Today we’d like to introduce you to Tal Shlafman.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tal. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My journey begins when I first watched Rocky at my grandma’s house in Israel (where I lived my first 24 years of life). Somewhere along with all the air punching and panting I had this feeling of empowerment, I felt I could do anything. Obviously, I couldn’t do much back then, as I was only around seven years old. but that didn’t stop me from beginning my dream. Funny enough, even though Rocky lost in the first movie, it inspired me to feel something so deep and profound, it helped shape my point of view on life.
One of my turning points, was when I was 16, I weighed around 300 lbs and just started my medical check-ups prior to joining the army at 18. I had decided I wanted to go to Infantry and the only way I can do that was to lose weight. There I was, armed with my favorite motivational song playlist, waking up at 6 am to run around the park. After about 6 months of focused exercise and good nutrition, I lost almost 100 lbs and was ready to keep training and be in great shape. I also got my first girlfriend… YAY!
When I turned 18, I joined the Army and served three years as a Combat Medic. It was definitely an experience that taught me a lot and helped me grow tremendously. After I was done with my service, I listened to my mom’s advice and started Nursing school. A couple of months later, I took my own advice and quit Nursing school. Now, you all know that moms love to hear, “Mom, I decided to stop school and become an actor, I know I can act and besides, Grandma says: I look like Brad Pitt.” I signed to an acting school in Israel and changed my job to a Medic for tours around the country. Not long after, the Universe (which always has my back… thanks Universe) gave me a present. During one of my work trips, I met wife! She was on a Birthright, so we basically spent every hour of 10 full days together. Pretty intense. It was enough for her to extend her trip and eventually move Israel to live with me. To make a long story slightly shorter, we have been living in Atlanta for over a year and a half, and are loving it! We are both doing what we love: I am an actor who gets to tell people’s stories, and my wife is a Psychotherapist who helps people figure out their own story.
I am currently enrolled in AMAW Acting School as well as Dad’s Garage Improv. I’m literally excited to wake up every day and find what opportunities are available for me to explore and conquer. My ultimate goal is to become a role model for others. I want to prove that you can accomplish anything and everything you set your mind to, whether it is transforming your body, or making your dream come true as an actor.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
You know what they say… the smoothest road is usually the most slippery (no one ever said it, just thought of it).
I don’t like to categorize things as struggles or bad experiences. I believe I can learn from anything good or bad.
In 3 years of studying Acting in the US, I would sometimes have to drive hours just to get to class. I thought I was going to book every single audition I got, however, I didn’t. Also, through different emotional breakthroughs, I found I was so afraid to cry and be vulnerable because I thought it was not manly enough. Coming from a Russian family, Army background, and the country of Israel, which is generally always in conflict, I believed that showing emotions was a weakness, and I had to unlearn/rewrite my thoughts in order to display my sensitive nature. Now, I look away when something bad happens to a dog in a movie. It has taken work, but I now allow myself to be open with others and to express my emotions.
Another challenge for me is dieting. I pretty much have to diet 8 months a year to make sure I still keep the weight off, It’s not really cool, however, I have learned to enjoy it as much as I can.
Another obstacle I have experienced is that I left my family and everyone I ever knew to move to a different country to chase my dream. Some people can’t imagine that. For me, it’s an opportunity to affect the people I love, in the most positive way there is.
What I’m trying to say, is that from my experience I have learned that the hardest things I have dealt with in life also helped me grow the most. I am constantly working myself, inside and out. My competitive side embraces every challenge and this is something I am proud of.
“Leap and the net will appear.” (This time, someone did say it before me) 🙂
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Very recently, I booked a role of a Gladiator on cable TV. It was very meaningful for me, for the fact that “Gladiator” is my Dad’s favorite movie. My parents got divorced when I was eight, and every weekend for ten years. I used to meet my dad and go to the movie theater. My life was pretty much surrounded by “movie talk” everywhere I went. To know that I make my dad proud and booking a role (which pretty much has the title of his favorite movie) means a lot to me.
Contact Info:
- Phone: Theatrical Representation: Actors LA Agency: (323) 202-0911 Modeling Representation
Click Models: (404) 688-9700 - Website: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/TalShlafman
- Email: shlafman22@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shlafman22/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tal.shlafman
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8865425
Image Credit:
Rich Meade, Ambika Agrawal, Kristia Knowels, Richie Arpino
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