Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
My name is Basil Sakr and I am an Actor, Producer and Voice-Over Artist based in Los Angeles. I was born in Chicago, from Lebanese descent; I moved to LA when I was 9 years old. Growing up in LA, I’ve always been surrounded by filming and television. I never knew I wanted to be an Actor until I was an adult. I would create videos for school or comedy videos for my Real Estate business, but didn’t define the role of an Actor until I had that Ah-ha moment. I chose Acting because it keeps me grounded. Playing a different character or being a different profession helps me understand that person and their motives. There’s a lot of things I wish I could have accomplished in life, so instead I chose to do them all by becoming an Actor. Portraying a character and telling a story is something I live for. I came into this business to shed new light in the Industry.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
I have a different look than most people in Hollywood. I’m not the blonde hair and chiseled body that you expect to see on TV or Film. Instead I’m your average everyday Dad type, with a bald head and a beard (ok I do have the typical blue eyes you see on TV). My unique look gets me roles as either a funny next door neighbor, or a hardened Detective looking for the murderer, or Middle Eastern with a funny accent (yes I do accents). Even before I became Improv trained, I was always quick wit and would say funny things on the fly. I aim to entertain and I always have my friends laughing at situational things as they happen. I’m definitely the class clown type and I make light of any situation. If I’m ever serious, then you know we have a problem
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
I’ve always worked in Television and the Entertainment Industry behind the cameras. I worked at NFL Network for several years in the TV Studio. Meeting celebrities was an everyday thing. I became desensitized to other people’s stardom, they were just everyday people to me, I treated them with respect and as regular people as they wished. After working in Television, I got my Real Estate license and started selling houses. I didn’t realize I wanted to be an Actor until I started shooting my own comedy segments for my Real Estate Business. Everyone would watch my videos and tell me I’m in the wrong profession and that I needed to be an Actor. I heard it one too many times and decided to take an Acting class. I fell in love with Acting as an art form and booked my first role with Ray J and Michael Jai White. I missed working in Television behind the cameras and it took me taking an Acting class to realize my real passion was in front of the cameras. Still just going through the motions of doing auditions and booking roles, it didn’t really hit me that I was an Actor until I booked a role in a scene with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. As I stated earlier, working at the NFL Network I was desensitized to all the celebrities that came through. It was that moment, however, when reality struck and I was like “how did I get here?” I was amazed that I came along way, a kid from Chicago, an adult working in Real Estate (which I despise sales), and here I was working with 2 A-List Celebs at the same time. God is good!
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
My biggest challenge thus far is that I started late in the game. I started Acting Professionally in 2019. A part of me wishes I took drama classes in High School and Theater in College. It took me a couple careers to realize my passion in the Arts. Had I started earlier I would have had more playable roles, meaning I could have played roles as teenagers in High School or college student roles. Now I am limited to adult roles and working profession roles. Also had I started earlier I would have built more credits in film and TV that by this time I wouldn’t have to compete as much for roles. Maybe I would have been a household name by now, who knows. Another challenge, of course, is the pandemic. The pandemic really slowed down my momentum. Right before the pandemic I was shooting 3 films, which all got canceled. The studios shut down for the majority of 2020. When they finally opened, the industry seemed more competitive and it’s harder to land roles when you have a lot of seasoned Actors auditioning for the same “5 lines and under” roles as myself. Also, building up that momentum again was a challenge in itself. I finally built up some good momentum now and I don’t plan on letting it slow down one bit, I don’t care what stands in my way, I’m going to keep pushing until my name is in the credits at the theaters.
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
1) Penn Badgley. I remember watching “You” on Netflix before I got into Acting and I was like, “he’s so evil yet likeable” You tend to like his character and hope he doesn’t get caught. He made great character choice and to me, he made Acting look fun. Maybe that’s why I gravitate to Bad Guy roles. I definitely would love to meet him and Thank Him for helping me realize my passion for Acting.
2) Jason Bateman. He’s such a versatile Actor. He’s hilarious in movies like Horrible Bosses and great in his dramatic roles like The Switch and Ozark, which make him well rounded. Not only would it be an honor to meet him, it would be amazing to work with him. Definitely learning from him would elevate my acting career and character choices.
3) Sandra Bullock. An amazing actress that’s funny, dramatic and doesn’t age. Her comedic chops are great. Mostly people forget she’s in a lot of comedies and she mostly has a serious face so comedy from her is bar none. She did phenomenal in the Blind Side and Speed. I think with her experience and versatility as an Actress is one of the reasons she’s been doing it for a long time and is still very relevant. I would love to meet her and learn from her.
Drop your social media links.
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/actorbasil
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/basil.sakr.14
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11141236/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Cgg-9XaOmpgVecUiw6Lcw