Tag Archives: F4YL Cast

Sep152013

Posted in F4YL Cast

Matt Wilson

Matt Wilson is a twenty-seven year old aspiring actor and online video host for Synthesis Magazine, as well as his own YouTube channel, Video Matt Presents.  This energetic and extremely positive media entrepreneur is ecstatic to be a part of Fight 4 Your Life.  Matt says:

 

“Working on Fight 4 Your Life was such a blast cause not only was I coming together with other creative individuals who love filmmaking in the Northern California Valley, but I was able to be apart of a film project that has a killer story and a lot of potential to be seen by many people.  I feel like everyday I have to fight to get one step closer at achieving my own goals regardless if I’m in a cage or not.  So I feel like Fight 4 Your Life has a positive message we all can relate to, and that’s keep fighting for what you believe, no matter what your personal ring or cage might be.”

 

Matt’s excitement towards F4YL is addicting.  He’s brought with him not simply a passionate mindset, but also an excellent overall attitude.  We thank Matt for his continued commitment towards F4YL and wish him the best in his own adventures.  To keep up with Matt, follow him on Twitter and visit his YouTube channel.  Both links are below…

www.twitter.com/videomattisback

www.youtube.com/videomattpresents

 

– The one studios crew

 

Sep152013

Posted in F4YL Cast

Lorenzo ‘Hitman’ Thornton

Born and raised in California, Robert Lorenzo Thornton has been doing standup comedy for about 22 years now, and is one of the best-undiscovered talents in the business.  Born in Northern California and raised by a single mom, he was exposed to music, pro-wrestling, 80’s & 90’s genre of entertainment, with a special interest in martial arts, dancing and theater.

Performing has been in his blood since the day he was born, from school plays, talent shows, to dancing on a local television teen dance show in Sacramento.  His first stand up performance wasn’t even in a comedy club; it was in Northern California Junior High and High Schools.  Starting at the age of 18 with a local chapter in Sacramento called Friday Night Live, which promoted awareness to teens against doing drugs, drinking and driving.

After several years of this, developing his act, he ventured to comedy clubs.  His raw-dawg, in your face, take no prisoners style makes you sit up and take notice.  At the same time being very multi-dimensional, it is hard to put him in a category.  He delivers an unpredictable performance.  You will never see him coming that is why he is the . . .HITMAN.

Lorenzo became a part of Fight 4 Your Life by way of working on a past project with director of photography Jeremy Guinn, producer Alonzo Chism and director Bryan Bachar.

 

“Lorenzo was originally scheduled to play a different role in F4YL.  But when we needed him to take on the much larger role of the eccentric Dark Oaks gang leader Black Leavz, he rose to the challenge, demonstrating with badass-ness his professionalism, experience and skill.  A previous part he played in a short we did earlier this year kind of fell into his lap by peculiar circumstance as well.  I’m beginning to think the heavens are at work here.  It’s funny how things work out.”                  

– Bryan Bachar / Director of F4YL

 

We are truly thankful to have the Hitman.  He is a vital part of Fight 4 Your Life!  For more on Lorenzo, check out his site here.

 

– The one studios crew

 

May72014

Posted in F4YL Cast

Ellis Rodriguez

Originally born in Boston, Ellis Rodriguez is by far the funniest of nine children raised by loving immigrant parents from Panama.  Living in a multi-racial, uni-cultural family gave him a unique perspective on life.  He grew up speaking Spanish at home, English at church, and Ebonics in school.

Ellis Rodriguez spent his early twenties serving in the United States Marine Corps, but found his calling when he picked up a mic, and did what he’d been doing his whole life, entertaining anyone who would listen.  And now countless are listening, and laughing.  His commanding presence, charming personality and hilarious material make him one of the best up and coming comics today.

