INPERSON
Something
to Smile About
Churchill native Amadeo Fusca brings audiences to
their feet with his many performances, including
Marvel’s “Daredevil” on Netflix, “Boardwalk Empire”
on HBO and Friars Club roasts of Jack Black, Dennis
Rodman, Gary Busey and Ricky Schroder and, most
recently, the national tour of the solo show comedy
“Men Are From Mars – Women Are From Venus Live!”
BY NICOLE TAFE
A
madeo Fusca grew up in the movies. “I’ve always had a
strong passion for movies and acting,” he says. “When
I was a kid, I went to see all of the Oscar-nominated
movies at a very young age, and grew up admiring the
characters on screen as well as in my life—including
my older brothers, their friends and the zillion Italian
cousins I have.”
Fusca, 33, is a native of Churchill. “I come from a large, loud,
loving Italian family,” he laughs. “Because I was the youngest of three
boys, I watched ‘Eddie Murphy: Raw’ when I was about 7 years old,
and it inspired me, even at that young age. The great comedy specials
I got to watch and the great movie dramas or thrillers that most
people would have deemed me too young to experience really helped
shape my performance wheelhouse at a young age, and I believe they
helped me mature faster.”
Fusca currently lives in Manhattan, where he auditions for film,
TV, and commercial projects about 10 times a month. “Sometimes
you book; most of the time you don’t,” he says. “It’s all about making
a good impression so people keep calling you back in.”
Fusca graduated from Woodland
Hills High School in 2004. His favorite
memories are doing the school
musicals. He played Moonface Martin
in “Anything Goes” and Barnaby
Tucker in “Hello, Dolly!” “I met so
many great people doing the musicals
at Woodland Hills that set up a great
skill set foundation for my future
endeavors in theater,” he says.
After graduation, he continued on to
Point Park Conservatory of Performing
Arts and received a Bachelor of Arts
in 2009. Since then, Fusca has been
working in all kinds of theatrical
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outlets—comedy and drama alike. Some of his most recent
endeavors include Marvel’s “Daredevil” on Netflix, “Boardwalk
Empire” on HBO, Friars Club roasts of Jack Black, Dennis
Rodman, Gary Busey and Ricky Schroder and, most recently,
the national tour of the solo show comedy “Men Are From
Mars – Women Are From Venus Live!” where he performed in
more than 55 cities—including Pittsburgh, with six weeks at the
Pittsburgh CLO Cabaret—and in more than 30 states in front of
over 50,000 people.
In 2013, Fusca won the Friars Club “So You Think You Can
Roast?” competition, beating out 55 other comedians for the
grand prize of being inducted into the Friars Club and roasting
Jack Black at its annual event.
“All of the experiences have been amazing, but roasting Jack
Black probably takes the cake,” he says. “Being on the dais and
sitting next to Amy Schumer was unreal, and attending the
prestigious event where I was included in the VIP performer
status alongside comedy legends including Jerry Lewis, Sarah
Silverman, Jeff Ross and Bob Saget was a dream come true.
“I’ve worked here and there with
a wide range of people who went
on to have great success including
Rachel Brosnahan (Mrs. Maisel)
and Sasheer Zamata (SNL),” he
continues. “But my family and my
closest friends have always had
my back in this, and I wouldn’t be
where I am today without them.”
For more information about Fusca’s
upcoming endeavors, follow @
apfusca on Twitter, or search Amadeo
Fusca on Facebook. ■