Antonio Andres Rosello was born in Caracas, raised between the UK, Germany and Panama, and shaped by an Italian family and a French school education. He speaks Spanish, English, Italian and French fluently, and he credits that multicultural upbringing for the way he sees the world and the way he approaches every character he plays. His first acting role came at nine, in the UK. By 17, he was working professionally in Panama.
Since then, he has built a career that moves comfortably between film and vertical drama. His role as Diego in the Panamanian short film We Are Not the Same has earned him eight Best Actor awards and a 2026 Madrid International Film Festival nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Foreign Language Film. In the vertical space, he has played leads in three series and worked on about a dozen productions, including Healthcare Hitman and Rival Hearts, the VeYou micro-drama he created, starred in and consulted on as producer.
Trained at Stella Adler Academy in Los Angeles, a Panamanian Red Cross ambassador, and now a producer with Antoni Entertainment and Pirate Films, Antonio is building his path on both sides of the camera. In this conversation with BODONY, he talks about the boy who dreamed of becoming a soccer player or an actor, the TikTok characters that prepared him for vertical drama, the roles that stayed with him, and the future he’s working toward.
Let’s take a step back into your early years. How was your childhood growing up? Are there any memories, stories, or moments from that time that shaped you and that you’d love to share with the fans, anything you think they would be interested to learn about the boy you once were?
Antonio: I was born in Caracas and grew up between the UK, Germany, and Panama. I come from an Italian family, and I grew up attending a French school, where I learned French. I speak Spanish, English, Italian, and French fluently, and growing up around all these cultures gave me a multicultural outlook on the world. I was always observant and curious about people. One memory that stands out is getting my first acting role when I was nine, while I was living in the UK. That gave me a glimpse of something that would stay with me.
Imagine for a moment that you’re face to face with your 10-year-old self, that young version of you who was still discovering the world and his own dreams. What would you say to him now, with everything you’ve experienced and the success you’ve built? What message, reassurance, or wisdom would you want him to hear from the man you’ve become?
I’d tell him not to worry about having his whole life figured out yet. I’d reassure him that all the hard work he’s putting in, and the experience of being an immigrant, learning languages, and getting to know different cultures, will pay off in ways he can’t see yet. At ten, he may not understand where it’s all leading, but those experiences will become part of what makes his path and his perspective unique. I’d tell him to stay curious, trust himself, and keep going even when the next step isn’t clear.
Antonio, what does success truly mean to you? Is it defined by career milestones, personal growth, the impact you leave on others, or something entirely different?
Antonio: Career milestones matter, and I’m proud that We Are Not the Same has brought me eight Best Actor awards and a 2026 Madrid International Film Festival nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Foreign Language Film. But success, to me, is ultimately about the impact you have on people. As an ambassador for the Panamanian Red Cross and through the millions of monthly views my work reaches across social media, I want to use my platform positively and be a role model for generations to come. Coming from Venezuela, a country that has faced tremendous hardship, I’m proud to represent my roots on the world stage of Hollywood and international filmmaking.
When did you first discover your talent for acting? Was it something you felt as a child, something that grew with you over time, or did it arrive later, once you were old enough to truly understand what acting meant to you?
Antonio: I always imagined I’d become either a soccer player or an actor. I’ve been lucky enough to bring those two interests together in We Are Not the Same and in Rival Hearts, the vertical micro-drama I created and starred in, which streams on VeYou. I always knew I wanted to act. I wanted to be part of films and become one of the heroes I grew up watching, someone who could inspire the next generation.
Acting also lets me follow my curiosity. I’m interested in people and human behavior, and as an actor I get to explore different lives and different sides of being human. I began working professionally in Panama at 17, though at the time I couldn’t see a clear path to making acting my career. Through hard work and strategic thinking, I’ve been able to build that path. My training, including at Stella Adler Academy in Los Angeles, has helped me develop the technique and toolbox to keep growing as an actor.
Now let’s jump into one of my favorite topics: vertical dramas. How did you first discover this format, and what were your initial thoughts when you stepped into that fast-paced world of storytelling?
Antonio: I discovered vertical dramas after moving to Los Angeles. I realized I had already been working in a kind of precursor to the format on TikTok: creating characters in videos called “POVs.” I built my TikTok following to 750,000 through those characters, so when I learned more about vertical dramas, acting in them felt like a natural next step.
I found my way into the industry through acting roles in multiple productions and through friends who were already working in the space. I’ve believed in the format from the beginning and continue to believe in its potential. For me, it’s a natural evolution alongside the theater, film, and independent projects I’ve always pursued and continue to do.
What was the first role you landed in the vertical-drama format, and how did it feel stepping into a world where everything moves so quickly, with entire projects often shot and wrapped in just 7 to 10 days?
Antonio: My first role in a vertical drama was Lucas in The Ex-Wife’s Comeback Strategy. I was amazed by how many pages we could shoot in a day and how quickly the production moved with a two-camera setup. It was a completely different rhythm, and it taught me how important preparation and flexibility are when you’re making a lot of story in a short amount of time.
