone, is a culmination of his training and life experience so far. Originally auditioning for a different part in the show, casting asked to see him for Luca, a role they were down to the deadline on finding the right actor. Andy was pinned for the role less than 24 hours after submitting his audition. The part challenged him to master an authentic Italian accent, working closely with a dialect coach to ensure accuracy. Filming took place at sound stages and on location in Austin and Galveston, Texas.
Andy thrives on transformational roles that push his creative boundaries. He is drawn to characters that require the adopting of different accents, physicality, and motivations, that allow continuous stretching and growth as an artist. He believes in pushing himself outside his comfort zone, constantly striving to refine his craft with the goal of reaching the 10,000 hours of practice required for mastery.
As a writer, Andy has been published and optioned, with multiple feature screenplays and theater pieces in various stages of development. His first full-length play, The Hound, The Hare, and The Hallway, was nominated for Best Actor (Andy Dispensa), Best Actress, and won Best Set Design at the New York Theater Festival’s Winterfest 2018. His debut short film, The Funny Thing, won Best Comedy Short and Best Acting Ensemble at the 2021 Independent Shorts Awards, along with a Best Story nomination at the London Fashion Film Festival.
Beyond acting and writing, Andy is passionate about coaching aspiring actors, particularly in script analysis. Many of his clients have booked roles on major networks like NBC and HBO, as well as in studio films. He is represented by Garry Purdy at Momentum Talent Agency and managed by Jordan Holtzer at Established Artists.
Outside of his creative work, Andy enjoys attending concerts and movies, surfing, playing frisbee golf, and traveling. One of his lifelong dreams is to travel Japan for a month from north to south, fully immersing himself in the country from Hokkaido down to Okinawa. He’s also an avid Miami Dolphins and New York Knicks fan. Looking ahead, he is interested in producing his own creative projects in theater, film, and tv, including the possibility of hosting a travel show.
Andy welcome to OLC! Your role as Luca in 1923 is described as a defining moment in your career. How did you approach bringing this character to life, especially given the historical context of the series and Luca’s Italian heritage, which aligns so closely with your own background?
Hey! Thanks for having me! Every role I work on I approach with as much research as possible. Of course, you have to do your script analysis on the given scenes but having a book to read that gets you into the world is always crucial for me. For Luca, I picked up Mussolini’s Italy: Life Under The Dictatorship, 1915-1945. It really helped me understand what life was like for an Italian/Sicilian during that time, especially someone like Luca who was escaping from Mussolini’s vice grip. I already had a great base to draw on from my own experience, having learned Italian from middle school through college and eventually living in Rome after graduating, where I taught English for 6 months. I also worked on the accent extensively, working with a wonderful teacher and accent coach Annasole Podesta. She really helped me fine tune the lines as best I could.
You originally auditioned for a different role in 1923 but were cast as Luca within 24 hours after submitting your audition. What was that whirlwind experience like, and how did it shape your mindset going into such a high-stakes production?
Well, I was pinned very soon after my audition, but it wasn’t till a day or two after that my agent and manager called to let me know I had booked it. It was quite a rush. You know you work hard for many years and a really great opportunity comes along and you seize it. What’s better than that? I was very excited to get to work on a Taylor Sheridan production, someone who I’ve admired greatly since Sicario. But I didn’t have too much time after getting booked to prepare, I think it was two weeks, so I just buckled down and tried to focus on my work as much as possible. I try to treat each job with the same amount of care and preparation, but you know, obviously, there was a major cocktail of nerves and excitement brewing in me for this job in particular, considering the heavy nature of the role.
You worked closely with a dialect coach to master an authentic Italian accent for Luca. Can you share more about that process and how your personal connection to the Italian language and culture influenced your performance?
I’m predominantly Italian, and my Italian ancestry comes from Sicily and Napoli. Palermo to be specific, where Luca is from. I love being Italian. I’ve been maybe 12 times, studied in Florence and taught English in Rome. It’s just a feast for the senses, anywhere you go. The food, the smells, the way Italians carry themselves and live. I remember living in Rome, I’d take my roommate’s dog for a walk, head down a little side street and just bump into the Fontana di Trevi. There’s true magic in its history. I definitely poured all my knowledge and experiences into the role as best I could. For the accent, I worked with my coach, but also I listened to as many Italian movies, music, and YouTube videos as possible. I also went around NYC speaking in my accent to lock it in. It’s very helpful to work with a coach, and I think for some roles you absolutely should, but I do trust my ear as an actor. You have to be able to hear the music of any accent to be able to do one. It’s constant listening, copying, adjusting, and seeing if you can pass the mark with native speakers. It’s an awesome challenge every time to take on an accent.
