NEW YORK – Alexander Patsos is an actor, musician, writer, cinematographer, model, and director of Greek and Italian descent. Born in Freeport, NY, he moved, at age 18, to the East Village and gradually became immersed in the New York rock music scene. Patsos’ work behind the camera began with directing music videos and short films, but more recently, he began to focus on his work in front of the camera. He spoke with The National Herald about his work and his heritage.
When asked if he always wanted to go into the arts, Patsos told TNH, “I would consider myself a student of both music and film, as they were a huge part of my life growing up. Being a teenager in the late ’90s and early 2000s, I had MTV, VH1, and all the diverse radio stations that New York City had to offer. Whatever extra money I had was spent buying CDs or DVDs at Tower Records and going to movies and concerts with my friends. I meant it when I said that I was a ‘student,’ too. If a song, movie, or performance resonated with me, I would do my own research on the band, actor, or director. I wanted to know their entire creative process and research who their influences were, what the subject matter meant to them, and their own personal backstories. I was really interested in the process of how they got there and how the final product came to be. The history behind it all was important to me, it was my own personal way of connecting with the work.”
Of his family background, Patsos said, “My father, Dimitri, and his family are from Kalamata, Greece, by the Messenian Gulf. There is no place like Kalamata in the world. My mother, Cheryl, is Italian-American and her family is from Rome and Calabria.”
He continued, “Both sides of my family are incredibly hardworking and passionate people. Specifically from my parents, I get my “pound-the-pavement-hard-driving-never-take-no-for-an-answer” quality from my father, and my love for music and film from my mother. She was in the New York music and film scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s before she met my father in Greece.”
When asked about his latest roles, Patsos told TNH, “I recently booked a part on an episode of an HBO show that’s in its third season. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose the name of the show due to my contract, but I will say that I play a Greek. In the fall of 2018, I finished up a movie entitled Vedic Nights by an up-and-coming film director named Jean-Michel. It’s a feature film about the New York City art scene and I play an art dealer that knows how to ‘toe the line’ to be successful in the modern art world. It was an interesting project to be a part of.”
“I will keep you posted when it all officially comes out. I’m new to working in front of the camera but I have learned that the actor’s life is a test of patience and fortitude, especially in TV and film. You do the work and wait for the final product to come out,” Patsos noted.
Of his band Lotus Wolf, he told TNH, “I’m currently heading into the studio for a 2019 release. I sing and play guitar and will possibly be doing a mini doc about the ‘making of the record.’”
A clip of the music is available online: https://vimeo.com/292157022/84d5bdc43b.
More information about Alexander Patsos and his work is also available online: alexanderpatsos.com.
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