Published on February 18th, 2025 | by Jameelah "Just Jay" Wilkerson

From the Stage to the Screen: Mario Silva’s Acting Journey

Acting is not for the faint of heart. It often requires patience, dedication, and hard work, but an innate creative passion usually drives those entering this industry.

While perhaps a newer player in the LA film scene, Mario Silva is a technically diverse actor. He uses his theater background and professional experiences to pave his career path.

An Enriching Career in Performing Arts

Since 2014, Silva has worked with Live in Theater, a Drama Desk-nominated theater company, where he worked doing live, immersive theater. Unfortunately, like many industries during the global pandemic, the performing arts industry experienced turbulence.

However, despite such heavy impacts, Silva found himself in a theater position that opened many opportunities for him during this period – when Live in Theater shifted their performances to a virtual environment.

With specific protocols in place, Silva was able to perform in numerous shows in 2020, starring in productions such as Neil Labute’s Shape of Things, Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie, Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a stage adaptation of Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs as Mr. Blonde. These productions took place between September 2020 and December 2020.

After his time on stage in 2020, Silva moved toward individual work, directing himself on stage in Luigi Pirandello’s The Man with the Flower in His Mouth. This proved to be one of the biggest challenges the actor has had to face, mainly because it was his artistic vision of this rendition competing at the Short and Sweet Festival in 2021 in Dubai, which is a globally renowned theater festival that runs for six weeks with more than 115 competitors. Silva’s passion and dedication won over the judges and audience at the festival, taking him to the final round, where he won the Best Actor award for the season. He was invited to join the judging panel for the theater festival the following year.

Heading to Hollywood

In 2024, Silva moved to Los Angeles to explore opportunities on the big screen. Ready to prove his worth, he auditioned for the critically acclaimed theater company Shakespeare by the Sea. While Silva was largely unknown and new in Hollywood, he was cast to star in the company’s summer comedy hit, Cardenio, for which he received the Broadway World Best Performer nomination in 2024.

Silva became greatly interested in the new vertical formats through his work with Shakespeare by the Sea. He starred in vertical films, all of which were highly rated and received hundreds of millions of views.

With these projects surpassing industry standards and receiving strong critical reception, Silva has starred in other successful projects due to his merit. Producers from different platforms seek him to star in their upcoming films.

Grateful for the opportunities that have come along, Silva shared, “I’ve only had positive experiences in all the vertical films I’ve done. The directors and producers are always so caring and sympathetic towards us (actors), and the cast has always been fantastic, talented, and emotionally supportive.”

Diverse Skills Lead to Big Rewards

While Mario Silva studied Lee Strasberg’s Method, he diversified his talents by learning various techniques from masters like Meisner and Uta Hagen. His diverse skills have allowed him to work with other directors on multiple projects. However, his theater background has also helped him achieve success.

Silva has received numerous awards and nominations, including The Junction Awards 2021, LA Broadway World, and Miami Broadway World best performer nominations in 2024. His acting merits have earned him the Dubai Golden Visa, a permanent residence visa bestowed upon other successful powerhouses like Cristiano Ronaldo and Shah Ruh Khan.

Looking ahead, Silva aims to inspire future generations of artists to fulfill their dreams, embrace fear, and take a leap of faith in their aspirations.

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