Filming 1923 took place in Austin and Galveston, Texas, bringing the harsh realities of the Dutton family’s world to life. How did the locations and working alongside legends like Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren impact your performance and overall experience on set?
So I didn’t get the chance to work with Helen or Harrison because their characters are in a different storyline from my character. But I can speak to the locations and production design. The sets that are built are immaculate. The coal room that I worked in was like working in a real coal room at the bottom of a ship (without the heat hehe). They are very real and lifelike, which helps immensely for your belief. We were on location in Galveston which was really cool, hopping off that boat and into the water, you don’t really have to act, you just have to pay attention and experience what’s happening to you. The production design team and location scouts were top notch.
Your path to acting was not a straight line—you started in broadcast journalism, transitioned to cinema production, and even taught English in Rome before attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. How did these diverse experiences shape your approach to storytelling and performance?
Every experience you have makes you a better actor. You pull on all of your experiences for certain moments and roles. Life experience is crucial for any artist to draw on. I believe the best artists are vessels for how they see reality and the world, and they’re able to communicate story and detail from what they’ve seen and lived through.
You’ve performed in prestigious theater venues like the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Brooklyn Academy of Music, as well as on-screen in shows like The Chosen and NCIS: Hawai’i. How do you navigate the differences between stage and screen acting, and which medium do you find most challenging or rewarding?
They’re like different flavors of ice cream. I think the main thing you have to adjust for is where the audience is. For theater, you have to turn out for the audience at certain times and make sure your voice carries to the back of the theatre. Film and TV you can be more subtle, and just focus on your partner like you’d do in everyday life. You also have to make sure you don’t look in the camera which can be tricky at times, especially if you’re doing a walk and talk or something more complex. I love camera acting. Theatre is amazing and like the Olympics of acting, but there’s so much collaboration that goes into acting for the camera. The entire team you’re working with is helping you to craft moments. Seeing the final product after shooting something with a room full of people, is bliss.
You’ve mentioned thriving on transformational roles that push your creative boundaries, such as adopting different accents and physicalities. What is it about these types of characters that excites you, and how do you decide which roles to pursue?
Right now I write roles for myself and I audition for things that come in from my manager or agent. It’s all about the writing for me. I’m drawn towards detailed, innovative, creatively scripted characters and stories. You can tell if a project is going to be good or not from the audition sides you receive. Ideally I’d like to play characters that challenge me. If I don’t have to do a lot of work for a role I get bored. Characters that are farther from me require more work, and hence the fun in delving into them.
As an accomplished writer and filmmaker, you’ve had screenplays optioned and won awards for projects like your debut short film, The Funny Thing. How do you balance your work as an actor with your creative pursuits behind the camera, and do these roles inform one another?
It’s very simple…when I’m not working on other people’s projects, I have time to work on my own. I like acting because you can do all the work by yourself, show up, and do your thing. Filmmaking is a beast and I have to be in a good place financially, mentally, and emotionally for me to undertake a project fully and not lose my mind. It’s problem-solving at every step. Acting, writing, and directing are all heads of the same lovely monster. Producing is a different mindset but also an extremely creative skill to have, being able to bring people together to work on something. I do love it too. You just need to find money and as much of it as you can to make your own projects happen. That’s the tough cookie to crack, but I do believe if you leap the net will appear when deciding to go forth and produce your own thing.
Your play The Hound, The Hare, and The Hallway received critical acclaim, and your short film The Funny Thing won Best Comedy Short at the Independent Shorts Awards. What themes or stories are you most drawn to as a writer?
