BEVERLY HILLS—Actor, producer and musician Tommy Villafranca is best known for his recent hit web series “Smoked.” This week the handsome star who uses his incredible connections and networking skills to help create a cult classic comedy series and to help secure a major label for his upcoming album discusses with us how he does it all. When most young up-and-comers in Hollywood are pounding the pavement looking for roles, this young man makes his own.
Q-Tommy, great name by the way! Could you tell me if you enjoy acting, producing or music the most?
A-“Tommy a great name, thank you! It has a youthful quality to it that I admire. I gravitate heavily to acting. Music became my first avenue of expression when my parents bought a piano when I was 7years old. I got my first paid acting job when I was 19 and started working full-time as an actor when I was 21. Then to film school in San Francisco when I was 22 and quickly discovered the person hiring actors is the producer. I knew I’d have a better chance of controlling my own destiny and sustaining my efforts if I learned how to produce too.”
Q-Your web series “Smoked” is very popular, how did you come up with it?
A-“I was looking to produce another project when I reconnected with John Bruno and Josh Newell, the writers of ”˜Smoked,’ while doing a play at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. The three of us started in the business together at DreamWorks/Amblin Entertainment. John and Josh had shot a pilot under the same title that was initially about two buddies who owned a cigar shop in the San Fernando Valley. (You’ve probably driven by it on Ventura Boulevard) I liked the premise of the piece and the vibe they were going for (a sort of ”˜Cheers’ that takes place in a cigar shop.) Given the political discourse around medicinal marijuana and Proposition 215, I offered to them the idea of making it a dispensary in iconic Venice Beach. They took the idea and ran with it. I’m very pleased with what we came up with. John and Josh have a great comedy writing sensibility and a profound work ethic. They are both highly talented and most inspiring.”
Q-I see you utilize the skills of people you’ve met in the past and worked with before. Do you find it difficult to find the expertise you need to produce your series?
A-“Great question. My mentor and teacher Richard Lawson showed me that my network is my net worth. Together, we refined my ”˜relationship map.’ This is a document that I created and sustained over the years that has every crew person and cast person I have worked with in both film and music and others in just about every facet of my life. It includes business relationships and personal relationships. So for me putting together the right team for ‘Smoked’ came naturally. However, it took several years of building and nurturing those relationships to create an outstanding team and product.”
Q-I hear you are part of a Bay area band, what is the name of it and what instrument do you play?
A-“Tommy, I do play in a couple of bands. I’m the drummer for Melanie Devaney who is a fantastic singer/songwriter in the country genre who has a large following in the Midwest. We’ll be going on tour in Wyoming and playing some festivals in August of this year. I’m also drumming for ”˜Pikadons.’ We’ve recently signed with a label and [will be] releasing an album in June of this year. We are blessed to have Davey Meshell producing the album.”
Q-What other creative projects do you have going on for 2011?
A-“2011 is already looking to be a big year. I have the ‘Smoked’ pilot being released this year, an album backed by a fantastic label and producer, a summer music tour, a play called ‘Sintax’ I am developing at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and a documentary called ”˜The Lazarus Project’ with film partner Otto Penzato that documents near death experiments and survival of the consciousness.”
“Smoked” the new comedy web series can be seen atyoutube.com/user/SMOKEDwebseries.
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