Actor Javi Luna (“Violetta” fame) chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about his latest endeavors in acting, the film “God & Salsa,” his new music, and being an artist in the digital age.
Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Javi Luna is such an inspiring actor and individual. He is the pride of Madrid, Spain.
Motivations
On his daily motivations, he said, “When I became an actor, I was motivated the most by Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, James Dean, and River Phoenix. Right now, I am motivated by Cristian Ronaldo and The Rock. Also, I get motivated when I go on Instagram and I see that my friends book roles, and I realize that can be me. There are so many things to motivate me.”
‘God & Salsa’
He enjoyed being a part of the emotional indie film “God & Salda.” It deals with a grief-stricken therapist that is determined to help a suicidal teen regain her faith in the process with the help of her Salsa instructor and pastor. It was written and produced by Jess Thomas and Anayancy Thomas. “I got included in that project three years ago,” he said. “It comes from a personal experience from the directors since they wrote it.”
“I play a 16-year-old kid that is struggling a lot since his parents are divorced. He has a lot of pressure and he starts taking drugs. It’s a story about overcoming these struggles,” he explained.
“It was a very intense project,” he admitted. “I lost weight for this film and it was kind of hard to get in that mindset initially, but hopefully, this movie can help a lot of people. As an actor, I tried to make it as authentic as possible.”
He had great words about working with Jess and Anatancy Thomas. “It was awesome to work with them. They gave me the opportunity to play this fantastic character. It was really nice. They are very sweet people. The director allowed me to explore a lot with my character,” he said.
“I am excited about this film. I gave it my all,” he said.
To learn more about the independent film “God & Salsa,” check out its Facebook and Twitter pages.
‘Violetta’
Luna opened up about being on the hit Disney series “Violetta,” where he played the role of Felipe Diaz. “It has a very special place in my heart. ‘Violetta’ was my first international TV show,” he said. “It opened so many doors for me. When I joined the cast, it was already a super successful TV show, and it was a dream come true for me.”
Digital age
On being an artist in the digital age, he said, “It is definitely nice. There are a lot more opportunities for foreign shows. Everything is becoming way more universal, so I love that.”
Advice for hopefuls
For young and aspiring actors, he encouraged them to “just do it, whatever it is, work hard and just do it.” “We all have insecurities but those only slow us down. You will learn from them and you will get more opportunities, and you will meet more people. Just put yourself out there and don’t waste time.”
Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, he responded, “Just exploring who I am as an artist.” “I am at a very interesting point in my career,” he said.
Dream acting partners
Luna listed Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as his dream acting partners. “That would be awesome,” he admitted. “I would also like to learn from Daniel Day-Lewis and Robert De Niro. I would love to work with Jake Gyllenhaal as well. Everybody is so different, it’s very interesting. I just learn a lot being on set every single time.”
He had great words about Emmy winner Chiara D’Ambrosio and Emmy nominee Bianca D’Ambrosio of “The Bay” and “yA.” “Chiara and Bianca are awesome,” he exclaimed. “They are super talented and we did a couple of videos for social media. I love them. Hopefully, we will work together soon.”
When asked what track and field event he would do, if given the chance, he noted that it would be a mid-distance running event since just like acting, “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
In swimming, he shared that “butterfly” is his favorite stroke. “I really enjoy watching that,” he said.
New music
Luna revealed that he will be releasing his new music in the future. He has three songs ready to be released, two of which are duets, and the third one is a solo song.
Success
He defined the word success as “feeling fulfilled, happy, and having peace of mind.”
Gratitude for the fans
For his dedicated fans, Luna said, “Everything that I have achieved is thanks to them. The fans always make my day. My career exists because of them and that’s a fact. I owe the fans everything, and I say ‘thank you’ to them.”
To learn more about actor Javi Luna, check out his IMDb page, and follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
