Check Out Ulisses Gonsalves’ Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ulisses Gonsalves.

Hi Ulisses, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Oh man, never realize how long its been until you try to recall the start. I’m from the small town of Latham, in Upstate New York. A somewhat large family, I had two brothers growing up, and then another brother and his twin sister when I was a little older. My parents gave me the gift of a loving family. We weren’t perfect, but we were us. I grew up with the sense that family was everything. And not just blood family. My mother would take in friends and neighbors who were going through tough times and treat them as her own kids. She was always generous and loving, even when we didn’t have much to give. Probably what led me to believe a strong bond with someone was worth its weight in gold. My father was more the strong silent type. He had his own way of showing he cared for others. It wasn’t displayed as often, but when he did, it had a world of an impact.

When I was 18, he passed away suddenly from cancer, which threw my life into a downwards spiral. I wandered aimlessly for a few years, watching as my family was slowly being torn apart, emotions flaring, our financial situation worsening, and darkness clouding our hearts. It was the hardest time of my life. A struggle that even now, all these years later, still exists to some degree. But I was fortunate, well as much as you can be in such a situation. My family was still there for one another, my close friends stepping up as brothers and sisters, and a sliver of hope and resilience left in my heart by the last few words my father gave me before leaving this world. “Dja N Ba (I’m gone). I love you all. You are going to want to push the ones you love away after this. But don’t.” And then the words that I had engraved onto a dog tag, that to this day always hangs around my neck: “Be a man of character,” I would say that was really the starting point of my journey in life.

From there, I’ve met so many people, Ive made so many mistakes and regrets, I’ve failed and I’ve struggled, but I’ve also grown. Looking back, I’ve grown so much as who I identify now from my experiences and my family. My best friend stood by me the whole time I dealt with my father’s death. And I stood by him when his mother died of cancer as well. A strong bond is worth its weight in gold. I discovered acting when I attended college at the University at Albany. I had gone through a bad break up. I was struggling, working a cruddy job before, in between, and after class often. So I felt I needed a change. Gave it one shot and realized this was what I needed in my life. I was a shy kid back then, the nice quiet type. Acting changed that for me. It opened me up. Not just to new dreams and confidence but emotionally and mentally. It was therapy for me. If I felt I couldnt express emotion in life, I’d carry it into a script. After deciding I wanted to be an actor, I met the love of my life, a beautiful woman from a neighboring town who wanted to help people. Taking the plunge, I moved with her out to Boston for her to attend grad school for a few years, and from there, we made a move here to Atlanta for me to pursue acting.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think I’ve ever had a “smooth” experience in my life. Even after moving away from home, my partner and I dealt with obstacle after obstacle. Climb over one, and another is waiting. But we made it through each and everyone and continue forward. The acting itself has (and always will be) a jagged mountain cliffside path. Every day I’m learning. I currently study under the amazing Mornell Studios, and they have taught me so much in just finding truth in myself.

My father was from Cape Verde, Africa, my mother Puerto Rican. My father spoke Creole, my mother Spanish. I speak only English. This often left me with an identity crisis, struggling to find myself belonging to any ethnic identity. Once I got into acting, that added a third layer, where I look Latino, so I’m expected and asked often to have an accent, to speak the language, to portray a certain image that I don’t. So a constant struggle for me is that most of the bigger roles I get, “Tough Latino with an accent,” I don’t always connect with. It’s an uphill battle is trying to get the chance to perform based off of me, and not the stereotype I look like, which most people of color have issue with within the film industry.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Acting became my life’s passion due to my overactive imagination, I’m sure. I am a dreamer. Always have been, always will be. Creating worlds in my mind, bringing them to life in one way or another, is a rush I can’t describe. Its like living a different life. Being someone else for a moment, but relating yourself to them. Like someone put a filter over your own life. Experiencing your own emotions and memories in a new way. I’ve done a couple of indie films that I’m quite proud of but also really enjoyed because of the people I worked with.

The short film Safe House, by the amazing director, Micah Khan, was aired on Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey network. And I made my first network television appearance earlier this year on NCIS New Orleans. It was an amazing experience (I even got to witness an explosion) and it set me on a crave to continue on. It was also the most rewarding experience when my family watched the episode with me. Sadly right after filming that, Covid hit and production on film stopped for most of the year. But I’ve been training throughout this whole period, getting my butt kicked into shape by my coach Sara Mornell and her talented team. So I’m very excited now that productions have picked back up. I’m learning. I’m always learning. Not just from class, but from my life experiences. Those are what make me real. And that’s what I want to bring to my work.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Atlanta has been a great experience for me so far. The cost of living has given me a chance to live a good life while pursuing my dream, without having to completely drown myself in my survival job just to stay afloat. It has given me the opportunity, having so much acting work here while also being a right to work state. So I get more chances to shine early on as I grind. And creativity is everywhere from art to shops, to film, to just people. It’s like a blood flow, constantly moving all over the city and its life. The downside is the struggle between progressive and not. I’ve helped my partner through her anger with the Heart Beat Bill and the fight to keep Women’s rights safe, and I marched in the BLM protests, supporting my brothers and sisters in equality. But I feel it’s all a movement making progress each day, so I’m looking to the future. Also, people cant drive here. I don’t understand it, haha.

Contact Info:

• Email: ulisses.gonsalves@gmail.com
• Website: ulissesgonsalves.com
• Instagram: the_ulisses_gon
• Other: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/ulisses

Image Credits
@Sarah LaPorte @Lanese Love @Micah Khan @Alex Guilderland