I like writing about whatever I’m feeling at a given moment. Things that I’m confused by or I want to poke fun at or that I’m wrestling with. I have a bit of a man-eat-man world perspective in some of my writing. I also just like to laugh and make others laugh so I really try to write zany, out there, absurdist stuff that amuses me or entertains me. I feel the best art entertains. We shouldn’t be looking at algorithms or marketing data as to what people want to see. We need courageous artists who have interesting stories inside of them that they need to share with the world. It starts with one person’s idea. Writing is a very solitary endeavor, it’s your brain, and heart, out there on the page and hopefully, if you’re lucky, you get to share it with the world.
You’re passionate about coaching aspiring actors, particularly in script analysis, and have helped clients book roles on major networks. What do you find most rewarding about this work, and what key advice do you give to actors trying to break into the industry?
I love helping people figure things out creatively. I have always felt a strong voice inside me when it comes to giving advice on storytelling, what makes a compelling story, and the need to dissect why some things resonate and others don’t. Directing is forming another person’s performance. It’s creation, just like acting and writing, and I love it all. I am a people person and I’m at my best when around lots of creatively intelligent people. As for actors breaking in, that’s tough. I think if you’re interested in becoming an actor as your career you need to train, study and work as much as possible. Do theater, a lot of it, make films with your friends, get in front of an audience anyway possible. You need to work at your acting until you’re confident in your craft. For some people it might take two months, for others it may take two decades. You also need to really produce good work that you can show people. I have a career because I made my own reel, I was constantly creating short films and other media that instilled confidence from agents and managers in me, which led to bigger jobs. I feel you have to love acting, creating, and storytelling more than anything else to make a living at it (unless your father, mother, uncle is a studio exec, but honestly who really cares about talentless nepo babies who get massive opportunity, they’re as light as toilet paper, unquilted). Be ready for the grind if you don’t have a leg up or silver spoon. I traveled the country living from New York, to New Orleans, to LA to get my first TV credit. If your heart isn’t really in it like that, honestly don’t start. Half effort and mediocrity don’t do the world any favors, especially in entertainment. Last thing I’d say is, to aim for greatness, to be great, not for accolades.
Looking ahead, you’ve expressed interest in producing your own creative projects and possibly hosting a travel show. Can you share more about the types of stories or formats you’d like to explore, and how your dream of traveling to Japan might influence your future work?
Oh goodness, I would love to host a travel show but it’s a pipe dream at the moment. I’ve been saving up and I’m hoping to get to Japan this year. It’s going to be glorious when it finally happens, whenever that is. Right now I have a few things I’ve written I’m trying to get off the ground. The first is my second full-length stage play “Tweet Tweet”, a psychological comedy about what we can control and what we don’t know we can’t. It’s one of the best things I’ve written and very current. I’m close to raising all the funding for it and I’m going to do it at the beautiful Hudson Theater on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. The second is a 20-page short film called The Rosewood Interview. It’s a drama about this 30-year-old, down on his luck, who gets the chance to interview at a tech company helmed by an old high school friend. The tagline is: What will get in the way of your future? The third, and most ambitious, is Jazz n’ Mo, the first feature-length screenplay I’ve written with an independent budget in mind. From a story and acting perspective, it’s the project I’m most excited about at the moment. It’s a dark comedy about two dating con artists who are trying to pull one last job to retire. It’s also about two people who have been scraping by most of their lives, what that does to a person, and how your job becomes you whether you identify with it or not. It’s set in Jacksonville, Florida and I’m going to be reaching out to investors there soon to see if I can utilize some local incentives to make it happen.
Outside of your creative work, you’re an avid fan of the Miami Dolphins and New York Knicks, and you enjoy surfing, frisbee golf, and attending concerts. How do these hobbies and interests help you recharge, and is there a particular concert or game that stands out as a memorable experience?
Watching sports helps me to relax big time. I don’t have to think. I can just focus on the athletes doing their thing! I think sports is storytelling in its purest form. I exercise a ton to stay sane in this crazy modern world. If I don’t, I fall apart. I’m very competitive and I love games, so yeah, any chance I get to play with a group of people at something, it’s great exercise for my brain. As for memorable experiences, me and my buddy got to do Sumo wrestling at half time at Madison Square Garden years ago when the Knicks played Lebron and the Cavs. I beat him and won a $75 gift card. It was pretty rad!
SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/adispensa/
