Andy Dispensa on Playing Luca in ‘1923,’ What it Takes to Be an Actor

Andy Dispensa is an American actor of Italian descent, his most notable roles include Luca in the Paramount+ series 1923, Dion in the mega-hit series The Chosen and Petty Officer Calvin Lynch in Season 2 of NCIS: Hawai’i.

Born in Yorktown Heights, New York, Andy developed a passion for film from an early age thanks to his incredibly loving parents. After graduating from Elon University with a BA in Cinema Production and a minor in Italian studies, he spent a year teaching English in Rome.

In 2014, he graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and has since performed at renowned theater venues, including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Soho Playhouse, Cherry Lane Theater and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

In this interview, Andy discusses his role as Luca in 1923, his studious work depicting an authentic Italian accent, and his advice on staying motivated as an actor.

Insights: Lessons from Andy Dispensa

Be open to acting classes, stay curious and enjoy the discovery through character work.

Create a set-up you are comfortable with, find a good reader and keep refining your process.

Make strong character choices when you feel like you know a character well enough, and trust the work.

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Hi Andy, can you tell us what first inspired you to become an actor?

Thanks for having me! My parents showed me so many movies when I was little. All the classics: The Godfather, The Wizard of Oz, When Harry Met Sally, Apocalypse Now, Wayne’s World; the list goes on and on. It was that canon of movies that influenced me from an early age.

I’ve always been fascinated by cinema and the transporting power of it. I’m an only child, too, so I have a strong connection to my imagination and creativity. I didn’t step on a stage ’till I went to drama school, but taking acting for non-majors course at university was my first foray into acting. It hooked me big time. I remember it being the best class I’d ever taken. I was “bitten by the bug,” as they say!

How did your training at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts help prepare you for navigating your career so far?

My time at AADA set the foundation for a career. I didn’t know what I was doing when I first started there. I didn’t even realize what acting was.

I think the Meisner technique is a great set of training wheels for first-time actors. I had many brilliant teachers who stripped me down to get me to focus on my partner and out of my way. Being surrounded by so much insane talent, it pushed me to get better every step of the way there. There’s still so much philosophy I carry around with me today from then. It was the best training I’ve received since I started my acting journey close to 15 years ago.

In terms of “the business” or “the industry,” however, most of it is learning on the job. There are not many classes that can train you for the realities you’re going to run into.

You play Luca in season 2 of 1923. What was your experience like working on the show?

It was incredible. The cast, crew and production team are as good as it gets. Besides the fact that it’s one of the best television shows, the people behind it are amazing. Taylor Sheridan’s writing is genius and prolific. Ben Richardson, our director, was such a lifeline for me as an actor. He’s an ace at creating masterful shots.

The sets were real and lifelike, and we also filmed on location. My main scene partner Brandon Sklenar was a very interesting actor to work with. It honestly felt like hitting the lottery, but way more satisfying considering the work I put in on the character and audition. I didn’t just buy a ticket!

Your character has such an immense journey. Without spoilers, can you tell us how you prepared to play a role like Luca?

Yes! I’ve had many experiences in my life that paved the way for me to step into the role of Luca. My ancestry is from Palermo, Sicily, where the character is from. I started studying Italian in middle school and continued through college, where I was president of the Italian club. I studied abroad in Florence and taught English in Rome. That was all poured into the character.

Aside from internalizing and personalizing the scenes, I worked with a dialect coach, a wonderful teacher and an actress named Annasole Podesta. She helped me comb through every syllable to aim for authenticity. I read a book called Mussolini’s Sicily: Life Under the Dictatorship, 1915-1945, which put me squarely in the shoes of an Italian escaping the country at the time. Multiple people at the premiere afterparty did not believe I was American, so I feel like all the work paid off.

In regard to the “immense journey” that you refer to, I just did my best to believe in the circumstances that Taylor set forth for the character. I read about trauma, and I also drew on people in my past who connected me to the meekness of Luca.

You worked very closely with Brandon Sklenar, who plays Spencer. Was there anything in particular you did to develop your character’s relationship off-screen?

My character and his meet for the first time on the boat. I didn’t want to have a preconceived notion of him or his character, so I didn’t watch any of season one or research him.

We didn’t have to do much. We kind of had this natural bond, I think. We did meet up to run lines and things like that. Joking around on set between takes certainly helped. There were a few days where we talked almost exclusively in dueling Christopher Walken impressions. He’s a great guy. A real talent and a genuine person.

As an actor of Italian heritage, how important is it to you that characters like Luca are accurately portrayed?

I can only speak from my work and experience because I know how difficult it is to act in general. To do accents and find authenticity for most roles from a casting standpoint (meaning finding someone well-crafted, who has a proper work visa and who isn’t a total nut).

The Italian accent is one of the most difficult accents to do accurately if it’s not your native tongue. It’s consistently butchered in Hollywood, even at the highest level. Even for me — an American who speaks the language and is pretty fluid with accents and voices — it’s a tricky one.

It was massively important for me to aim for accuracy and authenticity. I worked with a real Sicilian to translate certain lines into Sicilian (a fairly different language from Italian). I studied hand gestures with my coach. At the end of the day, acting is a job, and I understand all parts of the machine are trying to do their best.

