Matt Borlenghi first came to the attention of audiences on All My Children,” starring opposite Kelly Ripa. While playing this role, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy and won the Soap Opera Digest Award. Borlenghi then went on to star in several prime-time TV shows such as The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Pig Sty, Party Girl, Police Academy: The Series,” and a pilot for a Married with Children spin-off titled Enemies, opposite Nicole Eggert.
In addition, he has also been the recipient of five (5) other awards. Along with two (2) nominations, for his various acting roles. Matt is also a multiple award-winning producer and has spent several years on the development of TV shows with and for production companies and networks.
indieactivity: Introduce yourself, the story, the film by title, the main cast, and the crew?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): I am Matt Borlenghi, a.k.a. Dad, actor, writer, and producer. The film I want to discuss is Jack Rio, which was done in 2008. We made Jack Rio for about $85k, with $35k out of my own pocket. The story was derived from my creation, Jack, a short film I starred in, wrote, and directed.
The Official Trailer for Jack Rio
This picture would go on to win festival awards. The story is centred around Tommy Jamison, a famous actor who is being driven crazy by his fame. The fact that nobody even addresses him by his name, Tommy, instead of calling him by his TV character’s name, Jack, sets him off on a murderous rampage of those very same fans and/or executives.
Starring in the film were me, Sean Kanan, Mary Kate Schellheart, James Patrick Stuart, Monti Sharp, Brian Krause, Nadia Bjorlin, Jonathan LaPaglia, Mark Arnold, Adrianne Curry, Julie McCullough, Abby Wathen, Gerald Hopkins, and Tristan Rogers.
What is your experience working on story, screenplay, production, premiere, and marketing?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): The story really was born from my own experience while acting on All My Children in NYC in the early 1990’s. There was a time when I could not walk the six blocks home from the studio without either being hugged or hollered at, depending on my character’s behavior on the show that day. I do not actually remember killing anyone over it, but it definitely had a profound effect on my mental health. The blur between reality and fantasy was a lot.
Gregori J. Martin did the heavy lifting on the script itself, with my notes/thoughts being welcomed. The production was made easier by using our own locations, for the most part. My house, Sean Kanan’s house, a friend’s warehouse, my CPA’s offices, and, of course, some stolen shots. We had a screening for friends and agents—but no premiere nor marketing. This was because one of the producers blew up the distribution deals I was working on with my attorney/sales agent because he greatly disliked the fact that he was not in full control of negotiations.
How did you put the crew and cast together? Did you start writing with a known cast?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): Lots of favors and incentives/credits, with all casting done after the script was finalized.
What and how long did it take to complete the script? (Was it a team effort or was it solo?)
Matt Borlenghi (MB): I believe Gregori had the first draft done within a few weeks. He then talked it over with me, and along with other notes, etc., it was maybe five or six weeks.
When did you form your production company—and what was the original motivation for its formation?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): I originally formed Black Hat Productions in early 1991. It first served as a loanout for my acting work, and I realized I just loved the name enough to keep it for everything else.
What was the first project out of the gate?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): The first project for me as a Producer at Black Hat Productions was the short, Jack.
During the film production, what scene (that made the cut) was the hardest to shoot? And why?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): There is a scene where Tommy is in disguise at a roadside motel bar, trying to remain anonymous by wearing a blond wig and all. Regardless, he is still recognized by a drunk couple who push him a bit too far by inviting him to join them in their room for some “fun.” He joins them and proceeds to drug the couple and kill the husband. The wife wakes up to Tommy raping her while wearing her husband’s face as a mask. It was very tough to commit to the sexual assault and to see the way Abby Wathen handled the scene as the wife character.
What worked better in this latest production that mightn’t have worked so well in the last one you did?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): My latest production is a drama series named ATF. The film is still in the late stages of development, and we are looking for funding. Hence, I cannot compare it to Jack Rio.
You donned several hats on this film. What did it take to put on all these qualities to get the film done?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): Three words: commitment, dedication, and love.
What about independent filmmaking and the business do you still struggle with?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): Raising money is just so tough. Most folks do not have enough, and those that have it dislike the idea of risking it.
Where do you think your strengths lie as a producer?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): I think my strong suit is being straightforward with people. No bullshit. No excuses. Just tell it like it is and we can all work together with facts in hand, with truth.
Let’s talk finance, How did you finance the film?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): I put up $35k for Jack Rio, and ironically, the same producer who tanked the distribution discussions I had going put up the balance. After that fiasco with my attorney/sales agent, I told said producer to just buy me out: ‘give me my money back and do whatever you want or don’t want with the film.’ He was loaded. He bought me out.
How much did you go over budget? How did you manage it?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): We did not go over budget. We possessed a solid team with strong dedication and favors. That kept us glued.
How important is marketing? Do you think a project can make a dent without it nowadays?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): When I hear that studios spend millions of dollars on marketing, that is mind-boggling to me. There are so many social media options, podcasts, YouTube, etc. available to productions.
What do you hope audiences will get from the presentation of your film?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): I’m hoping that Jack Rio eventually gets out there for audiences to see. Between Sean Kanan and myself, we both have visibility from “Cobra Kai” right now. This means we possess a built-in audience of tens of millions of people worldwide.
What else have you got in the works?
Matt Borlenghi (MB): I recently completed filming on three TV pilots: “Townsend” (actor and producer), “Letters to Addy” (actor and producer), and “Daddy’s Place” (actor), playing the best friend of rapper Big Daddy Kane in his scripted TV debut. Of course, I would love to see them all get picked up for series, but even ONE would be nice. It is tough out there.
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