Vasilos Filippakis [Interview]

Hello Folks! Welcome back to another wonderful week here at Trainwreck’d Society. We are kicking things off with an incredible interview that actually stems from our weekend coverage that I am sure all of you are already well informed about. Today we have some words from the absolutely brilliant actor Vasilos Filippakis who perfectly portrays Nico in the aforementioned series Fak Yaass on OUTtv. He is an absolutely delightful human being who we are so excited to have grace our digital pages today. If for some strange reason you managed to miss our previous coverage of Fak Yaass, do yourself a damn favor and check it out here. Then check out the amazing show itself, and report back here.

Or you know what, read this first, check out Saturday’s coverage, and then watch the show. Do whatever order you would like, as it is all wonderful! Vasilos has managed to bring absolute magic to the screen and any which way you decide to adore this project is going to be absolutely wonderful. Just make sure you tell all of your friends, and continue to follow up on whatever Filippakis decides to do in the future, because it is almost guaranteed to be blanketed with greatness.

So please enjoy some wonderful words from the even more wonderful human being, Vasilos Filippakis!

******

What inspired you to get into the world of performance? Was it a passion that you had since your youth? Or did you happen to find yourself in this world one day? 

Since I was a little kid, I had always been drawn to the arts. While all my older brothers got my parents out of bed at the crack of dawn for hockey practice, I kept them up late because I needed a ride home from play rehearsals. I got cast in my first play, Oliver Twist , when I was in Grade 3 and never really stopped. I was always drawn to live theatre. It was a place I felt free and so comfortable expressing myself. It was a place filled with so many people like me and for the first time I felt like I truly belonged to something.

What was your very first paid gig as a performer that you can remember getting? And were there any sort of lessons learned from this experience that still affects your work today? 

My first paid gig was a commercial for 3M Canada! It was short and sweet. I learned that hard work will pay off. I had taken acting class for a few years with Suzanne Bastien and really saw the progress in my work that lead me to booking paid jobs. I still consistently take acting class to make sure I’m always polished and pushing myself to new levels. Paid or unpaid – work is work – and I spent a few years doing unpaid jobs. I loved it! It was still a chance for me to grow and explore my craft.

I recently had the pleasure to catch you on the all new OUTtv series, FAK YAASS, and I have to say, it is absolutely fantastic, and you are absolutely wonderful in it. So, I am curious to know what drew you to this project? When did you know that this was something you wanted to work on? 

Thanks you so much! I began the development of FAK YAASS out of inspiration from my family. I never knew what it would become but at the time I wanted to share something and my personal story was what came to mind. I believe that the LGBTQ community still needs representation in the entertainment industry – but something that can be relatable to people outside the community as well. About three years ago I approached Anthony Filnageri, an extraordinary screenwriter, to help me bring this idea to paper. The amazing Leanne Noelle Smith joined our team as a producer and co-star and Matthew McLaughlin with Bulldog Productions came on to really help us all get this project off the ground.

For those who haven’t been able to check out the couple of episodes available already, could you tell us a bit about the show? Things like, what do you believe the truest message of the series is? 

FAK YAASS tells the story of Nico Nicolakis, a gay Greek millennial who has to travel back home to his suburban town to take care of his homophobic grandfather. This show explores the dynamic of family, when old traditions clash with the new age. We get to see, from two very opposing sides, values that cross each other and what each generation holds at a higher importance. We can see how everyone in the show is learning from each other. FAK YAASS shows the audience that sometimes all you need to do is be willing to be open and share empathy with one another. At the end of the day, love will stand above the rest and if you just take a moment to look inside yourself, find that love and share it with others, we all win.

If you were given the chance to portray any legendary figure in world history, who would it be?

I would love to explore Harvey Milk – he paved such a movement just by being himself and standing up for LGBTQ rights when nobody did. He is a true legendary figure. His work and legacy is incredible. His courage and bravery is something that many of us are scared to show and for him, at that time, he didn’t hold back and was just authentically himself.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

Well, you can currently watch FAK YAASS on outtvgo.ca – I will also be featured in the season finale of Hudson & Rex on CityTV! We are currently in the stages of seeing what will happen with FAK YAASS so stay tuned as some big announcements may be coming your way! Follow me for updates at @vasiliosf and the show @fakyaass

What was the last thing that made you smile? 

I woke up today to the most amazing message on instagram from someone who just watched FAK YAASS. It made my day 🙂