Meet Rodney Roldan | Actor and Documentary Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rodney Roldan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rodney, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As with many career choices, there are often risks associated with the path one takes. As I look back at my own journey, there were several risks and challenges that I was aware and some that I wasn’t. As an artist, I learned things about myself that kept me going in pursuing my dream, such as learning to be open to new experiences, developing a higher level of resiliency, and further committing to my craft. Other things that I learned was to never let anyone place your creativity in a box, produce your own work, and understand that sacrifices need to be made. These are changing times in our society and the answer to a lot of the problems in society comes from what we show our audiences through art. Art cannot exist without creativity having free rein. If you are going to produce your own work, have patience and take the time to live in each moment of the process. At the end you learn to appreciate the finished product. With regards to sacrifice, understand that there will be a lot made in this career field, such as finances, time with family and friends, and work commitments. It is crucial to balance what’s important to you.

There will always be challenges in this field depending on the perspective you take or the realization you have in terms of what is the most important. One challenge that I am facing is coming up with projects or diving into current issues that affect society. When I received feedback from the last documentary I produced as both a video and podcast, I realized the effect it had on some individuals who learned the importance and sacrifices made by those in the service. With this knowledge I have been looking to bring attention to issues in society such as child trafficking. The challenge is telling that story in a way that is both unique and impactful. One way that I have been working to overcome the challenge is putting myself as a listener or viewer and telling myself what it is I want to hear and learn about this issue and what will make me get involved.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am an actor and documentary filmmaker and a member of both professional acting unions; Screen Actors Guild-American Federation for Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Actors Equity Association (AEA), and a recent member of the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts (AIVA). Since I began my acting and filmmaking career, I have worked several film, television, commercial, and stage productions that include, Imperium (2016), and The Wire (2006), A Gifted Man (2011), and the stage productions’ M*A*S*H (2006), and Ghetto Babylon (2013). I’ve also had numerous opportunities to work on print and modeling campaigns for clients such as Mastercard, Valvoline, and LG.

In 2015 I began working on a World War II documentary project, which sparked my interest in writing, narrating, and directing documentaries. Since then, I worked on several projects to include most recently, ‘Country and Courage, which is a feature-length documentary that looks at the history of Veteran’s Day, the experiences of U.S. Army veterans, veteran programs, and the works of William Shakespeare in relation to the mindset and trauma experienced by soldiers. I really enjoyed working on this project in that it not only opened me up to the issues around PTSD that many experience, but also made me realize that I also experienced some of the same trauma symptoms. As the director and narrator of the project, I have won several awards to include, two Telly Awards, and a Communicator Award from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Visual Arts (AIVA).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Living in the Atlanta metro area has been quite a pleasant and interesting experience over the last few years. I really enjoy the variety of food, scenery, and nightlife the city has to offer. Some of my favorite things to do around the city is study or read a book at coffee shops, whether it be a Starbucks, Barnes and Noble café, or unique places like the Marietta Coffee Company and Condesa Coffee. I really enjoy the lox and cucumber toast along with a cappuccino at Condesa Coffee. In addition, the environment itself is welcoming. Some of the things I like doing around the city is walk around and relax at Piedmont Park. Some of the areas of the park remind me of walking around Central Park in New York City as a kid. One of the places I would take friends to eat at if visiting is Bangkok Bold Asian Kitchen. Their roti and curry, wonton soup, and spicy pasta are some of the few items on the menu that are my favorite. There are plenty of places to go to at night for drinks and entertainment. One of the activities I like doing is karaoke. This is where I would recommend and take anyone visiting to Metro Diner and Bar. Not only is the atmosphere, food, energy awesome, but the staff are great as well.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been working as an actor and documentary filmmaker for over 18 years, while also balancing my other career field as a U.S. Army Mass Communication Specialist and working on my PhD in Communications. I have encountered several special individuals, including other artists, soldiers, and teachers through each endeavor. But if I was going to narrow it down to one specific group, I would like to recognize the teachers that I had the privilege to learn from. From my high school attendance at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics in New York, to studying performing arts at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York as well, I was able to learn so much and appreciate the subjects I was studying due to fact that my teachers and instructors demonstrated a care and passion for what they were teaching. I’ve also appreciated the works of William Shakespeare, but it wasn’t until my first semester at Stella Adler through the guidance of some of my teachers there that I really understood why I appreciated his writing and thus grew to love it more as I found aspects of my life, especially experiences I had in the military mirrored in his plays.

Website: www.imdb.me/rodneyroldan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodneymroldan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rodney.roldan.5

Other: https://filmfreeway.com/RodneyRoldan

Image Credits
Veterans Administration Photoshoot – Peoples Television Mastercard and MLB Photoshoot – JLP Studios Country and Courage Podcast – Rodney Roldan W3 Awards Juror – Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts Davey Awards Juror – Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts