Today we’d like to introduce you to Don DiPetta.
Hi Don, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a family-centered around both education and entertainment. My mother was an educator for over 40 years and my father was a comedy club owner and entertainment manager. As a child, I wanted nothing to do with either of those things. My dream was to play professional baseball. I was fortunate enough to get an athletic scholarship to college and after pursued my dreams playing Independent baseball. Most notably for the St. Paul Saints, who are owned by Bill Murray. After that part of my life ended, I really wasn’t sure what the next step was. I had no other plans and a very narrow idea of what and who I was. I packed a large duffle bag and drove across country with some friends and never left LA. I started immersing myself in acting classes, writing, anything artistic. This city opened up my world to possibilities about what life could be. Eight years later, I’m still here and more in love with creating and learning than I could have thought possible.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No. It’s still not, nor do I imagine it ever will be. I’ve had struggles that we don’t need to talk about. I will say I’m very fortunate to have the support of my family and to have a solid foundation of people around me but I find myself at the bottom of the hill more often than not. This business is difficult and for so long, I think people believe more things than not are out of their control. While so many things in this business are, I’ve learned more and more that what I chose to do everyday and how I respond to hardships are what help me move forward.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an actor, writer, producer, standup. I used to hate writing “hyphenate.” I had a very large manager tell me once in his Beverly Hills office that he didn’t know what or who I was because I was doing too many things. It pissed me off. I’m currently in post-production on my first feature that I was a writer/ producer/ actor in. Last September the video game company 2k released a remake of one of their biggest franchises, MAFIA which I was one of the stars in. Before Covid, I had my biggest year doing standup which included 27 cities of work, and I was lucky enough to be apart of the Oscar-winning feature, “Green Book.” I don’t know that I’m known for anything and I’m okay with that. I have a mentor that tells me just study the craft and create. People will call you an artist or whatever that want but it doesn’t matter. I’m most proud of the person I am becoming and the people I chose to have in my life. It’s taken a long time to learn I am who I surround myself with and how I treat others. I’m also incredibly proud of the feature I mentioned. It’s called ‘A Place in the Field’ and it is a story centered around PTSD in Veterans. It’s told through the lens of females and my partner Nicole Mejia, an AFI directing fellow, was at the helm of it. Being apart of that collaborative process with everyone involved especially our ALL FEMALE above the line… That whole production will stay with me forever.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We’re in the middle of the big shift. I’m excited to see what happens on the other side of covid. I think an artistic renaissance. I can’t wait for the incredible stories that will come out of the time people were able to slow down and create.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.dondipetta.com