Ellis Rodriguez’s passion for stand up comedy is evident whenever he performs, as he is a favorite at comedy clubs across the West Coast, including the Improv, Laugh’s Unlimited, Tommy T’s, PepperBelly’s and the Laugh Factory.  This Latino/former Marine is smart and charismatic, and always full of surprises.  An energetic performer, his comedy is appealing to any comedy audience.

And it was his comedic appeal, as well as his overall acting ability, that caught the eyes of the one studios crew.  The funny thing is (pun intended) we nearly lost Ellis on this project, due to personal obligations of his.  Luckily, it all worked out.  And we are extremely happy to have this talent be a part of Fight 4 Your Life.  We know this is just the beginning of a beautiful, and hilarious, relationship.

Check Ellis out at a comedy show near you!  Here is his official site at www.ellisrodriguez.com.  Of course, he is also on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.  Check out this snippet from one of his performances!  WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT
 

 
 
– The one studios crew

 

 

Sep122013

Posted in F4YL Cast

Erik McCall-Johnson

Erik  McCall-Johnson is an up and coming actor originally from Vallejo, CA, having moved to Sacramento when he was 13 years old with his family.  As a youth he was educated at Will Rogers Middle School and San Juan High School.  After high school he furthered his academics by attending college at Sacramento State University, where he graduated from with a degree in Mass Communication.

While in college Erik knew he wanted to pursue a career in acting.  He’s went through a lot to be an actor thus far, but knows he has to put in a lot of time and effort to get to where he wants to be.

Erik looks up to his mother.  His favorite actors are Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Clive Owen & Denzel Washington.

 

“I am excited about F4YL because I like the storyline and I really believe it is going to be a success.” – Erik

 

Glad to have you as part of the project Erik!  Your dedication is much appreciated.

 

– The one studios crew

 

May82014

Posted in F4YL Cast

Jabari Timmons

Jabari Timmons, aka KidWow, began dancing at the young age of 6 years old.  He has been trained in contemporary, jazz, lyrical, modern, tap, krump, popping, locking, break dance, Tahitian and ballet at Studio T Urban Dance Academy and The Greathouse of Dance.  Just a couple of Jabari’s accomplishments include dancing in Carnival in Los Angeles and performing with recording artist Zendaya Coleman from the Disney channel show “Shake It Up”.

KidWow is constantly on the move, learning and pushing himself to new heights.  But he doesn’t just limit himself to himself.  Jabari gives back to his dance community by sharing his knowledge of dance in the Sacramento area, teaching at schools such as Antelope High, Del Oro High, Woodcreek High and more.  He also teaches at Brandon ‘Knowbody’ Greathouse’s The Greathouse of Dance, where he participates in several of the dance school’s competitive dance teams as well.

Jabari’s rhythmic contributions to Fight 4 Your Life are very much appreciated.  His moves are sure to light up any screen!  We thank Jabari for his hard work and look forward to more collaborations in the future.  He’s a diligent and talented artist with a bright road ahead.

Jabari is on Facebook and Twitter!

 

– The one studios crew

 

 

May82014

Posted in F4YL Cast

Zeke Johnston

Gerald “Zeke” Johnston was born July 23, 1978, having grown to a height of 6’4″ and weighing in at 245 lbs.  Sound like a ring announcer’s description?  Well, that would make sense!

Zeke is an amateur heavy weight MMA fighter and boxer.  With only two years training he has worked his way to fighting California ‘s best fighters.  With a background of college football and semi pro basketball, Zeke has always been involved in sports.  He coaches basketball to young kids in the greater Sacramento area, but most of all loves coaching and being with his son Jordan, who was seen on set with Zeke throughout his shoots for Fight 4 Your Life.

Zeke also enjoys comedy and inspires to one day try stand-up.  Every member of the one studios crew can vouch for Mr. Johnston’s hilarious, over-the-top antics on set.  So, we’re more than sure some stand-up would do him good!  Thanks for all the hard work, and all the laughs, big Zeke!

