JS: T.J. thanks for taking the time to speak with IIE.

TJ: It's a pleasure.

JS: What can you tell us about your first acting job?

TJ: When I was 6 years old, I booked a commercial for Ringling and Barnum Bailey Circus. This kid across the street was auditioning and all I could think about was beating him out for the job. My grandmother used to feed my strawberries in the kitchen and we'd run lines.

JS: What did you learn from that experience, and how did that help you with your next job?

TJ: I learned that I loved to perform, and when the commercial aired and my family got all excited, I knew I had found a way to inspire other people. I played a lot of hockey after that, and the next job didn't come until I hung up the skates and was cast in a play in college. At that moment, the thrill came racing back as if I had never left.

JS: In "Outside Providence" you played Maggie. What was that experience like?

TJ: That was amazing. I was very well prepared for the role and when that's in place, the job itself is always great fun. Working with Michael Corrente was fantastic. He is very open to ideas and listened when I had something to contribute. We were a team of artists resurrecting the Cranston Street Armory, a huge castle like structure that was built in 1908 and had not been used for many years. It was beautiful.

JS: What did you take away from that film?

TJ: I learned that I was acting for personal validation instead of to be of service to the story and the audience. After "Outside Providence", I took some time off and got my Masters degree in Counseling and a credential to be a Guidance Counselor. For three years, I was a Guidance Counselor at an inner city high school in Los Angeles. That experience changed me forever, and taught me to be more generous as a person, and an artist.

JS: Underdog, which was just completed, seems to be a different style of film than what you have done before. What lead you to that decision?

TJ: I got a call from my cousin, Joe Paolino Sr., who said he'd landed me an audition for "Underdog" in Providence. At the time, I was in D.C. lobbying on Capitol Hill for better Student to Counselor ratios in public schools. I wanted to return to acting and here was a great chance to do it so I got on a bus at 10pm in D.C. and made it to Providence for the meeting the next morning. Studio films like "Underdog" are more stressful because there's so much money involved, but when the cameras roll we're all still telling stories.

JS: I know you are in the running to play the lead role in Michael Corrente's new film, "The Prince of Providence". This film looks like it could be a big step in your career. I know you've worked with Michael before, so obviously he saw something in you to consider you for this role. How did this come about?

TJ: Michael and I met in December of 2005 and he told me about the project. I met with Michael again a year later and told him that I was the right man to play "Buddy" and would he watch a screen test. He said yes, gave me notes, and since then I've made both "Young Buddy" and "Older Buddy" screen tests and he is enthusiastic about them both.

JS: I know there has been some talk about Corrente "taking a chance" by casting you for this role, which may be making some people unsure of this investment. Does this drive you even harder to prove them wrong?

TJ: What drives me is that I am the right person to play "Buddy Cianci" in "The Prince of Providence". No one even comes close, not Nicholas Cage, not anyone. This story can't be told properly without me. It's the soul of Providence; it's about Italian blood, dark obsessive rage, the innocence of a sensitive boy, politcial genius, and the independent spirit of Rhode Island. No one represents the combination of those things better than me, and no one ever will. From a business perspective, all Michael has to do is surround me with name actors and highlight them in the trailer. That will bring people to the theatre, from there films are successful mostly through word of mouth. Michael knows this.

JS: How do you feel about up-and-coming actors and actresses being somewhat shunned when it comes to opportunities like this? Do you feel it holds a lot of talent away from the public's eye?

TJ: We each generate our own opportunities. Just look at what Al Pacino did in "The Godfather". He was an unknown actor at the time. What drew Francis Ford Coppolla to him was the work. Al was great, and Coppolla knew it. We make our own luck by hard work and perseverence. Actors today should watch a movie called "The Secret" (see www.thesecret.tv). We can change the circumstances with our thoughts, hard work, and refusing to be denied.

JS: Especially in this era of film, the audience always wants to see something new and different. As a huge movie fan, I know for a fact that I, myself, do not just want to see new ways films are made and new and exciting story lines, but I like to see new faces on the screen as well. What would be the best way to show all the non-believers that you don't have to be the Brad Pitt's or Johnny Depp's to be a great actor? After all, they weren't born stars.

TJ: Becoming a great actor is no different that becoming a great chef, or writer, or athlete. Assuming there is talent there, it's a practice issue. Real actors act, we do plays, independent films, study with interesting mentors, read, live, love, fail and get up and try again. I am a big believer in being unreasonable. If you have an inspired thought, take action on it right away, before your critical mind has a chance to jump in and pick it apart. If you're committed to being an actor, and stay on the court, you'll get your chance at the big leagues.

JS: Are you going to prove them wrong?

TJ: I already have. I am successful because I have been doing everything I possibly can to be cast as "Buddy Cianci" in "The Prince of Providence". Beyond that, there couldn't be a better person making this decision than Michael Corrente. He has a track record for making the movie he wants to make. He and I say it all the time: the right thing will happen.

JS: Aside from "The Prince of Providence", are you currently working on any other projects?

TJ: The play I am in at 2nd Story Theatre in Warren, Rhode Island opens tonight ("Major Barbara") and I'll be in a play at Perishable Theatre in Providence ("House of Death") in May. I'm also teaching acting at Perishable in April, The Learning Connection in May, and The Rhode Island School of Design in June. A short script I wrote and will star in is being produced in July, and I've been helping Corrente with his slate of 10 horror films. Lastly, but not least, I Co-Facilitate an Actors' Lab in Providence on the first and third Tuesdays of each month (see rifcfilm.com for more details).

JS: Well, T.J., good luck with all your work. I'm sure that you, among others, will be one of the faces we'll all recognize very soon.

TJ: You got that right.

T.J. screentest for Prince of Providence