| This interview originally appeared on Casting Connection in June 2002.
Actors on Acting
By Leon Acord
A five-part series exploring the techniques and experiences of local San Francisco actors.
Desi Del Valle
|
 |
| Photo: Lisa Keating |
|
| I first met Desi Del Valle on the comedy feature film Some Prefer Cake, and was immediately impressed with her talent and professionalism. So when Casting Connection and I discussed a series of interviews with some of my favorite colleagues, I knew Desi was the first person to call!
Desi is an actor’s actor. Active both behind the scenes and in front of the camera, the New York native has appeared in some important independent films, including Costa Brava and Gregg Araki’s seminal Mod-F**k Explosion. Her work in film has taken her all over the world. Tirelessly devoted to Latina and lesbian issues, Desi actively produces her own projects, most notably Desi’s Looking for a New Girl. She’s a regular contributor to KQED Channel 9’s Independent View, travels the lecture circuit, and works at Frameline assisting with the production of the San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.
|
|
* * * * *
LEON ACORD: You seemed so relaxed shooting Some Prefer Cake. I thought, “How good can she be?” Then I saw the film, and you were so alive and present. How do you make it look so easy?
DESI DEL VALLE: My character, Robin, is the closest to me of any woman I’ve ever played. She’s relaxed and shy. I have such a strong shy side. As much as I’ve been exposed to, I’m still so naïve about a lot of things, and Robin has that. The other thing Robin has that I have is conviction. Robin was content to stay in the background, she wasn’t trying to be in the spotlight. I’m like that also – strange for an actor, but true for me. I’m not a spotlight person. I’m content to be the firm, grounded person in the background. But when it’s time to speak up about something, I go in with a lot of passion.
|
LA: I was impressed that you could disagree without being confrontational. How do you remain so positive, up front?
DDV: I started out in the independent world. That’s what I go back to when I find myself feeling too far-flung and not grounded. I really entered Some Prefer Cake with the attitude that, “Okay, I’m not a ‘Hollywood actor,’ but I do bring a certain amount of experience and know-how and talent.” That enabled me to challenge the director a little bit, knowing Heidi [Arnesen, the director] would be open to that.
|
 |
| Desi Del Valle |
|
|
LA: Did you have input in terms of creating Robin?
DDV: A little bit. Robin started out as a Jew, and then Heidi and Jeannie [Kahaney, the screenwriter] said, “You’re Latino, let’s make her Latino.” I said, “Wait, let’s not make this about Robin’s ethnicity because it’s not about that.” I really tried to move it away from Jewish humor, or making Robin Latina, because I thought that was distracting and irrelevant to the story.
LA: Has your vast education helped you in film, or have you found you haven’t used it?
DDV: For many years I operated just on instinct and raw talent. I found I was playing the same role over and over. I hit a wall and wasn’t happy anymore, so I tried various classes at ACT, then the summer training congress, and it blew me away. It changed my life and really helped me a lot.
LA: Did you have a sudden realization that you would dedicate your life to acting, or was it a desire that manifested over time?
DDV: It came in different stages. I was this kid who watched way too much television, so that was what I wanted to do. I want to be on television, be a television star, and go to Hollywood! So that was phase one. Phase two was after college. I was working in a film organization, and thought “Something in film production, that’s what I want to do.” All of the sudden I found myself approaching film directors saying, “I want to be in your film. I’m an actor.” I kept doing it. Then when I got the opportunity to go to Spain in 194 to co-star in Costa Brava, it was on that set, and having that experience, that made me realize I wanted to do this with my life.
LA: You’ve done a healthy chunk of theatre. A lot of film actors wouldn’t.
DDV: My luck, Leon, is someone always asks me to be in something. That’s how it starts. So I did a couple of things. I did the same show twice at Sims Center. Then I worked with Val Hendrickson. That’s what really pushed me into theatre. Val was just great, I got pushed and challenged and worked in ways I never had, and the experience really hooked me. Then I went to the ACT Summer Congress, which was amazing for me.
LA: Do you stay closeted? Have you ever thought, “I need to be tight-lipped about who I am and my sexuality?’”
DDV: It never occurred to me to be closeted. I came from an activist background. When I renewed my commitment to acting, I thought, “Oh! I can use my acting for activism.” Especially in my earlier work, you’ll notice I do a lot of representational work. When I decided that acting was what I was going to do, I also wanted it to serve a purpose by bringing visibility to lesbians, to Latinas, and to women in general.
LA: Does your job at Frameline help or hinder an acting career?
DDV: I’m lucky enough to be around film all the time. In that way it’s a huge help, a huge motivator. I have a lot of access, and I’m very lucky. I genuinely love what I do there, too. It’s very similar to my acting. It’s about visibility, empowerment, activism, so they parallel each other.
LA: What role, accomplishment or project makes you feel that you are right where you belong?
DDV: Well, I played a 16-year-old boy twice, once in film, and once in theatre. That is an accomplishment. For film, it was Mod F**k Explosion, by Gregg Araki. It was my first feature role, and my favorite. That was when I hit it. I found nothing wrong with my acting – whereas I’m always finding things wrong with my acting. (Laughs.)
LA: Do you go to dailies?
DDV: Yeah, if I’m allowed to.
LA: Do you have trouble watching yourself?
DDV: I have trouble if I’m doing a crappy job.
LA: What advice would you give young actors starting out?
DDV: You have to really want this, because this is not easy. Clarity and focus are really important. I can articulate it better if I compare it to being an athlete. You only get to see athletes in game situations. They’re scoring points, always winning and it looks fun. You don’t see the hours of practice, keeping in shape, and watching what you eat. You also don’t see what a person has to sacrifice to get to that level. The discipline, the hard work. From a healthy standpoint, if you really want this, you are loving this whether you are getting paid for it or not. People say it should always be fun, but sometimes it’s not fun.
LA: How do you define success?
DDV: For me, the story has been that I haven’t given up. Because it is tough, and I’ve seen more talented actors give up, for a variety of reasons. My goal is to stick through it, no matter what.
LA: Where do you want to be in ten years?
DDV: If I could sustain myself just on acting, speaking engagements, and little random miscellaneous things that revolve around acting. If I could just make $50,000 being a year, and not have a day job.
LA: You’re one of the few in SF who actually generates press, magazine covers, and interviews. How do you not become impaled by your publicity?
DDV: It’s so important to be human, and have real friends, real conversations, and be around real people; a diversity of people, not just actors, not just film people. I want to stay accessible. I don’t want celebrity. I don’t want to be living in an ivory tower, separated from everyone. Whatever I am, I want to be of the people. I’m not trying to separate myself from the community. I’m trying to be part of the community. Have community. So that’s what it is for me.
Next month: The talented David Tenenbaum and I discuss how dedication to one’s art can often demand sacrifices from one’s personal life.
* * * * *
Leon Acord has appeared in over 20 films and 15 plays. He plays “Quentin Crisp” in the play Carved in Stone, making its world debut at the Eureka Theatre in SF this August. Leon may be contacted via email at Leon@LeonAcord.com.
|
UPDATE: Desi Del Valle recently relocated back to New York City, where she continues her tireless efforts in film production, film and theatre performances, and community activism. Learn more about her at her website, http://www.geocities.com/tim20000/desi/
|
|
|
