The growth of a Pakistani American actor : Franklin Livingston: Most actors go to either acting schools or study literature and some form of arts to become an artist. Some analysts have argued that the drama school studies that only focus on the craft of acting through body and mind make actors disconnect from the real world and what is required to be an effective member of society. That’s why in addition to their acting training, actors must also be familiar with disciplines such as science, politics, psychology, and sociology. See more information at Franklin Livingston.

Franklin Livingston reveals a stunning confession about his relocation to New York City, where he continues to witness several aspiring actors who are filled with the yearning to be seen on screen. It didn’t matter if it was a short film or a top Hollywood film. Although, most of them desire to feature in Hollywood films, but don’t get a chance to act in an ultra low budget project. This reason is causing some of them to develop mental health conditions for cloning on to such a wait.

Franklin is a thoroughly trained actor and filmmaker who completed an apprenticeship right out of high school in videography. Since he grew up in an artistic household, Franklin already had significant exposure to acting and singing. Later, he learned about cameras, light, sound, preparations to shoot, footage delivery, editing, mixing, and coloring. Franklin ended up acquiring formal training at New York University. From working with a myriad of diverse cinematographers and technicians, he has learned about various lenses, lights, cameras, and audio equipment which has helped him develop a great eye on the subject of digital storytelling.

And to finish this section, please tell us what is the one major key to your success? I am very disciplined and do not believe in shortcuts. If you want to achieve your goals, you need to put in the work. It always disappoints me when I see an actor that has completed their training, and then they think that is the end. Really, with any career you should be continuing your training up until the day you retire. I do acting exercises constantly to stay sharp. I also love to talk with strangers, or at least I used to a lot more pre-covid, and get to know their stories. I will often take an afternoon drive along the countryside and stop to talk with someone I have just met. Going into Manhattan on the Subway just to people watch is something I find very enjoyable too. These things not only keep me connected to my fellow human beings, but it is also like building a real-life character catalog of all the different people I meet that I could draw inspiration from whenever needed.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂 I have already begun a movement by bringing awareness and empathy though my work. My collaborators have mentioned that they have learned many things they did not know regarding politics, sociology, and anthropology of America and the world. I am helping create a voice for all-inclusive theater and film in the U.S.

Franklin has had an unmatched opportunity to represent a growing number of Pakistani people in the US who are under-represented in Hollywood. Currently, there is no person of Pakistani origin in Hollywood’s big-budget movies and TV networks that has the background training Franklin has. Currently, Riz Ahmed has been in the news a lot due to his dramatic acting. However, Riz is a British-Pakistani which makes him distinctly different from Franklin Livingston. Franklin’s unique accent, enchanting voice, alluring charisma, and captivating presence makes him stand out among all actors Hollywood has cast from Southeast Asian backgrounds.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? I have so many projects in the works right now, but my current favorite in post-production is “Down-Range” in which I played a U.S. Army major. There are a lot of officers in the U.S. military of Middle Eastern descent. However, in Hollywood movies and American TV shows all war heroes tend to be portrayed as Caucasian and the villains are people of color. I am shocked that even in our current time, TV has kept this tradition by producing a popular series “Jack Ryan” in which this outdated stigma is perpetuated.

Franklin has studied a multitude of acting techniques at Guildhall School of Music and Drama London, Moscow Arts Theater, New York Film Academy, Atlantic Acting School, the Meisner Studio of Tisch School of the Arts New York of New York University, and Yale University where he received training in acting, filmmaking, and directing as well. Franklin is a true New Yorker and enjoys exploring the city on foot and via subway absorbing the incomparable diversity of NYC. He loves to engage the local communities in breaking boundaries and building connections. When not on a film set or involved in community development, you will catch Franklin researching the past and the present anthropology, cooking, traveling, sightseeing, motorcycling, road tripping through the U.S., or maybe even jet-skiing.