 Check Zeke out on Facebook!
 
 
– The one studios crew

 

 

May92014

Posted in F4YL Cast

Eliot Kelly

Eliot Kelly is the head instructor at El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  He started learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu while he was teaching English and coaching wrestling in Japan.  During his stay in Japan, he was fortunate enough to live in a community where many Brazilians lived and quickly became involved with their culture and sports.  Although his training took place in Japan, he experienced complete immersion in Jiu-Jitsu training while surrounded by the Brazilian community.  Eliot explains,

 

“I wanted to learn Gracie Jiu-Jitsu because I heard of people doing it well into their 50’s and even 60’s.  I finally found something I could do that wasn’t just lifting weights, hitting a ball, or chasing a ball.” 

 

Eliot earned his brown belt in Japan from Michel and Marcio Miyashita, instructors under 5th degree black belt Master Barbosa.  After moving back to the United States from Japan he trained with Andre Glodzinski for almost 2 years until the closing of the first Sacramento gym.  Eliot is currently training with World Champion Professor Marcos Torregrosa.

 

“I wish to teach the Jiu-Jitsu technique and skills I know while emphasizing some of the fun and  unique cultural elements I have experienced in my training.  Please ask me about my experiences, I would love to share them with anyone!”  – Eliot Kelly

 

Prior to his experiences in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Eliot was a Division 1 Wrestler at UC Davis under the legendary coaching of Lennie Zalesky and Mark Munoz.  At UCD he became a two time Pac-10 place winner, Open Freestyle State Champion and earned medals at many other College Open tournaments.  Eliot has wrestled and beaten some cream-of-the-crop wrestlers from BIG 10 and BIG 12 schools, including the University of Iowa, Iowa State, Northern Iowa University, Oklahoma State and Oregon State.  He also has experience working as a counselor at a few of the toughest, most renowned wrestling camps in the nation, including J Robinson’s Intensive Wrestling Camp, Camp of Champs Ironman Training Camp, The Eternal Warrior Wrestling Camp and West Coast Wrestling Camps.

Eliot graduated from UC Davis in 2007 with a double major in Japanese and East Asian Studies and a minor in Education.  His Japanese knowledge has come in handy during his journeys to Japan, where he has had a unique coaching experience.  He worked with the freestyle clubs in Shiga Prefecture alongside former Olympians and National Champions, and at Ritsumeikan University alongside a 2 time Olympian.

 

After returning from Japan, back to the Sacramento area, he arrived again at UC Davis to help the team as an Assistant Coach and to train in order to make the Freestyle national team, for which he competed in the Dave Schultz Memorial and Asics Nationals.  Unfortunately, in 2010 the UCD Wrestling team was cut from UCD Athletics.  But Eliot is looking to stay involved in wrestling as he continues to develop the Jiu-Jitsu program in El Dorado Hills.

It was through wrestling Eliot met his longtime friend, creator of Fight 4 Your Life, Bryan Bachar, with B being one of his teammates at UCD.  B says a few words about his friend,

 

“You can’t ask for a better person to know than El Dog.  He’s a genuinely good human being.  And it makes me a better person just to know him.  Like everyone in his life I’m sure, I’m very proud of the man he has become and continues to strive to be.”

 

Eliot has been a supporter of Mr. Bachar’s creative endeavors since college, having helped out regularly as an extra hand, or, more recently, having provided his dojo as a location for F4YL.  In fact, Eliot has a small role in the film as well!  Keep an eye out for him.

And please be sure to check out his business site for his Jui-Jitsu school El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  What a great place!  You can find out more about Eliot and his business on:

Google+

Facebook

Twitter

 

– The one studios crew

 

 

Sep152013

Posted in F4YL Cast

Ashley Engel

Ashley Engel might be new to the world of film.  But she’s a true go-getter, having already been in a commercial and working regularly as a promotional model to gain exposure, as well as pay the bills, in her quest to make “it” happen.  In fact, it was during a promo job that she caught director Bryan Bachar‘s eye.  Bryan gave her the film’s contact info, leaving it in Ashley’s hands to take the next step to be a part of Fight 4 Your Life, which she did.

