Directing a film itself can be daunting, but why not up the stakes and star in it too? In February, Tony Schiena directed and starred in his new movie, The Weapon.
This action-packed film starred Schiena and Oscar award-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. who starred in infamous movies such as Boyz in the Hood, Snow Dogs, and Men of Honor.
Tony’s role in the Hollywood lights was only one fraction of his multifaceted career landscape. From a world karate champion to CEO of one of the world’s leading crisis management companies to a world-famous actor and director, Tony has excelled in careers that many hope even to come close to.
Whether in the fight for our country or on the movie screen, Tony is always up for the task.
He takes pride in his past work to give back to our country. Schiena says, “My defense work in conflict areas and many parts of the planet, the victories me and my team have had for our country or clients is extremely gratifying.”
Schiena knew from a young age he was destined for an action-filled and adventurous lifestyle.
Tony said, “Growing up on action movies, I really wanted to be the characters in those movies, and I guess in many ways my life went that direction. That’s the true beauty of film-making; it can make a young child dream, imagine, believe, and conceive.”
Tony’s start in the film industry was a role in William Shakespeare Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino and directed by the critically acclaimed director John Irvin.
Through his combination of real-life action experience and acting skills, Tony was quickly awarded action roles such as Wake of Death, a movie amongst many award-winning actors such as Jean-Claude Van Damm and Lisa King.
Acting in action films has become a significant part of Schiena’s life. Working on such prominent action-packed films has become an ode to his younger self. He says, “Action is organic for me, so I love doing it as it’s easy. Doing roles similar to the ones I watched over and over as a kid, life made a full circle; it’s a really beautiful thing.”
Through many careers and tasks to handle, Schiena has found the secret to pursuing his passions with balance. He advises aspiring actors or anyone with a dream: “Don’t quit your day job, haha. But seriously, there’s nothing worse than desperation, so try to make yourself as financially comfortable as possible; it will make the struggling ‘actor’s life’ a lot easier.”
Tony’s directorial debut for The Weapon was not something that he had necessarily planned for. Through the process of the film, his love has grown for directing just as it did for acting. But the task of balancing both director and actor was no joke. Tony says, “It was a challenging shoot on many levels, but we worked through each challenge effectively. It’s not easy when you’re wearing multiple hats, especially when you’re also exec producing and your company is also involved in making the movie. You have to be ok with being challenged, and some of us excel in those conditions. It’s extremely gratifying seeing Lionsgate distribute our movie in the manner they are planning to. I’m extremely grateful for that.”
With excitement, Schiena tells us to expect “A very cool character that will take the audience on a wild ride filled with action and suspense” in his new film, The Weapon.
To learn more about Tony and his film, click here.