Since then, I’ve played leads in three vertical dramas and worked on about a dozen vertical productions overall, including Rival Hearts and Healthcare Hitman. With Rival Hearts, I created the story as well as playing the lead and serving as a consulting producer. I’m now developing a slate of projects for future productions for me to lead in, which lets me keep building in the format from both sides of the camera.
Out of all the projects you’ve been part of so far, is there one role or character that resonated with you most deeply, someone who stayed with you long after the cameras stopped rolling?
Antonio: Two roles that stand out to me are Healthcare Hitman and Diego in We Are Not the Same. In Healthcare Hitman, I played a character inspired by the widely reported case involving Luigi Mangione. The series turned that dark starting point into a romance, and I got to explore the psychology of a man deeply affected by a series of events. We also recreated elements such as the perp walk and courtroom scenes, while bringing in a science-fiction element involving time travel. Those were unusual and exciting challenges to work on as an actor.
Diego in We Are Not the Same, a short film from Panama, is especially meaningful to me. It has been my most successful role on the festival circuit, earned me my first Best Actor awards, and the film has won more than 20 awards overall. Playing Diego asked me to look closely at his inner life and relationships. The role reminded me to approach a character with empathy and to let the audience see the person beneath the conflict.
What would your dream role be, whether in a vertical drama or a full-length film, and what kind of story or character do you hope to bring to life one day?
Antonio: I’d love to play a layered leading character in a story that feels both personal and expansive, someone with contradictions, a real emotional journey, and a world that gives the audience something to think about after the story ends. I love action films, and in the long term I see myself becoming an action star and doing my own stunts.
I’m also developing a crime thriller with a character I’m building for myself. The role would draw on my language skills and my ability to move between different cultures and countries. I’d love to keep taking on work that asks me to transform emotionally, physically, and through language.
What does love mean to you today, and how has your understanding of it evolved as you’ve grown both personally and professionally?
Antonio: To me, love is wholeheartedly wanting the best for another person. I’ve been very fortunate to experience that through my supportive family. I hope to find that kind of love in a partner too, someone who becomes part of my team as we grow together and build an empire together.
Loyalty is closely connected to love for me: showing up for each other unconditionally and standing by the people you love, especially in their toughest moments. I value relationships grounded in care, honesty, respect, and the willingness to grow together.
Since we’re speaking about matters of the heart, and knowing how curious fans can be, has anyone managed to steal your heart off-screen, Antonio? Or is love something you’re letting unfold gently in its own time?
Antonio: I like to keep my love life personal. I think love should be able to unfold naturally, without the pressure that can come with being a public figure. I’m currently single and focused on my personal and professional growth, but I’m open to the right person coming along and changing that.
When you look ten years into the future Antonio, where do you see yourself, both in your career and in the life you hope to be living?
Antonio: Ten years from now, I see myself as a successful actor and producer, leading projects that shoot around the world and reaching audiences through streaming platforms, theaters, and beyond. I hope to continue working on award-winning projects and to keep growing as an actor, including earning more Best Actor recognition.
I see myself producing through Antoni Entertainment and Pirate Films, where I’m part of the team as a producer. Pirate Films recently had its soft launch, presenting our slate of feature films. Some of those projects are very personal to me, and I plan to be involved in them as both an actor and a producer.
More than anything, I want to be in a position to give back to the places that have been part of my development: Venezuela, Panama, and Europe. I want to shoot there, help create jobs, and continue my philanthropy so I can contribute to making the world a better place.
To conclude, what message would you like to share with your fans, the people who believe in you, and the friends who’ve stood by you throughout your journey?
Antonio: Thank you for believing in me and for being part of this journey. I’m especially grateful to the people who have supported my work from the beginning and to the fans who have found me through films, vertical dramas, or social media. Your messages and encouragement remind me that stories can bring people together across countries and languages. I don’t take that support for granted, and I’m excited to keep sharing new work with you.
Antonio Andres Rosello has never needed his whole life figured out to keep moving forward. The languages, the countries, the years of being the new kid somewhere else all became part of the actor he is today. “At ten, he may not understand where it’s all leading,” he says of his younger self, “but those experiences will become part of what makes his path and his perspective unique.”
For Antonio, the awards matter, but they aren’t the whole story. Success means impact, using his platform to give back, and proudly representing Venezuela on the international stage. In ten years, he wants to be leading projects around the world, producing the stories closest to his heart, and creating jobs in the places that raised him: Venezuela, Panama and Europe.
To everyone who has followed him through films, vertical dramas and social media, his message is simple: “Your messages and encouragement remind me that stories can bring people together across countries and languages.” He’s curious, multilingual and only just getting started. Antonio is proof that the road from Caracas to Hollywood runs through every place you’ve ever called home.
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Written by Engjell Hasula
Independent writer and interviewer. Editor of BODONY, an independent editorial featuring conversations and portraits of artists across creative industries.
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