As chance would have it, the actress signed on to play a larger role in Ashley’s scene was not able to make the shoot date.  Ashley was then asked to play the larger role and the rest is history.

 

“I had a lot of fun filming my scene.  It was a really cool experience!  I feel lucky to have met Bryan and be cast for F4YL!” says Ashley.

 

And you did a fantastic job, Ashley!  We thank you for your hard work and patience during the shoot.  You can bet the future is bright for Ashley Engel!

 

– The one studios crew

 

 

Mar292015

Posted in F4YL Cast

Marc Gardner

Marc grew up in Northern California but has been fortunate enough to have also lived in a variety of other locations, including Los Angeles, Utah and Argentina.  His acting background is made up of many years of experience being on the set, constantly staying active in the field.  Marc has been a part of variety of projects from Hollywood feature films to indie features and shorts, commercials, television productions, industrial shoots and web based projects.

In addition to his time on screen, Marc also provides his talents behind the camera, having played key crew roles in award winning works.  He is a true filmmaker at heart, not simply an actor.  And it’s good to note he has ample experience as a fight coordinator as well.

Mr. Gardner has been performing since elementary school and has been blessed enough to have traveled all over the world to perform as a singer, dancer and actor.  Complementing his goals as an aspiring actor and vocal artist,  Marc has become a well rounded human being.  He spends his days serving as a proud father of five, a personal safety advocate, a self defense trainer and a martial artist, having earned multiple black belts.

Be sure to keep up with Marc’s adventures at MarcGardner.net.  He is also a heavily active with several Facebook groups, posting daily film advice and helpful articles for filmmakers and talent.  Marc’s recent short film The Within has been screened at multiple film festivals around the country and he is currently pursuing turning this project into an ongoing web series.  F4YL creator Bryan Bachar was lucky enough to have had a small role in The Within short and can vouch for its awesomeness.  For more on The Within and other projects of Marc’s, check out Ring22Entertainment.com or The Within Facebook page.

We’re thankful to have Marc aboard Fight 4 Your Life.  A long time supporter, he’s been with us since the F4YL short film in 2012.  And now it’s a family affair, as Marc’s daughter Kaitlyn is also a part of this feature length, large scale production, playing the part of the Karate Girl, aka Cris.  Marc wasn’t able to reprise the same roles he had in the original F4YL short.  But he appropriately enough plays the Karate Girl’s Sensei in the feature.

Thanks again for all your hard work, support, team minded efforts and dedication Marc!

 

Marc Gardner’s Contact and Info:

(916) 204-6272  phone

MarcGardner.net  personal site

Ring22Entertainment.com  company site

Marc on IMDb

 

– The one studios crew

 

 

Sep122013

Posted in F4YL Cast

D.J. Hale

Derick Jamall Hale Jr. is an American Actor, better known by his stage name as D.J. Hale.  Born on March 24th, 1993 in Oceanside California and raised in the state’s capital, Sacramento, D.J. was introduced to theater arts while attending John Morse Waldorf School in South Sacramento.  Coming from an athletically talented family background, D.J. pursued a career in football upon reaching high school.  After graduating he decided acting needed to be his number one priority.

Extremely talented and possessing tremendous work ethic, D.J. is on his way to becoming one of the rising stars in the new generation of young actors.  His African American and Italian decent bears him ethnically ambiguous, allowing him to portray a multitude of roles.  Currently, D.J. can be most noted for the character Lil Swoldier in the up and coming SAG-ULB feature film 8: The Movie.

D.J. is extremely proud to be a part of Fight 4 Your Life and can’t wait for the finished film!  Check him out on his Facebook page here.

 

– The one studios crew