Regarding his experience on Manifest, he said, “It has been awesome. I work with the nicest people and we all care about each other. I couldn’t have asked for a better role, being the only young kid in the main cast and having such an interesting storyline, is great.”
For Messina, being a part of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was a great deal of fun. “I played the younger son in an Italian immigrant family and we had to talk and sing in Italian. I got to work with the great Alex Borstein, she’s amazing. I loved the wardrobe too, clothes from the 1950’s,” he said.
On his plans for 2019, he said, “I am really looking forward to 2019. Hopefully more acting projects, but most of all I can’t wait to start working on the next season of Manifest if it goes to season 2.”
For young actors, he offered the following advice: “I would tell young actors not to get discouraged if you don’t get a job right away. I went on tons of auditions and you never know when you’re going to get the job. You have to just keep trying. Also, just be yourself. Let your personality show.”
Digital transformation of the entertainment industry
On the impact of technology on the entertainment business, he said, “Technology has given so many more people jobs in TV and movies. There are so many shows in production on services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, and that gives so many more people jobs, especially actors.”
On his use of technology, he said, “I use technology a lot. I watch videos on YouTube, I have an Instagram account, I FaceTime with teachers and coaches.”
Messina shared that he would love to someday work with Will Ferrell. “I love his movies and I think he’s so funny. I also love Jim Carrey and Tom Hanks,” he said.
For the NBC viewers and fans of Manifest, he concluded, “Keep watching Manifest. It’s such a great show with lots of mystery, suspense and drama. It just keeps getting better. Thank you for watching and making it the No. 1 new TV drama.”