Authenticity is certainly important. You see so many caricatures done and it doesn’t feel right. When you find the right actor for a job, everyone wins. The audience can relax and enjoy the story. The eyes and ears of casting offices and directors are paramount.

You’ve spoken before about how close you felt to Luca in terms of casting. What advice can you share for other actors about how to tap into a role they feel suited for?

Auditions are pretty high-pressure situations. They come out of nowhere and upend your life. There’s a lot for me that I have to do to be able to relax and give it my all. Exercise, meditation, finding the right reader. I think when you have most of your life stuff balanced, it allows you to seep into a character more.

I would echo what I’ve heard [Professor] Brian Cox say: “What’s meant for you will not pass you by.” Thinking about that notion has allowed me to relax a bit and just feel, “Ok, this is my chance to show my take on the character. This is my chance to do what I love.” Easier said than done.

I’m now realizing you didn’t ask about auditions at all and I did not answer your question…oh boy… ok, let me rephrase here. Tapping into a role you feel well-suited for: I think it’s pretty intuitive. I’m not sure I have too much advice on that.

If you feel well-suited for a role, it’s going to be there. You don’t need coaching, you don’t need to ask for clarification on the script or character. You will know it like you know the character of a close friend or relative. Some characters take more work and unearthing to reveal themselves to you. For Luca, I knew him intimately from the first read. There was a meek and sensitive, almost childlike side of myself that the writing connected with. I allowed myself to lean into it. It felt good. Sometimes it happens like that, sometimes it doesn’t.

Self-taping is such an intrinsic part of the industry now and you booked 1923 through a self tape. Are there any tips or techniques you can share for actors struggling to adjust to taping for auditions?

Ok! Now to auditions! I can talk about this for days! I worked at Margie Haber Studio in Los Angeles as a self tape reader for many years. That allowed me to refine my process greatly.

Find a studio or setup that makes you feel comfortable. It’s going to take a lot of trial and error. I’m still refining my process with every audition I do. You also need to find a good reader — someone who supports but doesn’t overtake. My people at MHS are very good, the best readers I’ve had pretty much anywhere. The self tape room there is quiet, the tech is high quality, and they use a directional mic.

I think these days, if you can get your self tape set up locked down, you will get more and more comfortable every time you do them. Now I have an at-home studio, a nice backdrop, soft box lighting, and an iPhone 13. I usually tape with a virtual reader so I don’t have to worry about having someone come over.

And yes, self tapes can be a huge pain in the behind. Sometimes the character breakdown doesn’t match the writing, and sometimes you have no idea what they want (and it’s probably because they don’t know what they want. With 1923, the writing was so clear, the breakdown was crystal clear. It helped me immensely.) or a dog is barking throughout the best take you did. I would hope casting is more forgiving in the Zoom era (within reason), but also it takes real magic to create a killer self tape. It is an art in itself that you only hone with more and more practice.

You were also in the middle of an acting class when you got the news that you booked the role of Luca. Why do you think it’s important for a working actor to keep learning?

Acting is a muscle. The more you do it, the better you understand it. Simple as that. Great actors are great learners and constantly curious. When you learn a role, it fills you up with something new. That’s maybe my favorite part of the whole process. The learning of a new world, a new person. The discovery. Then share it with your scene partners, the production team and the audience.

You graduated drama school in 2014, and I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “It takes 10 years to become an actor.” Has that resonated with you?

(Laughs) I haven’t heard that one, but I have heard “It takes 15 years to become an overnight success.”

I think that makes sense, though. It really did take me about five to seven years to iron out the kinks and get more comfortable with my acting. And, I did book my first TV credit in 2022 — exactly 10 years after I started drama school — so, yes, your expression would seem to be factually accurate, at least in my case. Can’t fight the phrases.

What words of inspiration can you share for actors struggling to find their place in the industry, as it is at the moment?

It’s a difficult time for actors and entertainment in general, I feel. Social media has screwed up everyone’s brain. It’s also an industry of contradictions. In the past few years since the pandemic, you consistently hear, “It’s so slow, there’s no auditions now, it’s gonna pick up soon MAYBE.” Then you see new TV shows streaming on five different platforms every other week with actors that would seem far below your determination, work ethic and skill level.

I’ve been there and know I speak for many when I say that. It sucks when you don’t have a famous uncle or aunt to give you a job. I didn’t know a single person in the entertainment industry when I first started acting. You need fierce determination and focus if you want to make this thing your career.

I’m an obsessive person, to a fault at times. I’ve sacrificed a lot for my career. If you want it bad enough, keep throwing darts at the wall, keep training, keep getting yourself in front of agents and managers who can get you into the right rooms. You need people to trust in your ability to do the job and leverage in the form of physical documentation (footage) to show what you’re all about.

Two years ago, I submitted to close to 500 management companies for representation and had six meetings out of it. I worked with one who didn’t pan out. I kept trying to get better footage for my reel any way I could, writing my work, hounding past productions for footage. My current manager, who found me from my reel online, helped me get 1923 two weeks after we started working together. My reel now is awesome, but I’m not finished.

If you stay chipping away long enough, you’re bound to gain a foothold. The more you pour into yourself as a professional, the better chance you have of lightning striking you. I’m not going to say it’s easy. It won’t be until it is.

A huge thank you to Andy for sharing his insight with us.

1923 season 2 is available to stream now on Paramount+

You can find out more about Andy Dispensa on his website.