Who is Franklin Livingston and some of his Pakistani American actor and influencer work: Franklin Livingston is a versatile Pakistani-American actor. He specializes in dramatic roles and has proven his acting abilities in other genres of film, including comedy as well. Franklin was born in Pakistan whereas most of his education has been completed in the U.S. Here, in addition to studying at Northwestern University, Franklin gained extensive acting training from Atlantic Acting School, New York Film Academy, Moscow Arts Theater, the Meisner Studio of Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and Western Connecticut State University. See even more information at Franklin Livingston.
What makes Franklin Livingston different? Franklin has been described as a living legend. His legendary persona comes from his unique and creative ideas mixed with his diverse cultural upbringing, world travels, his ability to relate to people of diverse socioeconomic class, and his teachable spirit. He is also comparable to World’s best content creators like Charlie Chaplin, Rowan Atkinson, and Chuck Lorre. The unfortunate reality that hit Franklin is that he came to birth when American film and television largely undermines the creativity of people with Non-White accents and skin color. Classic Hollywood still doesn’t consider people of color as intelligent, dynamic, and in-demand as someone of the Caucasian race. However, Franklin is motivated and getting started to prove that the paradigm of racism among American actors is long gone!
Franklin has always been in love with cinema and has been making films since the age of 16. He has evolved as technology and style have progressed over the years, and he deeply enjoys the craft in every aspect. Despite excruciating long hours of creative thinking, planning, and executing, and typically being the first to and the last person to walk out of the film sets after sleepless nights, Franklin Livingston never falls out of love with expressing human emotion and capturing stories that need to be told. He believes that a good story must constantly be educating, entertaining and engaging. And that’s what he aims for in his productions.
For our readers that may be interested in acting, filmmaking, and producing, what advice can you give entrepreneurs just starting out in the industry? Be sure to get the right educational foundation. Research acting schools that you are considering. When you have completed your education there, be sure you never stop self-training. In what ways has the Covid-19 pandemic had an effect your career in the movie industry?Speaking as both an actor that has auditioned with other actors, that turned out to not be so great when we got on set, and as a producer, auditions that are done mostly via zoom now, are awful for picking up on so many of the meaningful but more subtle details that you notice when auditioning in person. In audition rooms, you can see the person enter, you see how they walk and stand. Were their hip sockets relaxed, shoulders relaxed, jaw relaxed? Do they look the part?
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life? Visualizing. Actualizing. There is beauty and power in these practices. However, I feel that learning to live, breathe, and exist in the moment without stressing about the future and focusing on your thoughts and feelings right now — is vital and the most valuable lesson you could ever complete. Often on the set myself or my assistants might worry about staying on schedule or getting behind, but there is no resolution without conflict, and we always claim victory when we work hard and never surrender.
I am a trained actor, filmmaker, and producer. I received extensive training from Atlantic Acting School, Moscow Art Theatre, New York Film Academy, and the Meisner Studio of Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. I received training in filmmaking and directing from New York University, and Yale University. I also trained at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. I prefer the more serious, dramatic roles that push and challenge my abilities. Please tell us how you make sure people will be fans of your work? I not only work very hard at everything I do, but I am a very genuine person. People often equate acting with pretending, but it is so much deeper than that. When I am acting, I am portraying a character that I have taken a very long time to get to know. You find a way to connect with the role you are playing so that there is personal truth in there too and when you get very good at doing this, your audience won’t be able to tell where you have blurred the line. It will feel very sincere instead, which is what viewers appreciate and deserve.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories? The most interesting people I have ever met are through random encounters. It was awkward in the beginning because I knew I did not have much time to talk to them in the subway, at a coffee shop, or at an intersection. I have made several friends worldwide through these kinds of chance meetings. Once I was paying for my sandwich at a deli near my acting school in NYC and I noticed that the cashier was wearing a fancy watch. I couldn’t help, but comment on it, and she responded by telling me her story. It turns out that she was an engineer from Venezuela, but her education was not recognized in the U.S., so she was forced to work service and retail jobs instead of in her field. We became friends on social media and after a few years we are still are very close friends.
Taking possibilities to the next level: Recent updates on Franklin reveal that he started another company in the state of Connecticut, Oculus Films LLC. The company will also serve as an academy that empathizes with the aspiring actors’ busy schedules. Oculus is a unique acting technique that Franklin has developed. Unlike other training techniques that make American actors feel drained, exhausted, depressed, and in some cases become mentally ill, Oculus Acting Technique makes actors enjoy their presence with other actors and crew members. It also helps the actors create content in the moment in the light of the screenwriter’s content, develop a sincere connection with community members and leave the set happy, rejuvenated, and relaxed having a sense of being heard, respected, and encouraged.